# List of earthquakes in 1977

This is a list of earthquakes in 1977. Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in damage and/or casualties, or are notable for some other reason. Events in remote areas will not be listed but included in statistics and maps. Countries are entered on the lists in order of their status in this particular year. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Maximum intensities are indicated on the Mercalli intensity scale and are sourced from United States Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeMap data. Not a particularly busy year as far as the number of magnitude 7.0+ events with 11 being recorded. The largest event struck Indonesia in August and measured magnitude 8.3. The Solomon Islands were affected by a series of magnitude 7.5 events in April. Several events caused significant numbers of fatalities especially in Iran which had 3 earthquakes throughout the year with a combined death toll of around 1,120 people. The deadliest earthquake occurred in Romania in March and was the worst in the country's history. 1,641 people were killed in this event.

## By death toll

| Rank | Death toll | Magnitude | Location | MMI | Depth (km) | Date |
| 1 | 1,641 | 7.5 | Romania, Vrancea County | VIII (Severe) | 94.0 | March 4 |
| 2 | 584 | 5.8 | Iran, Kerman Province | VIII (Severe) | 31.0 | December 19 |
| 3 | 366 | 5.9 | Iran, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province | IX (Violent) | 41.0 | April 6 |
| 4 | 189 | 8.3 | Indonesia, south of Sumbawa | VI (Strong) | 25.0 | August 19 |
| 5 | 167 | 6.9 | Iran, Hormozgan Province | IX (Violent) | 29.0 | March 21 |
| 6 | 70 | 7.4 | Argentina, San Juan Province, Argentina | X (Extreme) | 13.0 | November 23 |
| 7 | 34 | 6.7 | British Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal | VII (Very strong) | 33.0 | April 20 |
| 8 | 30 | 5.2 | Turkey, Elazığ Province | V (Moderate) | 21.0 | March 25 |
| 9 | 18 | 7.5 | British Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal | VII (Very strong) | 33.0 | April 21 |
Listed are earthquakes with at least 10 dead.

## By magnitude

| Rank | Magnitude | Death toll | Location | MMI | Depth (km) | Date |
| 1 | 8.3 | 189 | Indonesia, south of Sumbawa | VI (Strong) | 25.0 | August 19 |
| 2 | 7.6 | 0 | Western Samoa | VI (Strong) | 33.0 | April 2 |
| = 3 | 7.5 | 1,641 | Romania, Vrancea County | VIII (Severe) | 94.0 | March 4 |
| = 3 | 7.5 | 0 | British Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal | VII (Very strong) | 19.0 | April 20 |
| = 3 | 7.5 | 0 | British Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal | VII (Very strong) | 33.0 | April 20 |
| = 3 | 7.5 | 18 | British Solomon Islands, Guadalcanal | VII (Very strong) | 33.0 | April 21 |
| 4 | 7.4 | 70 | Argentina, San Juan Province, Argentina | X (Extreme) | 13.0 | November 23 |
| = 5 | 7.2 | 0 | British Solomon Islands | VI (Strong) | 33.0 | July 29 |
| = 5 | 7.2 | 0 | Tonga, south of | III (Weak) | 33.0 | October 10 |
| 6 | 7.1 | 0 | Falkland Islands Dependencies, east of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | ( ) | 33.0 | August 26 |
| 7 | 7.0 | 1 | Philippines, Luzon | VIII (Severe) | 37.0 | March 18 |
Listed are earthquakes with at least 7.0 magnitude.

## By month
### 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 |
| 1 | China, Qinghai Province | 6.3 | 27.0 | VII | | | |
| 2 | Indonesia, south of Sumbawa | 6.3 | 19.0 | V | | | |
| 6 | Papua New Guinea, off the north coast of East Sepik Province | 6.6 | 33.0 | VII | | | |
| 17 | Chile, Antofagasta Region | 6.3 | 33.0 | VI | | | |
| 18 | New Zealand, Cook Strait | 6.0 | 50.0 | VI | | | |
| 26 | Indonesia, Bali | 5.2 | 33.0 | VI | Some damage was caused. | | |
| 31 | Soviet Union, Batken Region, Kyrgyzstan | 6.1 | 20.0 | VII | Some damage was caused. | | |

### 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 |
| 4 | Argentina, Salta Province | 6.0 | 549.0 | | | | |
| 19 | United States, Near Islands, Alaska | 6.7 | 33.0 | | | | |

### 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 |
| 2 | Philippines, Moro Gulf, Mindanao | 6.1 | 52.0 | VI | | | |
| 4 | Romania, Vrancea County | 7.5 | 94.0 | VIII | Deadliest event of 1977. The 1977 Vrancea earthquake caused major destruction despite being fairly deep. 1,641 people were killed and 10,500 were injured. This was the deadliest earthquake in Romanian history. Bucharest suffered major property damage with costs reaching $2 billion (1977 rate). | 1,641 | 10,500 |
| 8 | Indonesia, northern Sumatra | 6.0 | 22.0 | VIII | Some damage was caused. | | |
| 18 | Philippines, Luzon | 7.0 | 37.0 | VIII | 1 person was killed and another 9 were injured. 14 homes were destroyed and 22 more were damaged. Costs were $100,000 (1977 rate). | 1 | 9 |
| 21 | Iran, Hormozgan Province | 6.9 | 29.0 | VIII | During the 1977 Khurgu earthquake, 167 people were killed and another 556 were injured. Major damage was reported. | 167 | 556 |
| 23 | Fiji | 6.3 | 33.0 | VI | | | |
| 23 | Fiji | 6.0 | 2.0 | | Aftershock of previous event. | | |
| 25 | Turkey, Elazığ Province | 5.2 | 21.0 | V | 30 people were killed and major damage was caused. | 30 | |
| 26 | United States, Fox Islands (Alaska) | 6.0 | 38.0 | IV | | | |

### 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 |
| 1 | Iran, Hormozgan Province | 6.2 | 29.0 | VII | Aftershock of March 21 event. | | |
| 2 | Western Samoa | 7.6 | 33.0 | VI | Some damage was reported. | | |
| 6 | Iran, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province | 5.9 | 41.0 | IX | The 1977 Naghan earthquake killed at least 366 people and left a further 200 injured. Some damage was caused. | 366 | 200 |
| 20 | United Kingdom, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands | 6.7 | 33.0 | VII | Beginning of a series of large and destructive earthquakes in a period of several hours. 12 people died and a further 22 were missing in the first event. Major damage was caused. A mild tsunami was observed. | 34 | |
| 20 | United Kingdom, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands | 7.5 | 19.0 | IX | Some damage was caused. | | |
| 20 | United Kingdom, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands | 7.5 | 33.0 | VIII | Suspected injuries and damage were reported. | | 1+ |
| 21 | United Kingdom, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands | 6.1 | 33.0 | VI | | | |
| 21 | United Kingdom, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands | 7.5 | 33.0 | VII | Final of the mainshocks in the series. A further 18 people were killed and 1 person was injured. Major damage was caused. | 18 | 1 |
| 21 | United Kingdom, Solomon Islands | 6.0 | 33.0 | V | Aftershock. | | |
| 22 | United Kingdom, Solomon Islands | 6.0 | 51.0 | V | Aftershock. | | |

### 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 |
| 26 | Iran, West Azarbaijan Province | 5.4 | 37.0 | V | 3 people were killed and 9 were injured. Heavy damage was reported. | 3 | 9 |
| 30 | United States, Fox Islands (Alaska) | 6.0 | 33.0 | IV | | | |

### 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 |
| 22 | Tonga | 6.8 | 65.0 | VII | 1 person was killed and 5 were injured in the 1977 Tonga earthquake. $1.2 million (1977 rate) of property damage was caused. | 1 | 5 |

### 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 |
| 16 | Yugoslavia, Upper Carniola, Slovenia | 4.6 | 6.0 | VI | Some damage was caused. | | |
| 21 | Philippines, Luzon | 6.9 | 33.0 | VII | | | |
| 29 | United Kingdom, Solomon Islands | 7.2 | 33.0 | 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 |
| 19 | Indonesia, south of Sumbawa | 6.1 | 33.0 | | Foreshock of 1977 Sumba earthquake. | | |
| 19 | Indonesia, south of Sumbawa | 8.3 | 25.0 | VI | Largest event of 1977. The 1977 Sumba earthquake caused some damage. A large tsunami led to 189 deaths and 75 injuries. Damage costs of $1.2 million (1977 rate). Many aftershocks followed. | 189 | 75 |
| 26 | United Kingdom, east of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | 7.1 | 33.0 | | | | |
| 27 | Indonesia, north of Timor | 6.8 | 25.0 | VII | | | |
| 29 | Philippines, west of Luzon | 6.2 | 12.0 | V | | | |
| 31 | Colombia, Antioquia Department | 6.4 | 33.0 | VII | 3 people were killed and some damage was caused. | 3 | |

### 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 |
| 4 | New Hebrides, Vanuatu | 6.5 | 33.0 | VI | | | |
| 4 | United States, Rat Islands, Alaska | 6.4 | 34.0 | II | First of a series of large events in the area. | | |
| 4 | United States, Rat Islands, Alaska | 6.4 | 31.0 | II | | | |
| 4 | United States, Rat Islands, Alaska | 6.6 | 8.0 | II | | | |
| 12 | Greece, southwest of Crete | 6.0 | 33.0 | | | | |
| 13 | Tonga | 6.0 | 33.0 | | | | |

### 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 |
| 10 | Tonga, south of | 7.2 | 33.0 | III | | | |
| 22 | Argentina, Santiago del Estero Province | 6.1 | 614.0 | | | | |

### 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 |
| 3 | Bulgaria, Pazardzhik Province | 5.2 | 6.0 | VII | Some damage was caused. | | |
| 4 | United States, Andreanof Islands, Alaska | 6.7 | 33.0 | VI | | | |
| 9 | Iran, Semnan Province | 4.9 | 33.0 | IV | Some damage was caused. | | |
| 18 | China, western Xizang Province | 6.5 | 33.0 | VIII | | | |
| 23 | Argentina, San Juan Province, Argentina | 7.4 | 13.0 | X | 70 people were killed and 300 were injured in the 1977 San Juan earthquake. Extensive property damage was caused with costs of $80 million (1977 rate). | 70 | 300 |
| 23 | Argentina, La Rioja Province | 6.0 | 33.0 | VI | Aftershock. | | |
| 24 | Argentina, San Juan Province, Argentina | 6.0 | 33.0 | VII | Aftershock. | | |
| 24 | Argentina, San Juan Province, Argentina | 6.3 | 23.0 | VII | Aftershock. | | |

### 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 |
| 19 | Iran, Kerman Province | 5.8 | 31.0 | VIII | During the 1977 Bob–Tangol earthquake, 584 people were killed and 1,000 were injured. Major damage was caused. | 584 | 1,000 |
| 28 | Red Sea | 6.6 | 33.0 | VIII | | | |