List of earthquakes in 1986

This is a list of earthquakes in 1986. 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)Date11,0005.7 El Salvador, San Salvador 10.021507.2 Romania, Vrancea 131.03206.0 Greece, Peloponnese 11.24165.2 Peru, Cusco 50.95157.4 Taiwan, Hualien 33.85156.1 Turkey, Malatya 9.6

By magnitude Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date18.00 United States, Alaska offshore 33.027.70 New Zealand, Kermadec Islands offshore 29.137.50 Indonesia, Molucca Sea offshore 33.047.415 Taiwan, Hualien offshore 33.857.20 Tonga, Tongatapu offshore 188.157.2150 Romania, Vrancea 131.057.20 Papua New Guinea, East Sepik 102.387.10 Tonga offshore 547.087.10 Fiji, Central offshore 538.387.10 Vanuatu, Tafea offshore 150.0117.00 Mexico, Michoacan offshore 26.5

By month

January

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured3, North Maluku offshore6.139.1V - - -11, Ancash5.138.9IV One person died, about 80 houses damaged or destroyed, and about 100 people were made homeless in Huarmey. 40 animals were also killed by rockslides. 1 -15, Tafea offshore6.0146.3I It is a foreshock of the 7.0 quake a few seconds later. - -15, Tafea offshore7.0150.0IV - - -16, Yilan offshore6.012.6VI Four people were injured. - 417, Saxony4.310.0VI Slight damage was caused in Selb. - -22, Makira offshore6.394.6V - - -26, California5.58.2VII Some damage was caused in the Hollister-Tres Pinos-Paicines area and in the Santa Ana Valley east of Hollister. The most serious damage occurred at the Cienega Winery about 11 miles south of Hollister. - -27, Makira offshore6.082.2V - - -27, Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic5.371.2VII Damage was observed in Dzhalilabad. - -28, Andaman and Nicobar Islands offshore6.027.0I - - -29, South Sumatra5.033.0IV Two people were injured and severe damage occurred in Lahat. - 231, Ohio5.010.0VI 17 people were injured and slight damage occurred in the Painesville-Mentor area. Minor damage also occurred at Bainbridge, Bowling Green, Chardon, Geneva, Huntsburg, Kirtland, Leroy, Madison, Metals Park, Middlefield, Perry, Perry Nuclear Plant, Thompson, Warren and Willoughby. Minor damage also occurred in neighboring Pennsylvania, in Albion and Linesville. - 17

February

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured3, Bonin Islands offshore6.5508.0I - - -3, Chiapas4.716.2IV Adobe houses were damaged near the Tacana Volcano. In neighboring Guatemala, 500 houses were damaged in Ixchiguán. - -10, Free State5.05.0VI Minor damage occurred in Welkom and in the St. Helena gold mine. - -12, Ibaraki offshore6.230.0V - - -18, Santa Isabel offshore4.720.7IV Slight damage occurred in Cayey, Cidra, Coamo, Ponce, and Santa Isabel. - -18, Central Macedonia4.821.4VI Slight damage occurred in Edhessa. - -19, Cagayan Valley offshore6.077.4V Slight damage occurred in several old buildings in Laoag. - -24, Western offshore6.210.0I - - -

March

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured3, Kukës5.018.8VI Damage was observed in Kukës. - -3, Kukës4.516.4VI It is an aftershock of the 5.0 event a few hours prior. Additional damage was caused. - -5, Tafea offshore6.1286.6I - - -6, Azeri Soviet Socialist Republic6.533.0VI Minor damage occurred in Baku. - -7, East New Britain6.4115.9V - - -12, Idaho2.01.0 - This earthquake was triggered by blasting in the Lucky Friday mine near Mullan. As a result, one person died and another two were injured. 1 213, Western offshore6.165.6 V - - -14southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge6.010.0I - - -14, Kermadec Islands offshore6.242.1I - - -15, Oruro6.3243.1IV - - -24Central East Pacific Rise6.110.0I - - -24, Kagoshima offshore6.326.2IV - - -24, Papua6.729.0VII - - -25, Hormozgan5.433.0V Three houses were destroyed in Gezir. - -26, Amazonas6.3608.5I - - -27, Wallis and Futuna offshore6.033.0VI - - -31, California5.78.5VI Six people were treated for minor injuries. Slight damage was caused in Fremont and power outages occurred in parts of Fremont and San Jose. - 6

April

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured1, Eastern offshore6.0540.0I - - -5, California3.713.4VI Slight damage occurred in Huntington Beach. - -5, Cusco5.250.9IV At least 16 people were killed, 170 others were injured, 2,000 homes collapsed, and landslides occurred in Cusco. 16 17010, North Maluku offshore6.213.0VI - - -11, Alaska offshore6.033.0IV - - -14, Torba offshore6.529.4V - - -14 South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands offshore6.411.1I - - -15, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Kuril Islands offshore6.323.2V - - -20, Papua6.833.0VIII - - -26, Himachal Pradesh5.533.0VI Six people were killed, 30 were injured and 85 percent of houses were damaged in Dharmsala. 6 3030, Michoacan7.026.5V Some minor damage was caused in Mexico City. Slight damage also occurred in Ciudad Guzmán and in Guadalajara. - -

May

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured1, Loyalty Islands offshore6.151.6I - - -2, Fars 5.633.0V Damage occurred in Khonj. - -2, Russian Soviet Socialist Republic, Kamchatka offshore6.814.8I - - -3, Fars5.227.0V It is an aftershock of the 5.6 event the day prior. Additional damage was caused in Khonj. - -5, Malatya6.19.6VIII Due to the 1986 Malatya earthquake, 15 people were killed, another 100 were injured and 4,000 houses were damaged in the Dogansehir-Golbasi area. All houses were damaged in Kapıdere. Slight damage was caused to houses around the cities of Adıyaman and Elbistan. Some dangerous cracks appeared in the arch of Sürgü Dam. Slight damage was caused to railroads in the epicentral area. 15 1007, Alaska offshore6.322.1I It is a foreshock of the 8.0 event a few hours later. - -7, Alaska offshore8.033.0VII Largest event of 1986. Slight damage was caused in Atka and Adak. Small tsunamis were observed, with the largest of them hitting Adak, which measured 175 cm high.SIGNIFICANT EARTHQUAKES OF THE WORLD, 1986 - -8, Alaska offshore6.418.1I Aftershock. - -8, Davao offshore6.4165.5IV - - -11, Okinawa offshore6.6193.5III - - -13, Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, Samtskhe-Javakheti5.810.0VII Two people were killed and 1,500 houses collapsed in Akhalkalaki. Slight damage was also caused in Susuz, in neighboring Turkey. 2 -15, Alaska offshore6.433.0VI It is an aftershock of the 8.0 event on May 8. Slight additional damage was caused in Atka. - -15, Balochistan5.318.2V Extensive damage was caused to houses in the Barkham, Watakari and Hamtarot areas. - -17, Alaska offshore6.526.2VI Slight damage was caused in Atka. It is an aftershock of the 8.0 event on May 7. - -20, Hualien6.219.3VIII One person was killed and five others were injured in Hualien. 1 521, Russian Soviet Socialist Republic, Kuril Islands offshore6.339.1III - - -24, Niuatoputapu offshore6.033.0I - - -26 offshore6.8583.4I - - -26, Central offshore7.1538.3IV - - -27, Banda Sea offshore6.0627.9I - - -

June

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured1, Bougainville offshore6.015.6I - - -3, Caraga offshore6.167.0V - - -6, Malatya5.810.0V It is an aftershock of the 6.1 event on May 5. Further damage was observed in Surgu, where one person was killed and 15 others were injured. Additional cracks appeared in the Sürgü Dam, and landslides blocked a road between Erkenek and Adıyaman. 1 158, Russian Soviet Socialist Republic, Kuril Islands offshore6.156.2V - - -9, Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, Lankaran4.433.0V Damage was caused to old buildings in the epicentral area. - -11, Wallis and Futuna offshore6.017.8I - - -11, Sucre6.318.8VII Two people were killed, 45 others were injured and many were left homeless in Cariaco. Damage was observed at Corupano, El Pilar and Río Caribe. 2 4516 offshore, south of the Fiji Islands7.1547.0II - - -17, Davao offshore6.033.0II - - -17, Soccksargen offshore6.631.9V - - -18, Alaska offshore6.527.0IV - - -19, Alaska offshore6.816.7IV - - -19, Kermadec Islands offshore6.110.0I - - -20, Tibet6.133.0VII At least 58 houses collapsed and many others were damaged in Ombu. - -24, Chiba offshore6.662.6V - - -24, East Sepik7.2102.3VII Damage was observed throughout the highlands of Papua New Guinea. Submarine cables from Madang to Guam and Madang to Cairns were damaged. Preliminary estimate of damage approximately 500,000 U.S. dollars. - -24 offshore6.421.6I - - -24, Kermadec Islands offshore6.010.7II - - -28, Tongatapu offshore6.5211.2I - - -29, Kermadec Islands offshore6.110.0IV - - -

July

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured1, Niuas offshore6.133.0I - - -5, Macquarie Island offshore6.110.0I - - -5, Chiapas6.0111.9IV - - -6, Tibet6.09.1I - - -7Carlsberg Ridge6.57.8I - - -8, California6.010.0VII The 1986 North Palm Springs earthquake injured 40 people in the North Palm Springs area and caused property damage estimated at $6 million. The most serious damage occurred at the Devers substation of Southern California Edison Company. Also some residences in the Whitewater Canyon area were badly damaged. Damage occurred at Angelus Oaks, Desert Hot Springs, North Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Palm Springs and Yucca Valley. Overall sixteen business structures and four houses were destroyed; 102 houses (mostly mobile homes) and 117 business structures were damaged to some degree. The earthquake disrupted electrical and telephone service, broke water lines and gas lines, and caused failure of two pumping stations in the Metropolitan Water District. - 409, Molucca Sea offshore6.827.6IV - - -11, Tennessee3.35.0VI Slight damage occurred in Cohutta, Georgia. - -12, Fars5.710.0VII One person was killed, four others were injured and about 300 homes suffered damage in Mamasani. 1 412, Ohio4.510.0VI Slight damage was caused at Anna, Lima, Minster, New Bremen and St. Marys. - -13, Fars4.910.0VI It is an aftershock of the 5.7 event on July 12. Additional damage was caused. - -13, California offshore5.55.8VI 29 people were injured, one of them seriously and at least 50 buildings were damaged in the Newport Beach-San Diego area. Preliminary estimate of damage was 720 thousand dollars. Some damage also occurred in Tijuana, in neighboring Mexico. - 2916, Tafea offshore6.6111.1VI - - -18, Falcón 5.57.2VI One person died of a heart attack and 30 houses were damaged in Churuguara. 1 -19, Russian Soviet Socialist Republic, Kuril Islands offshore6.3141.2I - - -19, Alaska offshore6.033.0IVThis two similarly sized earthquakes 16 hours apart can be considered a doublet earthquake. The second event caused some damage in the Dutch Harbor Airport and in Unalaska. - -19, Alaska offshore6.033.0V - -21, California6.48.8VIThe 1986 Chalfant Valley earthquake injured two people and caused damage in Bishop and Chalfant. - 223, Socialist Republic of Serbia, Šumadija and Western Serbia3.110.0IIISome houses were destroyed and roads were damaged in the Brzeće-Kneževo area. - -23 Italy, Basilicata4.514.8VSlight damage occurred in Potenza. - -25, Okinawa offshore6.121.7I - - -

August