List of earthquakes in 1921

Earthquakes in 1921

Approximate epicenters of the earthquakes in 1921 5.0−5.9 magnitude 6.0−6.9 magnitude 7.0−7.9 magnitude 8.0+ magnitude
Strongest magnitude	Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan November 15 (Magnitude 7.8)
Deadliest	off the coast of Massawa, Eritrea August 14 (Magnitude 5.9) 51 deaths
Total fatalities	51
Number by magnitude
9.0+	0
8.0−8.9	0
7.0−7.9	12
6.0−6.9	22
5.0−5.9	1
← 1920 1922 →

This is a list of earthquakes in 1921. 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. In a stark contrast to 1920, the death toll for this year was only 51. Indonesia and Japan were very active.

Overall

By death toll

Rank	Death toll	Magnitude	Location	Depth (km)	Date
1	51	5.9	off the coast of Massawa, Eritrea	0.0	August 14

• Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank	Magnitude	Death toll	Location	Depth (km)	Date
1	7.8	0	Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan	240.0	November 15
2	7.6	0	south of Java, Indonesia	15.0	September 11
3	7.4	0	Tonga	15.0	February 27
3	7.4	0	Ryukyu Islands, Japan	35.0	July 4
3	7.4	0	east of Mindanao, Philippines	15.0	November 11
4	7.3	0	El Paraiso Department, Honduras	15.0	March 28
4	7.3	0	Loreto Region, Peru	540.0	December 18
5	7.2	0	Tarapaca Region, Chile	113.6	October 20
6	7.1	0	Santa Cruz Islands	35.0	October 15
7	7.0	0	Quiche Department, Guatemala	15.0	February 4
7	7.0	0	Ryukyu Islands, Japan	15.0	April 2
7	7.0	0	Ibaraki Prefecture, Honshu, Japan	35.0	December 8

• Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January–March

• A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Quiche Department, Guatemala on February 4 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[1]
• A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck West Papua (province), Indonesia on February 19 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[2]
• A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Papua (province), Indonesia on February 19 at a depth of 25.0 km.^[3]
• A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Tonga on February 27 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[4]
• A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the east coast of Honshu, Japan on March 3 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[5]
• A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck the Nicobar Islands, India on March 5 at a depth of 20.0 km.^[6]
• A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the Banda Sea, Indonesia on March 23 at a depth of 50.0 km.^[7]
• A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck off the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia on March 24 at a depth of 25.0 km.^[8]
• A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck El Paraiso Department, Honduras on March 28 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[9]
• A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck the Barat Daya Islands, Indonesia on March 30 at a depth of 170.0 km.^[10]

April–June

• A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck off the west coast of northern Sumatra, Indonesia on April 1 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[11]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the Santa Cruz Islands on April 1 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[12]
• A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck the Ryukyu Islands, Japan on April 2 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[13]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck west of Haida Gwaii, Canada on April 10 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[14]
• A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Colima, Mexico on May 1 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[15]
• A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck west of Bougainville Island, Papua New Guinea on May 12 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[16]
• A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck in the Makassar Strait, Indonesia on May 14 at an unknown depth. A few homes were damaged or destroyed.^[17]
• A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Nuristan Province, Afghanistan on May 20 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[18]
• A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck northeast of Samar, Philippines on May 21 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[19]
• A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Hawke's Bay, North Island, New Zealand on June 28 at a depth of 25.0 km.^[20]

July–September

• A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the Ryukyu Islands, Japan on July 4 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[21]
• A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck off the northeast coast of Halmahera, Indonesia on July 15 at a depth of 140.0 km.^[22]
• An earthquake struck Liaoning Province, China on August 4. The magnitude, depth and epicenter were unknown. A few homes were destroyed and a tsunami flooded the area after breaching a levee.^[23]
• A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck off the coast of Massawa, Eritrea on August 14 at an unknown depth. At least 51 people were killed and major damage was caused in the area.^[24]
• A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck south of Java, Indonesia on September 11 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[25] A minor tsunami was generated and some light damage was reported on Java, Indonesia.^[26]
• A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck the eastern Sea of Japan on September 27 at a depth of 5.0 km.^[27]

October–December

• A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Papua (province), Indonesia on October 10 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[28] Some damage was caused in the area.^[29]
• A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Iturup, Kuril Islands, Russia on October 12 at a depth of 100.0 km.^[30]
• A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands on October 15 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[31]
• A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Tarapaca Region, Chile on October 20 at a depth of 113.6 km.^[32]
• A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck southeast of Mindanao, Philippines on November 7 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[33] Some homes were damaged. This marked the start of a series of earthquakes in November 1921 in this area.^[34]
• A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck east of Mindanao, Philippines on November 11 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[35] Some homes were damaged in the area.^[36]
• A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck La Guajira Department, Colombia on November 13 at a depth of 15.0 km.^[37]
• A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan on November 15 at a depth of 240.0 km.^[38]
• A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Ibaraki Prefecture, Honshu, Japan on December 8 at a depth of 35.0 km.^[39]
• A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Loreto Region, Peru on December 18 at a depth of 540.0 km.^[40]

References

1. "M7.0 - Guatemala". United States Geological Survey. February 4, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
2. "M6.3 - near the north coast of Papua, Indonesia". United States Geological Survey. February 19, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
3. "M6.9 - near the north coast of Papua, Indonesia". United States Geological Survey. February 19, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
4. "M7.4 - Tonga". United States Geological Survey. February 27, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
5. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. March 3, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
6. "M6.6 - Nicobar Islands, India region". United States Geological Survey. March 5, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
7. "On-Line Bulletin". International Seismological Centre. March 23, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
8. "M6.6 - near the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia". United States Geological Survey. March 24, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
9. "M7.3 - Honduras". United States Geological Survey. March 28, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
10. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. March 30, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
11. "M6.8 - northern Sumatra, Indonesia". United States Geological Survey. April 1, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
12. "M6.5 - Santa Cruz Islands region". United States Geological Survey. April 1, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
13. "M7.0 - southwestern Ryukyu Islands, Japan". United States Geological Survey. April 2, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
14. "On-Line Bulletin". International Seismological Centre. April 10, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
15. "M6.4 - offshore Colima, Mexico". United States Geological Survey. May 1, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
16. "M6.4 - Bougainville region, Papua New Guinea". United States Geological Survey. May 12, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
17. "Significant Earthquake INDONESIA: SANGKULIRANG,RENDING,KARIORANG,SEKURAN". National Geophysical Data Center. May 14, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
18. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. May 20, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
19. "M6.4 - Samar, Philippines". United States Geological Survey. May 21, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
20. "M6.7 - North Island of New Zealand". United States Geological Survey. June 28, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
21. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. July 4, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
22. "On-Line Bulletin". International Seismological Centre. July 15, 1921. Retrieved December 19, 2015.
23. "Tsunami Event XIAOSI, DANDONG, LIAONING". National Geophysical Data Center. August 4, 1921. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
24. "Significant Earthquake ETHIOPIA: MESEWA (MASSAUA)". National Geophysical Data Center. August 14, 1921. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
25. "M7.6 - south of Java, Indonesia". United States Geological Survey. September 11, 1921. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
26. "Significant Earthquake INDONESIA: S OF JAVA". National Geophysical Data Center. September 11, 1921. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
27. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. September 27, 1921. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
28. "M6.6 - Papua, Indonesia". United States Geological Survey. October 10, 1921. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
29. "Significant Earthquake INDONESIA: NEW GUINEA: IRIAN JAYA: SENTANI". National Geophysical Data Center. October 10, 1921. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
30. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. October 12, 1921. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
31. "M7.1 - Santa Cruz Islands". United States Geological Survey. October 15, 1921. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
32. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. October 20, 1921. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
33. "M6.6 - Mindanao, Philippines". United States Geological Survey. November 7, 1921. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
34. "Significant Earthquake PHILIPPINES: E MINDANAO: MANAY". National Geophysical Data Center. November 7, 1921. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
35. "M7.4 - Philippine Islands region". United States Geological Survey. November 11, 1921. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
36. "Significant Earthquake PHILIPPINES: MINDANAO: E". National Geophysical Data Center. November 11, 1921. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
37. "M6.3 - near the coast of Venezuela". United States Geological Survey. November 13, 1921. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
38. "M7.8 - Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan". United States Geological Survey. November 15, 1921. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
39. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. December 8, 1921. Retrieved December 20, 2015.
40. "M7.3 - northern Peru". United States Geological Survey. December 18, 1921. Retrieved December 20, 2015.