This is a list of earthquakes in 1996. Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in damage or casualties, or are notable for some other reason. All dates are listed according to UTC time.
By death toll RankDeath tollMagnitudeLocationMMIDepth (km)Date13226.6 China, Yunnan 11.021088.1 Indonesia, Biak Island 20.03266.4 China, Inner Mongolia 26.04147.7 Peru, Nazca 33.05127.4 Peru, Chimbote 10.0
By magnitude Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date18.2166, Biak Region offshoreVIII (Severe)33.027.90, Alaska, Aleutian Islands offshoreVII (Very Strong)33.027.99, Sulawesi offshoreX (Extreme)24.027.90, Flores Sea offshoreIV (Light)587.357.714, Nazca offshoreVIII (Severe)33.067.40 Region offshoreII (Weak)550.277.30, Alaska, Aleutian Islands offshoreVII (Very Strong)26.387.20, Kuril Islands offshoreVI (Strong)42.687.20 Region offshoreI (Not Felt)110.987.21, Bougainville Island offshoreVIII (Severe)44.0117.10, Eastern Visayas offshore VI (Strong)33.0117.10, Oaxaca offshoreVII (Very Strong)21.1137.00Mid-Atlantic RidgeI (Not Felt)10.0137.00, Sulawesi offshoreVIII (Severe)33.0
By month
January
+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured1Tonga offshore, 65 km S of Pangai6.033.0I - - -1 offshore, 181 km North of Palu7.924.0XThe 1996 Sulawesi earthquake damaged 350 buildings and created a tsunami up to , 9 people were Killed and 67 people were injured.9671, 106 km Northeast of Yelizovo6.633.0VII - - -8, Sakhalinskaya Oblast5.67.8VIIFourteen houses were damaged at Okha. - -17, Papua Region6.1109.1V - - -22South Sandwich Islands region6.210.1I - - -27Philippines, Surigao del Sur6.033.0V - - -30, Kermadec Islands offshore6.114.2I - - -30, Kermadec Islands offshore6.433.0IV - - -31Russia, Kuril Islands6.020.6III - - -
February
+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured1, offshore, 93 km Northeast of Otrada6.2170.0V - - -3, 47 km North of Lijiang6.611.1XThe 1996 Lijiang earthquake left over 1 million buildings damaged or destroyed, this left 322 people dead and 16,925 injured, about 3,000 of them seriously.32216,9257Indonesia, Central Sulawesi6.113.8VI - - -7, Offshore, 158 km east of Kamchatka7.242.6VISome damage was reported. - -7Russia, Offshore, 176 km SE of Kuril’sk6.033.0II - - -9Papua New Guinea, 89 km NNW of Lae6.168.5V - - -12Indonesia, offshore, 232 km SW of Waingapu6.18.0I - - -16North of Ascension Island6.610.6I - - -16Tonga, offshore, 96 km NE of Hihifo6.033.0I - - -16, offshore, 123 km East of Namie6.740.8VIAt least 4 people were Injured. -417, offshore, 101 km Northeast of Biak8.133.0IXThe 1996 Biak earthquake caused severe damage mostly by a 7-meter (23 ft) high tsunami, 166 people were Killed and 423 people were injured.16642321, Ancash offshore7.510.0VI7 people were killed and 2 more people were injured due to a tsunami off the coast after the 1996 Chimbote earthquake.7225, Oaxaca offshore7.121.1VII - - -
March
DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured3, Managua offshore 6.633.0VIDoublet earthquake, some buildings were damaged in Managua. - -36.733.0VII - -17, Port-Olry offshore 6.7164.4V - - -19, Xinjiang6.328.2VI At least 24 people were killed, 128 were injured and more than 15,314 houses were damaged or destroyed in Artux.2412822, Alaska, Rat Islands offshore 6.820.4I - - -28, Cotopaxi6.033.0VIAt least 27 people were killed, about 100 were injured, several thousand were left homeless and considerable damage and destruction to homes occurred.27100
April
DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured16 Fiji Islands offshore 7.2110.9I - - -19, Antofagasta6.649.5VII - - -29, Bougainville Island7.244.0VIIIOne person was killed and several dozen houses collapsed in Bougainville.1 -
May
DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured2, Bougainville Island offshore6.6500.0III - - -3, Inner Mongolia6.026.0VII At least 26 people were killed, 453 were injured and extensive damage caused by the 1996 Baotou earthquake264533, Washington5.43.8VIIITwo people were injured and slight damage occurred in the epicentral area. -2
June
DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured1, Inner Mongolia5.210.0VSome houses were damaged in Tianzhu county. - -2Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge7.010.0I - - -10, Ureparapara offshore 6.7200.1IV - - -10, Alaska, Aleutian Islands offshore7.933.0VIIIA tsunami was observed with heights up to in Adak Island. - -107.326.3VIIIt was an aftershock of the 7.9 earthquake that same day. - -11, Eastern Visayas offshore 7.133.0VI - - -17, Molucca Sea7.9587.3IVSome damage occurred at Kupang. - -21, Kamchatka offshore 6.720.0IV - - -
July
DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured6Mariana Islands region6.2241.1I - - -15Northern Mariana Islands, Pagan region6.3176.5I - - -15Mexico, Guerrero6.818.3VIFelt strongly in Acapulco and Mexico City. - -16Russia, Kamchatka Peninsula6.533.0I - - -16Indonesia, Palu, Central Sulawesi6.633.0VISome damage in Tolitoli. - -20Greece, Dodecanese Islands6.233.0V - - -22Indonesia, Palu, Central Sulawesi7.033.0VISome damage in Tolitoli. - -23South of the Fiji Islands6.533.0I - - -23South of the Fiji Islands6.233.0I - - -25Southern East Pacific Rise6.110.0I - - -28Indonesia, Palu, Central Sulawesi6.033.0V - - -30Philippines, Sabang6.133.0VSome damage in Palawan. - -
August
DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured2Solomon Islands, Kirakira6.933.0VI - - -5Tonga, 104 km NE of Hihifo6.741.2III - - -5Ecuador, Salinas6.333.0VIFelt in Guayas and Manabi Provinces. - -5Fiji7.4550.2II - - -10Papua New Guinea, Kokopo6.233.0VI - - -10Japan, Akite Prefecture6.010.0VISix people injured in northeastern Yamagata Prefecture. Four people injured and fifteen houses damaged in Miyagi Prefecture. -1011Vanuatu, 107 km WNW of Sola6.199.8V - - -12Molucca Sea6.042.3I - - -15Vanuatu, 99 km NW of Sola6.233.0V - - -19Alaska, Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Islands6.033.0III - - -19South Indian Ocean6.110.0I - - -22Flores Sea6.0595.7I - - -27Mid-Indian Ridge6.010.0I
September
DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured4Costa Rica, Quepos6.232.5VI - - -5Easter Island region6.910.0ILocal tsunami generated with maximum recorded wave heights (peak-to-trough) of 18 cm on Easter Island. - -5Easter Island region6.210.0IAftershock from the 6.9 the hour prior - -5Croatia, Ston–Slano6.010.0VIISeveral people injured, 2,000 left homeless and extensive damage (VIII) in the Ston-Slano area, Croatia. -25Taiwan, Lan Yun6.820.0VI - - -6Solomon Sea6.233.0V - - -9Chile, Coquimbo Region6.039.0VISome adobe houses damaged in the epicentral area. - -11Japan, Chiba Prefecture6.255.0VI - - -14Solomon Islands, Lata6.472.7VI - - -20Philippines, Surigao del Sur6.433.0VIForeshock to the 6.6 three hours later. - -20Philippines, Surigao del Sur6.633.0VI - - -20Philippines, Surigao del Sur6.133.0VAn aftershock to the 6.6 earlier in the day. - -28Philippines, Surigao del Norte6.3234.8IV - - -
October
DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured1Owen Fracture Zone6.410.0I - - -2Eastern Samar6.433.0VI - - -2Russia, Kuril Islands6.033.0I - - -6Canada, Vancouver6.210.0I - - -8Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge6.110.0I - - -9Cyprus6.833.0VIOne person died of a heart attack and twenty others injured on Cyprus. One person killed in Egypt. Felt in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.22010Indonesia, North Sumatra6.333.0VIFelt as far away as Malaysia. - -12Papua New Guinea, Bouganville6.133.0VIForeshock to the 6.8 two days later. - -14Papua New Guinea, Bouganville6.824.0VI - - -17Philippines, Davao Occidental6.0116.8IV - - -18Japan, Kagoshima Prefecture6.610.0VIILocal tsunami generated with wave heights up to 17 cm recorded on Tanega-shima. - -19Japan, Miyazaki Prefecture6.722.0VIITsunami generated with recorded wave heights of 110 cm at Miyazaki, 40 cm at Nichinan and 14 cm on Tanega-shima. Minor tsunami also observed on Shikoku. - -19Fiji region6.9590.8I - - -24Russia, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug6.119.9VII - - -
November
DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured4Colombia, Choco6.314.0VII - - -5New Zealand, Kermadec Island Region6.8369.4V - - -5Philippines, Surigao del Nortel6.033.0V - - -6Japan, Bonin Islands6.69.0I - - -7Philippines, Surigao del Nortel6.133.0V - - -11New Zealand, Kermadec Island Region6.233.0IAftershock from the 6.8 six days prior. - -11Myanmar, Magway6.080.0V - - -12Peru, Ica7.733.0VIIAt least 14 people killed, 560 injured and 12,000 homeless from Chincha Alta to Acari. Over 4,000 houses damaged or destroyed at Nazca. Tsunami generated with maximum recorded wave heights (peak-to-trough) of 25 cm at Callao, Peru; 35 cm at Arica and 21 cm at Caldera, Chile.1456013Peru, Ica6.133.0VIAn aftershock of the 7.7 the day prior. - -13Peru, Ica6.033.0VAn aftershock of the 7.7 the day prior. - -14Solomon Islands6.0109.2I - - -14Tonga region6.2191.6I - - -16France, Wallis and Futuna6.033.0I - - -17Nicaragua, Rivas6.033.0V - - -17Fiji region6.1591.6I - - -19India, Ladakh6.933.0VII - - -20Japan, Izu Islands6.133.0IIIFelt in Tokyo. - -28Central Mid-Atlantic Ridge6.310.0I - - -
December
DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured1New Zealand, Kermadec Island Region6.2355.8I - - -2Japan, Miyazaki Prefecture6.749.2VILocal tsunami observed with maximum recorded wave heights (peak-to-trough) of 21 cm in the Nichinan-Aburatsu area and 4 cm in the Hyuga-Hososhima area. - -3Tonga region6.232.7I - - -9Indonesia, West Java6.150.9V - - -9Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge6.010.0I - - -10Central Mid-Atlantic Ridge6.710.0I - - -22Japan, Hokkaido6.5226.5IV - - -26Indonesia, Papua6.333.0VI - - -30Indonesia, Maluku6.033.0V - - -31Mexico, Chiapas6.499.5VIFelt as far as Mexico City. - -
List 1996 Sulawesi earthquake (M7.9, Jan 1) 1996 Lijiang earthquake (M7.0, Feb 3) 1996 Biak earthquake (M8.1, Feb 17) 1996 Chimbote earthquake (M7.4, Feb 21) 1996 Baotou earthquake (M6.4, May 3) 1996 Nazca earthquake (M7.5, Nov 12) DateTimePlaceLat.Long.DeathsMagnitude CommentsSources Main article19:14 local timeLijiang, Yunnan, China27.30100.293226.6MwUSGS1996 Lijiang earthquake05:59Near Biak Island, Indonesia−0.891136.9521088.1Mw1996 Biak earthquake03:32 UTCNear Baotou, China40.774109.661266.4Ms1996 Baotou earthquake16:59 UTCNear Nazca, Peru−14.99375.675147.5MwUSGS1996 Nazca earthquake
References