This is a list of earthquakes in 1983. Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in damage and/or casualties, or are notable for some other reason. Events in remote areas will not be listed but included in statistics and maps. Countries are entered on the lists in order of their status in this particular year. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Maximum intensities are indicated on the Mercalli intensity scale and are sourced from United States Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeMap data.

By death toll Rank Death toll Magnitude Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , Erzurum Province 2 , Boke Region 3 , Cauca Department 4 , eastern Sea of Japan 5 , Shandong Province 6 , Mazandaran Province 7 , Badakhshan Province 8 , Luzon 9 , Skopje Statistical Region, North Macedonia 10 , Department of Amazonas, Peru 10 , East New Britain Province Listed are earthquakes with at least 10 dead.

By magnitude Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , southeast of New Ireland 2 , eastern Sea of Japan 2 , Atacama Region 2 , Badakhshan Province 5 , Banda Sea 5 , Chagos Archipelago 7 , South Sandwich Islands 8 , Puntarenas Province 8 , Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia 10 , Ionian Islands 10 , Kermadec Islands 10 , Department of Amazonas, Peru 10 , Sistan and Baluchistan Province 10 , off the west coast Listed are earthquakes with at least 7.0 magnitude.

By month

January

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , La Paz Department (Bolivia) 6.3 172.0 6.4 33.0 , off the east coast 6.7 234.9 Some damage was caused to communications systems. , Ionian Islands 7.0 14.3 Some damage was caused. , off the coast of Oaxaca 6.3 56.8 Some damage was caused. , Andaman Islands 6.8 78.0 , Kermadec Islands 7.0 238.0

February

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , southeast of Mindanao 6.3 51.0 , Xinjiang Province 6.2 16.1 2 injuries were reported as well as damage. 2 , north of Guam 5.7 105.0 1 person was injured and minor damage was reported. 1 , southeast of Alaska Peninsula 6.5 47.0 , southeast of Mindanao 6.4 60.5 , Skopje Statistical Region, Macedonia SR 4.7 24.4 12 people died after suffering heart attacks. Some damage was reported with costs reaching $500,000 (1983 rate). 12 , Arica y Parinacota Region 6.9 146.0 Minor damage was caused. , Districts under Central Government Jurisdiction, Tajikistan 5.3 49.2 Major damage was caused. , Chiba Prefecture, Honshu 5.9 78.3 11 people were injured. 11

March

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the coast of Sucre (state) 5.9 82.4 10 people were injured whilst evacuating buildings. 10 , Kuril Islands, Russia 6.2 33.0 , south of Ambon Island 6.0 33.0 Foreshock to following event. , south of Ambon Island 6.7 16.9 Some damage was reported. A tsunami was observed locally. , Shizuoka Prefecture, Honshu 5.3 43.2 1 person was killed and 2 were injured. Some damage was reported. 1 2 , southeast of Mindanao 6.7 41.0 , southeast of New Ireland (island) 7.6 88.8 Property damage and landslides were caused by the shaking. A tsunami was observed in the area. , southeast of New Ireland (island) 6.4 80.1 Aftershock of March 18 event. , southwest of Tongatapu 6.7 68.0 , Ionian Islands 6.4 19.1 7 people were injured. 160 homes sustained damage. Aftershock of January 17 event. 7 , Mazandaran Province 5.2 33.0 30 people were killed and 61 were hurt. Many homes were damaged with costs reaching $5 million (1983 rate). 30 61 , Cauca Department 5.5 22.2 Despite the moderate magnitude the 1983 Popayan earthquake caused major destruction in the area. Up to 350 people died and 1,200 were injured. $410.9 million (1983 rate) worth of damage was caused. 350 1,200

April

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured3, 12 North of Golfito7.137.0VII 5 people died from heart attacks, another was killed from a collapsed building and 4 people were injured.644, 68 km Southwest of Sabang6.978.5VII Some damage in Banda Aceh - -4, Kuril Islands6.551.0V - - -8, Owen fracture zone6.710.0I - - -12, 92 km northeast of La Peca7.0104.2VII - - -18, Saravan7.064.0VII - - -24, 124 km Southeast of Gizo6.412.4VII - - -30, Hokkaido6.530.4V - - -

May

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured2, California6.79.6VIII The 1983 Coalinga earthquake destroyed an 8-story building in Coalinga, 94 people were injured. -9410, Kimbe6.5112.4VI - - -10, Kokopo6.771.6VI - - -15, 168 km Northwest of Pangai6.533.0I - - -26, Japanese Sea7.423.7VII The 1983 Sea of Japan earthquake was One of the largest earthquakes in 1983, 104 people were killed and 324 were injured.104324

June

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured1, 147 km Southwest of Hihifo6.6179.6II - - -9, Southern Hokkaido6.328.0VThis Was an Aftershock to the 7.8 earthquake on May 26. - -21, 122 km Northwest of Hokkaido6.79.9VAn aftershock to the 7.8 earthquake on May 26, some damage was caused and a high tsunami was observed. - -21, Chinese Sea6.436.9V - - -24, 45 km Northeast of Dien Bien Phu6.318.4VII – - -

July

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured3, 17 km South of Pejibaye6.533.0VII2 people were killed and 60 were injured.2605, Southeast of the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia6.533.0III - - -5, 10 km North of Biga6.110.0IXThe 1983 Biga earthquake Killed 5 People and Injured 26 More.52611, South Shetland Islands6.910.0IV - - -12, 37 km Northwest of Tatitlek, Alaska6.637.0VISome Damage Occurred in Valdez - -24, 82 km North of Yelizovo, Russia6.2180.4IV - - -24, 49 km North of Komodo6.448.1VI - - -

August

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured6, Aegean Sea6.82.4VIISome Damage Occurred to Buildings - -17 Russia, Kamchatka7.162.6VII - - -17, 16 km Northeast of Piddig6.528.8VIII16 people were killed and 47 people were injured.164725, Hiroshima6.5126.4VOne Person was Injured and Some Landslides Occurred. -130, 201 Southeast of Hihifo6.138.7IV - - -

September

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured7, 46 km Northwest of Tatitlek, Alaska6.445.0VISome Damage Occurred in Anchorage. - -12, Badakhshan6.2208.8IVSome Damage Occurred in Kashmir, Pakistan. - -15, Chiapas6.3115.2V - - -17 Wallis and Futuna6.733.0IV - - -

October

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured4, Atacama Region7.414.8VIIIAt least 5 people were killed, and 24 people were injured.5246, 94 km southeast of Kurchatov6.01.0IIThis earthquake was caused by an Underground nuclear explosion - -15 offshore, 58 km West of Gizo6.57.4VI - - -16, 231 Northwest of Gorontalo6.540.1VIIAt least 17 buildings had collapsed in the epicentral area. - -22, South Sandwich Islands7.224.0VI - - -28, Idaho6.910.0IXThe 1983 Borah Peak earthquake was the largest earthquake ever recorded in Idaho, 2 people were killed with an equal amount injured.2230, 27 km East of Narman6.811.6IXThe 1983 Erzurum earthquake completely destroyed 50 villages in Erzurum and Kars, 1,342 people were Killed and 534 people were injured.1,342534

References