This is a list of earthquakes in 1991. 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)Date12,0006.8 India, UttarakhandIX (Violent)10.328486.9 Afghanistan, BadakshanVII (Very Strong)142.432707.0 Georgia, RachaIX (Violent)17.241277.6 Costa Rica, LimonX (Extreme)10.05925.3, Department of ArequipaVI (Strong)5.06537.1 Peru, Department of San MartínVIII (Severe)19.87256.2, Chimaltenango DepartmentVII (Very Strong)5.08236.9 East Timor offshore VII (Very Strong)28.89205.5, Kurdistan RegionVI (Strong)25.510104.7, IbbV (Moderate)10.0 Listed are earthquakes with at least 10 dead.
By magnitude Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date17.6127 Costa Rica, Limon ProvinceX (Extreme)10.017.60, Kuril Islands offshoreVI (Strong)24.737.50, Gorontalo offshore VII (Very Strong)31.447.30, Santiago del EsteroI (Not Felt)558.057.20, Malango offshore VII (Very Strong)23.457.22, Chocó offshore IX (Violent)21.357.20 offshore I (Not Felt)10.087.153 Peru, San MartínVIII (Severe)19.897.00, SagaingVIII (Severe)19.797.00, Mindanao offshoreVII (Very Strong)23.997.0270 Georgia, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo SvanetiIX (Violent)17.297.00, Gorontalo offshore VI (Strong)33.097.00, CuscoVII (Very Strong)104.597.00, offshore Alaska Peninsula V (Moderate)28.497.00 offshoreI (Not Felt)265.597.00, Oregon offshoreV (Moderate)1.397.00 region offshoreI (Not Felt)566.4 Listed are earthquakes with at least 7.0 magnitude.
By month January
+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured1, Colima offshore, 172 km southwest of Emiliano Zapata6.335.0I - - -2, Nevada, 6 km southwest of Carson City4.45.8V Minor damage was caused in Carson City. - -5, Mandalay, 99 km northwest of Mogok7.019.7VIIIAt least 32 buildings and 380 hectares of farmland were damaged in Thabeikkyin. Some landslides were also reported. - -23, Alaska, Rat Islands offshore6.4108.4V - - -25, Papua offshore, 162 km northwest of Abepura6.433.0VI - - -31, Badakshan, 77 km northwest Parun6.9142.4VIIThe 1991 Hindu Kush earthquake killed 848 people (545 in Afghanistan, 300 in Pakistan and 3 in Tajikistan), injured 200 and destroyed thousands of homes. Landslides also occurred. 848200
February
+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured9, Guadalcanal offshore, 68 km southwest of Malango6.910.0VISome damage occurred in Honiara, where a tsunami of 4 cm was observed. - -12, Istanbul offshore, 18 km southwest of Kinali4.810.0IVA few people were slightly injured and minor damage occurred in the Istanbul area. -3+13, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, 6 km south of Claviere, Italy3.85.0IVNine people were killed by an avalanche which was triggered by the quake.9 -18, Caraga offshore, 18 km east of Aras-asan7.023.9VII - - -21, offshore Bering Sea6.720.2IVA tsunami was observed with heights of 30 cm (1 ft) in Dutch Harbor, Alaska. - -25, Xinjiang, 118 km southwest of Aykol6.020.6VIIThree people were injured and at least 120 houses collapsed and 8,441 houses damaged in the Kalpin area. Ground cracks were also reported there. -3
March
+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured8, Kamchatka, 74 km northeast of Tilichiki6.613.0VIII - - -16, Guanacaste, 15 km north of Nandayure6.333.0VI - - -25, Shanxi, 58 km southeast of Datong5.410.0VI131 people were injured and 1,328 houses were damaged in Datong. -131
April
+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured4, San Martín, 4 km northeast of Rioja6.520.7VIIThis was a foreshock of the 7.1 earthquake which occurred a day later. Ten people were injured and fifteen houses were damaged. -105, San Martín, 11 km northeast of Rioja7.119.8VIIIThe 1991 Alto Mayo earthquake killed at least 53 people, injured 252 and destroyed 8,063 homes in the Rioja-Moyobamba area. 53 2525, Ica, 21 km southeast of Pampa de Tate6.350.0VISome damage was caused in Nazca. - -6 Wallis and Futuna offshore, 203 km southeast of Mata-Utu6.716.0I - - -18, Khatlon, 14 km southeast of Boshchorbogh5.533.0VOne person died and six were injured in the Kabodiyen District, where landslides occurred.1620, Badakshan, 50 km south of Jurm4.133.0III100 homes were damaged in Badakshan. - -22, Limón, 34 km south of Limón7.610.0XThe 1991 Limon earthquake claimed 48 lives in Costa Rica and 79 in Bocas del Toro, Panama. Roads and bridges between Limón and Sixaola were all destroyed. 759 people were also injured.127 75924, Erzurum, 33 km west of Tekman4.533.0IVOne person was killed, three were injured and some houses were damaged in Erzurum Province.1329, Racha, 22 km northwest of Java7.017.2IXThe 1991 Racha earthquake was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in the Caucasus region. 270 people were killed and 1,000 were injured.2701,000
May
+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured1, Alaska, 33 km west of Petersville6.3115.1VMinor damage occurred in Anchorage. - -3, Bonin Islands offshore6.7433.1I - - -3, Racha, 19 km northeast of Ambrolauri5.610.0VIIIt was an aftershock of the 1991 Racha earthquake. Three people were killed by landslides.3 -4, Bocas del Toro offshore, 16 km northeast of Changuinola6.210.0VIII36 people were injured and 900 people were left homeless in Changuinola. -3615, Racha, 7 km southwest of Oni4.914.0VIA mudslide destroyed all 45 houses in the Khekheti area. It was an aftershock of the 1991 Racha earthquake. - -17, East Sepik, 22 km southwest of Ambunti6.459.0VI - - -19, Gorontalo offshore, 69 km north of Gorontalo7.033.0VI - - -21, Maluku offshore, 106 km north of Baukau, Timor Leste6.618.4VI - - -26, Sabah, 13 km southeast of Ranau5.133.0VOne person died of a heart attack and light damage occurred in Ranau.1 -30, Alaska offshore, 71 km southeast of King Cove7.028.4V - - -
June
+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured7, offshore Flores Sea, 160 km northeast of Maumere6.9536.4I - - -9, Tongatapu offshore, 144 km northwest of Nukuʻalofa7.0265.5I - - -10Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge6.49.7I - - -15, Racha, 9 km northeast of Java6.39.4VIIIIt was an aftershock of the 1991 Racha earthquake. Eight people were killed, 200 were injured and further damage was caused.820015 offshore6.651.7I - - -20, Gorontalo offshore, 79 km northwest of Gorontalo7.531.4VIIOver 1,500 houses were damaged in Gorontalo. - -23, Santiago del Estero, 27 km northwest of El Hoyo7.3558.0I - - -28, California, 13 km northeast of Sierra Madre5.88.0VIIAfter the 1991 Sierra Madre earthquake, one person was killed and another died due to a heart attack. 100 people were injured and many buildings were damaged.2100
July
+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured2, Sumatra offshore, 58 km southwest of Padang6.453.8VMinor damage was caused in Padang. - -4 East Timor offshore, 81 km northwest Maubara6.928.8VIIThe 1991 Kalabahi earthquakes destroyed over 1,100 homes, killing 23 and injuring 181.231816, Cusco, 15 km west of Lares7.0104.5VIISome damage occurred in Cusco. - -12, Timis, 2 km south of Livezile5.610.7VIIITwo people died and thirty were injured after several houses collapsed. Some damage was also caused in Serbia (formerly part of Yugoslavia).23013, Oregon offshore, 103 km west of Pistol River6.911.0VI - - -14, Badakshan, 53 km southwest of Ashkasham6.7212.9V - - -23, Arequipa, 5 km southeast of Chivay5.35.0VIAt least 92 people were killed and thirty were injured in the earthquake despite its moderate magnitude, including eighty who were missing and presumed dead.923024, Kurdistan, 30 km southeast of Aqrah5.525.5VIAt least twenty people killed and many were injured. 100 homes were destroyed.20Many
August
+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured6, Chiba offshore, 19 km east of Hasaki6.028.5V - - -8, Gorontalo offshore, 67 km northwest of Gorontalo6.712.4VIIIt was an aftershock of the 7.5 earthquake that occurred in June. - -14, Torba offshore, 31 km north of Sola6.513.8VII - - -17, California, 30 km southwest of Scotia6.08.3VIIIDamage and landslides occurred in Petrolia. - -17, Oregon offshore, 136 km southwest of Brookings7.01.3V - - -
September
+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured18, Chimaltenago, 4 km southeast of Patzún6.25.0VIIDuring the 1991 Guatemala earthquake, 25 people died and 200 were injured. Landslides and extensive damage occurred.2520028, East New Britain, 95 km southeast of Kimbe6.628.0VI - - -30 region offshore 7.0566.4I - - -
October
+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured12 offshore, 96 km west of Sola6.343.8 V - - -14 offshore, 155 km west northwest of Malango7.223.4VII - - -18 offshore, south of the Fiji Islands6.5197.5I - - -19, Uttarakhand, 32 km east of Uttarkashi6.810.3IXThe 1991 Uttarkashi earthquake damaged or destroyed 18,000 buildings throughout Uttarakhand, Chandigarh and New Delhi. Landslides and a 30-meter deep crack were formed in Uttarkashi. 2,000 people were killed and 1,800 were injured. 2,0001,800
November
+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured1, Kermadec Islands offshore 6.621.4I - - -4, Khuzestan, 8 km northwest of Behbahan5.638.5V51 people were injured and 290 houses were damaged or destroyed in Behbahan. -5110, Khuzestan, 2 km southeast of Behbahan5.043.6IVFifteen people were injured and further damage was caused in Behbahan. -1513, Caraga offshore, 4 km southeast of Hinatuan6.835.9VIIMinor damage was caused. - -19, Chocó offshore, 33 km northwest of Santa Genoveva de Docordó7.221.3IXTwo people were killed and 28 homes were damaged in Chocó. Minor damage was also caused in Cali.2 -24, Ibb, 7 km northwest of Dhi as Sufal4.710.0VTen people were killed and 39 were injured. 17 houses were destroyed and 87 damaged.103926, Hokkaido offshore, 33 km southeast of Shizunai-furukawachō6.456.3VI - - -28, Gilan, 26 km northeast of Manjil5.615.7VIDamage occurred in the epicentral area. One person died and seventy were injured. 170
December
+DateCountry and locationMwDepth (km)MMINotesCasualtiesDeadInjured11 offshore, southeast of the Loyalty Islands6.536.6I - - -13, Kuril Islands offshore, 290 km east of Kuril'sk6.630.0IThese were foreshocks of the 7.6 earthquake on December 22. - -13, Kuril Islands offshore, 258 km east of Kuril'sk6.827.2III - -22, Kuril Islands offshore, 247 km east of Kuril'sk7.624.7VI - - -27 offshore 7.210.0I - - -27, Khövsgöl, 64 km northeast of Kungurtug, Russia6.413.5VII - - -
References