List of earthquakes in 1916

Earthquakes in 1916

Approximate epicenters of the earthquakes in 1916 4.0−5.9 magnitude 6.0−6.9 magnitude 7.0−7.9 magnitude 8.0+ magnitude
Strongest magnitude	east of New Britain, Papua New Guinea January 1 (Magnitude 7.9)
Deadliest	Changhua County, Taiwan August 28 (Magnitude 7.2) 180 deaths
Total fatalities	181
Number by magnitude
9.0+	0
8.0−8.9	0
7.0−7.9	25
6.0−6.9	13
5.0−5.9	1
← 1915 1917 →

This is a list of earthquakes in 1916. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Remarkably despite the large number of 7.0+ events the death toll for the year was only 181. Japan displayed a large number of events and there were clusters of quakes in parts of Latin America.

Overall

By death toll

Rank	Death toll	Magnitude	Location	Depth (km)	Date
7000100000000000000♠1	7002180000000000000♠180	7000720000000000000♠7.2	Changhua County, Taiwan	7000500000000000000♠5.0	000000002016-08-28-0000August 28

• Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank	Magnitude	Death toll	Location	Depth (km)	Date
7000100000000000000♠1	7000790000000000000♠7.9	5000000000000000000♠0	east of New Britain, Papua New Guinea	7001350000000000000♠35.0	000000002016-01-01-0000January 1
7000200000000000000♠2	7000770000000000000♠7.7	5000000000000000000♠0	Papua (province), Indonesia	7001350000000000000♠35.0	000000002016-01-13-0000January 13
7000300000000000000♠3	7000740000000000000♠7.4	5000000000000000000♠0	southeast of the Ryukyu Islands, Japan	5000000000000000000♠0.0	000000002016-02-01-0000February 1
7000300000000000000♠3	7000740000000000000♠7.4	5000000000000000000♠0	Fox Islands, Alaska	7002170000000000000♠170.0	000000002016-04-18-0000April 18
7000300000000000000♠3	7000740000000000000♠7.4	5000000000000000000♠0	Santiago del Estero Province, Argentina	7002600000000000000♠600.0	000000002016-06-21-0000June 21
7000400000000000000♠4	7000730000000000000♠7.3	5000000000000000000♠0	east of the Kuril Islands, Russia	7001150000000000000♠15.0	000000002016-10-31-0000October 31
7000500000000000000♠5	7000720000000000000♠7.2	5000000000000000000♠0	off the west coast of Nicaragua	7001150000000000000♠15.0	000000002016-02-27-0000February 27
7000500000000000000♠5	7000720000000000000♠7.2	5000000000000000000♠0	southern Indian Ocean	5000000000000000000♠0.0	000000002016-04-07-0000April 7
7000500000000000000♠5	7000720000000000000♠7.2	5000000000000000000♠0	Rio San Juan Department, Nicaragua	5000000000000000000♠0.0	000000002016-04-24-0000April 24
7000500000000000000♠5	7000720000000000000♠7.2	7002180000000000000♠180	Changhua County, Taiwan	7000500000000000000♠5.0	000000002016-08-28-0000August 28
7000600000000000000♠6	7000710000000000000♠7.1	5000000000000000000♠0	Papua (province), Indonesia	7001250000000000000♠25.0	000000002016-01-13-0000January 13
7000600000000000000♠6	7000710000000000000♠7.1	5000000000000000000♠0	Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica	5000000000000000000♠0.0	000000002016-04-26-0000April 26
7000600000000000000♠6	7000710000000000000♠7.1	5000000000000000000♠0	Fiji	7002600000000000000♠600.0	000000002016-07-08-0000July 8
7000600000000000000♠6	7000710000000000000♠7.1	5000000000000000000♠0	East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea	5000000000000000000♠0.0	000000002016-08-03-0000August 3
7000600000000000000♠6	7000710000000000000♠7.1	5000000000000000000♠0	south of Java, Indonesia	7002100000000000000♠100.0	000000002016-09-11-0000September 11
7000600000000000000♠6	7000710000000000000♠7.1	5000000000000000000♠0	off southeast coast of Honshu, Japan	7001350000000000000♠35.0	000000002016-09-15-0000September 15
7000600000000000000♠6	7000710000000000000♠7.1	5000000000000000000♠0	Ayacucho Region, Peru	5000000000000000000♠0.0	000000002016-10-03-0000October 3
7000700000000000000♠7	7000700000000000000♠7.0	5000000000000000000♠0	Sivas Province, Turkey	7001150000000000000♠15.0	000000002016-01-24-0000January 24
7000700000000000000♠7	7000700000000000000♠7.0	5000000000000000000♠0	Rat Islands, Alaska	7001150000000000000♠15.0	000000002016-02-06-0000February 6
7000700000000000000♠7	7000700000000000000♠7.0	5000000000000000000♠0	Izu Islands, Japan	7001350000000000000♠35.0	000000002016-04-21-0000April 21
7000700000000000000♠7	7000700000000000000♠7.0	5000000000000000000♠0	Mona Passage	7001800000000000000♠80.0	000000002016-04-24-0000April 24
7000700000000000000♠7	7000700000000000000♠7.0	5000000000000000000♠0	Veracruz, Mexico	7002150000000000000♠150.0	000000002016-06-02-0000June 2
7000700000000000000♠7	7000700000000000000♠7.0	5000000000000000000♠0	northern Sumatra, Indonesia	7002100000000000000♠100.0	000000002016-07-27-0000July 27
7000700000000000000♠7	7000700000000000000♠7.0	5000000000000000000♠0	Potosi Department, Bolivia	7002180000000000000♠180.0	000000002016-08-25-0000August 25
7000700000000000000♠7	7000700000000000000♠7.0	5000000000000000000♠0	Mahakali Zone, Nepal	7001200000000000000♠20.0	000000002016-08-28-0000August 28

• Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January–March

• A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck east of the New Britain, Papua New Guinea on January 1 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[1] Some homes were destroyed or damage and a tsunami was generated.^[2]
• A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck northwestern Papua (province), Indonesia on January 13 at a depth of 25.0 km.^[3] Just over two hours later a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck further inland to the southeast at a depth of 35.0 km.^[4]
• A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Sivas Province, Turkey on January 24 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[5]
• A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck northeast of Hokkaido, Japan on January 25 at a depth of 250.0 km.^[6]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Alba County, Romania on January 26 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[7]
• A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck southeast of the Ryukyu Islands, Japan on February 1 at a depth of 0.0 km.^[8]
• A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck the Kuril Islands, Russia on February 6 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[9]
• A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the Rat Islands, Alaska on February 6 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[10]
• A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck off the west coast of Nicaragua on February 27 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[11]
• A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck southeast of Hokkaido, Japan on March 18 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[12]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the southwestern Ryukyu Islands, Japan on March 25 at a depth of 0.0 km.^[13]

April–June

• A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the southern Indian Ocean on April 7 at a depth of 0.0 km.^[14]
• A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck the Izu Islands, Japan on April 14 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[15] This was a foreshock to a larger event on April 21.
• A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the Fox Islands (Alaska) on April 18 at a depth of 170.0 km.^[16]
• A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the Izu Islands, Japan on April 21 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[17]
• A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan on April 21 at a depth of 220.0 km.^[18]
• A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the Mona Passage nearer to the Dominican Republic side on April 24 at a depth of 80.0 km.^[19] Some damage was reported on Puerto Rico.^[20]
• A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Rio San Juan Department, Nicaragua on April 24 at a depth of 0.0 km.^[21]
• A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Gulf of Nicoya, Costa Rica on April 26 at a depth of 0.0 km.^[22] Some damage was caused with costs amounting to $25,000 (1916 rate).^[23]
• A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Veracruz, Mexico on June 2 at a depth of 150.0 km.^[24]
• A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Santiago del Estero Province, Argentina on June 21 at a depth of 600.0 km.^[25]

July–September

• A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck just northeast of Stromboli, Italy on July 3 at an unknown depth. An eruption of the volcano was in progress at the time. Some damage was caused to homes in the area.^[26]
• A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Fiji on July 8 at a depth of 600.0 km.^[27]
• A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck off the east coast of Honshu, Japan on July 16 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[28]
• A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck northern Sumatra, Indonesia on July 27 at a depth of 100.0 km.^[29]
• A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea on August 3 at a depth of 0.0 km.^[30]
• A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Potosi Department, Bolivia on August 25 at a depth of 180.0 km.^[31]
• A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck off the east coast of Honshu, Japan on August 27 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[32]
• A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Mahakali Zone, Nepal on August 28 at a depth of 20.0 km.^[33]
• A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Changhua County, Taiwan on August 28 at a depth of 5.0 km.^[34] This was part of a series of earthquakes which struck Taiwan from August 1916 through to January 1917. This quake came within 50 minutes of the Nepal event. There is disputes over the death toll. Some sources put the total deaths at 16 however another puts it as high as 180. Six-hundred and fourteen homes were destroyed.^[35]
• A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck south of Java, Indonesia on September 11 at a depth of 100.0 km.^[36] At least 340 homes were destroyed.^[37]
• A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck off the southeast coast of Honshu, Japan on September 15 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[38]

October–December

• A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Ayacucho Region, Peru on October 3 at a depth of 0.0 km.^[39]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the southern end of the Sea of Okhotsk on October 28 at a depth of 100.0 km.^[40]
• A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck to the east of the Kuril Islands, Russia on October 31 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[41]
• A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Nantou County, Taiwan on November 14 at an unknown depth. One person was killed, 20 were injured and 97 homes were destroyed.^[42] This was part of a series of earthquakes that struck this part of Taiwan in the latter part of 1916 and into the start of 1917.
• A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck off the east coast of Honshu, Japan on November 24 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[43]
• A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Sanchez Ramirez Province, Dominican Republic on November 30 at a depth of 0.0 km.^[44]

References