List of earthquakes in 1989

This is a list of earthquakes in 1989. 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)Date12745.3 Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic, Districts of Republican Subordination 33.021206.3 Indonesia, Papua 14.331146.0, Fars 30.54636.9 United States, California 17.25305.9 Algeria, Tipaza 10.06295.4 China, Shanxi 10.07135.4 Australia, New South Wales 10.08116.4 China, Sichuan 13.3

By magnitude Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date18.00 Australia, Macquarie Island offshore 10.027.61 Philippines, Mindanao offshore 24.437.40 Japan, Iwate offshore 28.647.10 Indonesia, Molucca Sea offshore 44.047.10 Brazil, Acre 593.447.10 Papua New Guinea, Morobe 104.477.00 United States, Alaska offshore 11.077.00 New Zealand, Kermadec Islands offshore 43.8

By month January

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured1, Hormozgan4.555.7III Minor damage occurred in Bastak. - -2, Vava‘u offshore6.2108.4I - - -6, Midi-Pyrénées4.922.7V Slight damage occurred in La Mongie. - -8, Alaska offshore, Andreanof Islands6.033.0III - - -9, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Kuril Islands offshore6.513.5I - - -10, Maluku6.746.6VII - - -12, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Kuril Islands offshore6.133.0I Aftershock of the January 9 event. - -17, West New Britain offshore6.431.8IV - - -19central East Pacific Rise6.010.0I - - -19, California offshore5.011.6VI Several people were injured, some windows were broken and items were knocked off shelves in the Malibu-Santa Monica-Redondo Beach area. Slight damage occurred at Hollywood, Lancaster, Los Angeles, Malibu and Monterey Park. - Several22, Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, East Kazakhstan6.10.0I Nuclear explosion. - -22, Hokkaido offshore6.225.0III - - -22, Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic, Districts of Republican Subordination5.333.0VII 1989 Gissar earthquake: 274 people were killed, many were injured, and extensive damage occurred mostly due to mudslides that destroyed Sharora and two other villages. 274 Many24, Hokkaido offshore5.550.3IV Minor damage occurred in Urakawa. - -25, Free State5.55.0VII Minor damage occurred in Welkom. - -27, Vas4.422.1IV Minor damage occurred in Ajka, Vas, and Zala counties. - -27, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Kamchatka offshore6.328.4I - - -30, Utah5.219.0VI Slight damage occurred at Aurora, Emery, Ferron, Koosharem, Salina, Sterling and Wales. - -

February

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured4 offshore6.310.0I - - -4, East New Britain offshore6.252.2V - - -10, Molucca Sea offshore7.144.0V - - -12, Guantánamo offshore5.259.6IV Minor damage occurred in Santiago de Cuba, Maisí, and Guantánamo. - -14, Makira offshore6.531.9VI - - -14, Washington4.0 -0.8V Minor damage occurred in the Big Lake Elementary School. - -16southern East Pacific Rise6.210.0I - - -19, Saitama5.660.4V One person was killed and another was injured. 1 119, Sanma6.0101.2V - - -22, Alaska offshore6.033.0I - - -24, Denizli5.318.5VI Slight damage occurred in Denizli. - -25, Kermadec Islands offshore6.830.5V - - -26, San José 5.422.5VII Minor damage and some landslides was caused in the Guaitil-San Marcos area. - -27, North Maluku offshore6.453.7VI Six schools and a number of buildings were damaged in Galela. - -28, Boquerón 6.5569.0IV - - -28, Maluku 6.2196.4IV - - -

March

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured5, Chüy4.833.0VI Minor damage occurred in the epicentral area. - -6, Chiba6.142.1V - - -8, Molucca Sea offshore6.131.9V 233 houses and public buildings were damaged and 5,500 people were left homeless on Morotai. 16 houses were damaged and some were left homeless at Tanawangu. - -10, Rio Grande do Norte5.010.0VI Slight damage occurred in Natal. - -10, Erzurum4.410.0V 10 houses collapsed and another 120 others were damaged in Kars and Erzurum. - -10, New Ireland5.853.3V One person was killed by a landslide in Rabaul. 1 -10, Central6.328.0VIII 1989 Malawi earthquake: Nine people were killed (six in Dedza, two in Salima, and one in Mohinji), and a hundred others were injured. Major damage was caused, and 50,000 lost their homes. 9 10011, Vava‘u offshore6.9230.1I - - -13, Hesse5.41.0 - The earthquake occurred as a result of a rockburst triggered by blasting at the Ernst Thaelmann Mine near Merkers. Three people were injured and 80 percent of buildings were damaged in Voelkershausen. - 316, Kermadec Islands offshore6.037.4III - - -17, Kermadec Islands offshore6.259.2I - - -19, Thessaly offshore5.410.0VI Minor damage occurred in Skiathos. - -26, Rio Grande do Norte4.410.0VII Minor damage occurred in eastern Ceará. - -30 Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic, Shirak4.610.0V Some damage occurred in Spitak, where 270 cattle were killed. It is an aftershock of the 1988 Armenian earthquake. - -30, Ha'apai offshore6.0230.0I - - -

April

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured3, California4.511.3VI Slight damage occurred in San Jose. - -5, Tarapacá6.2112.0IV - - -6, Tafea offshore6.9165.7V - - -7, California4.812.6VI Slight damage occurred in Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa and Newport Beach. - -8, Niuas offshore6.032.7I - - -11, Kamchatka offshore6.816.4V - - -11, West Greece4.410.0V Minor damage occurred in Leondion. - -15, Sichuan6.413.3VII Four people were killed, another 5 were injured and considerable damage was caused in Batang. Another seven people were killed, at least 37 others injured and additional damage occurred in the area due to a number of aftershocks. 11 4216 offshore6.3609.7I - - -18 offshore, south of the Fiji Islands6.1523.7I - - -20, Sakha6.426.3VI - - -25, Sichuan6.17.7VII Considerable damage occurred in Batang County. Aftershock of the 6.4 event on April 15. - -25, Guerrero6.919.2VII Three people were killed, a few were injured, and some damage occurred in Mexico City. Minor damage occurred in Acapulco. 3 Few27, Izu Islands offshore6.384.6II - - -27, Missouri4.311.7VI Slight damage occurred in Steele. - -28, Muğla offshore5.616.9VI Slight damage occurred in Milas. - -28, Bengkulu offshore6.027.4I - - -28 offshore6.022.3I - - -28, Bengkulu offshore6.132.4I - - -30, Falcón6.020.3VII Slight damage occurred in Valencia. - -30, Eastern offshore6.0570.3I - - -

May

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured3, Sichuan6.214.0VII It is an aftershock of the 6.4 quake on April 15. Additional damage was caused, and two people were injured by a landslide that buried a highway between Chengdu and Batang. - 23, Fars5.233.0IV Four people were injured and seven villages were severely damaged in Mamasani. - 44, Falcón offshore5.515.5VI It is an aftershock of the 6.0 event in April 30. Additional damage was caused, and 2,000 people were displaced in Tucacas. - -5, Acre7.1593.4I - - -7, Yunnan5.633.0IV One person died, 91 others were injured, and 5,300 houses were destroyed in Gengma. 1 918 offshore, south of the Fiji Islands6.3548.2I - - -9, Washington4.514.6VI Slight damage occurred in Okanogan. - -14, Kermadec Islands offshore7.043.8IV - - -14Mid-Indian Ridge6.010.0I - - -15, West Greece4.834.0IV Minor damage occurred in Patras. - -15, Guadalcanal offshore6.123.6V - - -17, Sakha6.030.7VI Aftershock of the 6.4 event on April 20. - -19, Alaska offshore6.3104.0V - - -20, Kermadec Islands offshore6.329.2I Aftershock of the 7.0 event on May 14. - -20, Tunceli5.438.2V Twenty houses were damaged and several cattle were killed in Erzincan. - -23, Macquarie Island offshore8.010.0V Small tsunamis were observed along the coast of Tasmania, Jervis Bay and Sydney Harbour. - -23, Macquarie Island offshore6.010.0I Aftershock. - -24, Kamchatka offshore6.318.6I - - -25, Macquarie Island offshore6.010.0I Aftershock. - -27Pacific-Antarctic Ridge6.110.0I - - -27, Fars6.030.5VI At least 114 people were killed, 17 others were injured, many houses were destroyed and 100 livestock were killed in Dogonbadan. 114 1731, Fiordland6.423.2VII - - -

June

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured7, West Greece5.225.0V Cracks appeared on many buildings in Kato Akhaia. - -8, SNNPR4.918.6VI A few people suffered minor injuries and damage occurred in Sodo. - Few11Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge6.29.6I - - -12, Barisal5.85.8VIII One person died, another 100 were injured and minor damage occurred in Sarankhola. 1 10012, California4.815.4VI Slight damage occurred in Bell Gardens and in downtown Los Angeles. - -16, Alaska offshore5.648.5V Slight damage occurred in Larsen Bay and in Kodiak. - -16, Wakayama offshore6.4359.9III - - -25, Esmeraldas offshore6.315.1VII 30 people were injured and 12 homes were damaged in Esmeraldas. - 3026, Hawaii offshore6.28.8VII Five people were slightly injured and five homes were destroyed and about 100 others damaged in the Puna District. Landslides occurred in several places and blocked a road at Honomu. Slight damage occurred in the Hawaii National Park, Hilo, Honomu and Keaau. - 526, Azores offshore5.911.3VI Several people were slightly injured and minor damage was caused on Graciosa. - Several

July

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured3, Macquarie Island offshore6.433.0I - - -3, Alaska offshore6.133.0IV - - -9, Shizuoka offshore5.25.0V 19 people were injured, landslides and roads cracked in Itō. - 1914, East Nusa Tenggara offshore6.79.8VII Seven people were seriously injured and 38 buildings were damaged in Alor. - 721, Sichuan5.635.7V Three houses were damaged in Batang County. It is an aftershock of the 6.4 quake on April 15. - -22, North Maluku6.5141.8V - - -24, Badakhshan6.095.1IV - - -24, Western offshore6.031.4I - - -31, East Nusa Tenggara offshore6.813.8V Slight damage occurred in Maumere. - -

August

+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured1, Papua offshore6.314.3VIII 1989 West Papua earthquake: 120 people were killed and 125 were injured, mostly due to landslides that buried two villages in Kurima District. Landslides also blocked the Baliem River. 120 1253, Chechnya5.218.2VI One person died and damage occurred in Groznyy. 1 -3, Hualien offshore6.610.7V - - -3, Central offshore6.0592.1I - - -8, Taranaki offshore5.6121.6IV Minor damage occurred in both the North and South Islands. - -8, California5.413.4VII One person died, several people suffered minor injuries and damage occurred in Los Gatos, Campbell, Saratoga, Ben Lomond, Brookdale, Cupertino, Holy City, Redwood Estates and Santa Cruz. 1 Several10, Soccsksargen offshore6.155.8VI - - -12, Molucca Sea offshore6.151.0IV - - -14, Western6.333.0I - - -20, Alabama3.410.0VI Slight damage occurred south of Florence. - -20, Dikhil6.511.6VII Two people were killed, another two were injured, damage and rockslides occurred in Galafi and Yoboki. In Galafi, ground cracks were observed and four springs were destroyed. In neighboring Ethiopia, damage and rockslides occurred. Tremors were felt in Eritrea and Somalia. 2 221, Bougainville offshore6.6493.5I - - -21, Hualien offshore6.342.8IV - - -24 Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic, Caspian Sea offshore5.233.0IV Some buildings were slightly damaged in southern Dagestan. - -26 Slovenia, Kočevje2.710.0V Slight damage occurred in Klinja Vas and Kočevje. - -29, Jalisco offshore6.521.4I - - -

September