# List of earthquakes in 1942

This is a list of earthquakes in 1942. 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. This year saw an average number of magnitude 7.0+ events. The dominant event this year in terms of deaths was in December in Turkey with 1,000 of the 1,489 deaths for the year. Other deadly events occurred elsewhere in Turkey. Ecuador, China and Albania had earthquakes causing dozens of deaths. An unusually large quake struck the Southwest Indian Ridge in November with a magnitude of 8.0. Spreading ridges usually have smaller magnitude events.

## Overall
### By death toll

| Rank | Death toll | Magnitude | Location | MMI | Depth (km) | Date |
| 1 | 1,000 | 7.0 | Turkey, Samsun Province | X (Extreme) | 10.0 | December 20 |
| 2 | 200 | 7.8 | Ecuador, Manabí Province | IX (Violent) | 20.0 | May 14 |
| 3 | 90 | 6.3 | China, Yunnan Province | VIII (Severe) | 35.0 | January 31 |
| 4 | 51 | 6.0 | China, Inner Mongolia | VIII (Severe) | 0.0 | July 8 |
| 5 | 43 | 6.0 | Albania, Dibër County | X (Extreme) | 33.0 | August 27 |
| 6 | 38 | 7.7 | Guatemala, off the west coast of Guatemala | VII (Very strong) | 35.0 | August 6 |
| 7 | 30 | 8.1 | Peru, Ayacucho Region | IX (Violent) | 30.0 | August 24 |
| 8 | 17 | 0.0 | Turkey, Çorum Province | VIII (Severe) | 0.0 | November 21 |
| 9 | 16 | 6.1 | Turkey, Balıkesir Province | VIII (Severe) | 0.0 | November 15 |
* Note: At least 10 casualties

### By magnitude

| Rank | Magnitude | Death toll | Location | MMI | Depth (km) | Date |
| 1 | 8.1 | 30 | Peru, Ayacucho Region | IX (Violent) | 30.0 | August 24 |
| 2 | 8.0 | 0 | Southwest Indian Ridge | ( ) | 10.0 | November 10 |
| 3 | 7.8 | 200 | Ecuador, Manabí Province | IX (Violent) | 20.0 | May 14 |
| 4 | 7.7 | 38 | Guatemala, off the west coast of Guatemala | VII (Very strong) | 35.0 | August 6 |
| 5 | 7.5 | 0 | Empire of Japan, south of Minahasa Peninsula, Dutch East Indies | ( ) | 100.0 | May 28 |
| = 6 | 7.4 | 0 | Empire of Japan, west of Mindoro, Philippines | VII (Very strong) | 15.0 | April 8 |
| = 6 | 7.4 | 0 | Soviet Union, Kuril Islands | ( ) | 65.0 | November 26 |
| = 7 | 7.2 | 0 | Empire of Japan, Papua (province), Dutch East Indies | VII (Very strong) | 17.5 | January 27 |
| = 7 | 7.2 | 0 | Empire of Japan, Mindanao, Philippines | VI (Strong) | 35.0 | October 20 |
| = 7 | 7.2 | 0 | central Mid-Atlantic Ridge | ( ) | 10.0 | November 28 |
| 8 | 7.1 | 0 | New Hebrides | ( ) | 110.0 | January 29 |
| = 9 | 7.0 | 0 | United States, Northern Mariana Islands | ( ) | 15.0 | June 14 |
| = 9 | 7.0 | 0 | New Zealand Wellington Region, North Island | VII (Very strong) | 15.0 | June 24 |
| = 9 | 7.0 | 0 | Free France, southeast of the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia | ( ) | 130.0 | September 14 |
| = 9 | 7.0 | 1,000 | Turkey, Samsun Province | X (Extreme) | 10.0 | December 20 |
* Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

## Notable events
### January

| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 8 | Peru, Amazonas Region | 6.0 | 110.0 | | | | |
| 27 | Dutch East Indies, Papua (province) | 7.2 | 17.5 | VII | | | |
| 29 | New Hebrides | 7.1 | 110.0 | | | | |
| 31 | China, Yunnan Province | 6.3 | 35.0 | VIII | 90 people were killed and at least 1,001 were injured. Many homes collapsed. | 90 | 1,001+ |

### February

| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 16 | British Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Islands | 6.9 | 135.0 | | | | |
| 21 | Japan, off the east coast of Honshu | 6.5 | 35.0 | V | | | |

### March

| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 5 | Japan, eastern Sea of Japan | 6.9 | 240.0 | | | | |
| 21 | Japan, Ryukyu Islands | 6.8 | 25.0 | | | | |
| 22 | Afghanistan, Badakhshan Province | 6.0 | 210.0 | | | | |

### April

| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 8 | Philippines, west of Mindoro | 7.4 | 15.0 | VII | | | |
| 11 | Guatemala, Quetzaltenango Department | 6.5 | 140.0 | | | | |
| 20 | Japan, off the south coast of Honshu | 6.5 | 350.0 | | | | |

### May

| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 6 | Venezuela, Anzoátegui | 6.0 | 35.0 | | | | |
| 14 | Ecuador, Manabí Province | 7.8 | 20.0 | IX | The 1942 Ecuador earthquake killed 200 people. Property damage costs were $2.5 million (1942 rate) and many homes were destroyed. | 200 | |
| 22 | Colombia, Cundinamarca Department | 5.8 | 130.0 | | Some property damage was reported. | | |
| 24 | Dutch East Indies, northern Sumatra | 6.8 | 60.0 | | | | |
| 28 | Dutch East Indies, south of Minahasa Peninsula | 7.5 | 100.0 | | | | |

### June

| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 10 | Philippines, Mindanao | 6.3 | 15.0 | VII | | | |
| 14 | United States, Northern Mariana Islands | 7.0 | 15.0 | | | | |
| 15 | New Zealand, Kermadec Islands | 6.8 | 285.0 | | | | |
| 18 | Federated States of Micronesia | 6.8 | 15.0 | | | | |
| 20 | Mexico, Michoacán | 6.8 | 100.0 | | | | |
| 21 | Greece, Dodecanese | 6.2 | 130.0 | | | | |
| 24 | New Zealand, Wellington Region, North Island | 7.0 | 15.0 | VII | 1942 Wairarapa earthquakes. | | |
| 29 | Chile, Valparaíso Region | 6.9 | 95.0 | | | | |

### July

| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 7 | Fiji | 6.8 | 430.0 | | | | |
| 8 | Chile, Antofagasta Region | 6.8 | 35.0 | VII | | | |
| 8 | Republic of China (1912-1949), Inner Mongolia | 6.0 | 0.0 | VIII | At least 51 people were killed, another 51 were injured and some homes were destroyed. | 51+ | 51+ |
| 25 | Empire of Japan, off the west coast of Samar, Philippines | 6.4 | 55.0 | VI | | | |
| 29 | Empire of Japan, Ceram Sea, Dutch East Indies | 6.7 | 35.0 | VI | | | |

### August

| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 1 | New Zealand, Wellington Region, North Island | 6.8 | 35.0 | VI | 1942 Wairarapa earthquakes. | | |
| 6 | Guatemala, off the west coast of | 7.7 | 35.0 | VII | 38 people were killed and major damage was caused due to the 1942 Guatemala earthquake. | 38 | |
| 8 | Guatemala, Suchitepéquez Department | 6.5 | 35.0 | | | | |
| 24 | Peru, Ayacucho Region | 8.1 | 30.0 | IX | The 1942 Peru earthquake caused the deaths of 30 people. 25 more were injured and many homes collapsed. | 30 | 25 |
| 27 | Albanian Kingdom (1939-43), Dibër County | 6.0 | 33.0 | X | 43 people were killed and 110 injuries were reported. Many homes were destroyed. | 43 | 110 |
| 29 | Fiji, south of | 6.8 | 570.0 | | | | |

### September

| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 9 | United States, Fox Islands (Alaska) | 6.9 | 80.0 | | | | |
| 14 | Free France, southeast of the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia | 7.0 | 130.0 | | | | |
| 24 | Empire of Japan, off the east coast of Taiwan | 6.3 | 10.0 | VI | | | |

### October

| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 9 | Tanganyika, Ruvuma Region | 6.8 | 60.0 | | | | |
| 20 | Empire of Japan, Mindanao, Philippines | 7.2 | 35.0 | VI | | | |
| 21 | United States, southern California | 6.6 | 6.0 | VIII | Some damage was reported. | | |
| 26 | Soviet Union, Kuril Islands, Russia | 6.6 | 35.0 | | | | |
| 28 | Mexico, off the coast of Oaxaca | 6.2 | 35.0 | | | | |

### November

| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 6 | Peru, San Martin Region | 6.8 | 130.0 | | | | |
| 7 | Empire of Japan, Flores, Dutch East Indies | 6.8 | 80.0 | | | | |
| 10 | Southwest Indian Ridge | 8.0 | 10.0 | | This was one of the largest events to strike an ocean spreading ridge. | | |
| 12 | Mexico, Oaxaca | 6.1 | 60.0 | VI | Some damage was caused. | | |
| 15 | Turkey, Balıkesir Province | 6.1 | 0.0 | VIII | 16 people were killed and some damage was caused. Unknown depth. | 16 | |
| 15 | Empire of Japan, off the east coast of Honshu | 6.7 | 15.0 | V | | | |
| 21 | Turkey, Çorum Province | 0.0 | 0.0 | VIII | 17 people were killed and some damage was caused. Unknown depth and magnitude. | 17 | |
| 26 | Soviet Union, Kuril Islands, Russia | 7.4 | 65.0 | | | | |
| 28 | central Mid-Atlantic Ridge | 7.2 | 10.0 | | | | |
| 30 | Argentina, Santiago del Estero Province | 6.5 | 590.0 | | | | |

### December

| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | Casualties |
| Date | Country and location | M$_w$ | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Dead | Injured |
| 2 | Turkey, Çorum Province | 0.0 | 0.0 | VIII | 4 people were killed and major damage was caused. Magnitude and depth unknown. | 4 | |
| 5 | United States, Cook Inlet, Alaska | 6.5 | 100.0 | | | | |
| 11 | Turkey, Amasya Province | 0.0 | 0.0 | VIII | Major damage was reported. Magnitude and depth unknown. | | |
| 19 | Empire of Japan, Izu Islands, Japan | 6.7 | 20.0 | | | | |
| 20 | Turkey, Samsun Province | 7.0 | 10.0 | VII | The 1942 Niksar–Erbaa earthquake caused around 1,000 deaths. Major damage was caused. | 1,000 | |
| 22 | Tonga | 6.8 | 15.0 | | | | |
| 26 | Colombia, Córdoba Department | 6.5 | 35.0 | | | | |
| 29 | Independent State of Croatia, Split-Dalmatia County | 6.0 | 15.0 | X | | | |