List of earthquakes in 1985

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This is a list of earthquakes in 1985. 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.

Earthquakes in 1985
List of earthquakes in 1985 is located in Earth
Approximate epicenters of the earthquakes in 1985
Strongest magnitude8.1 Mw Mexico Mexico
Deadliest8.1 Mw Mexico Mexico
10,000+ deaths
Total fatalities10,300+
Number by magnitude
9.0+0
← 1984
1986 →

By death toll

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Rank Death toll Magnitude Location MMI Depth (km) Date
1 10,000+ 8.1   Mexico, Michoacan offshore IX (Violent) 20.0 September 19
2 177 8.0   Chile, Valparaiso offshore VIII (Severe) 33.0 March 3
3 71 7.0   China, Xinjiang VII (Very strong) 6.8 August 23
4 29 5.8   Soviet Union, Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic IX (Violent) 16.0 August 13
5 23 5.8   China, Yunnan VII (Very strong) 5.0 April 18

By magnitude

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Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date
1 8.1 10,000+   Mexico, Michoacan offshore IX (Violent) 20.0 September 19
1 8.0 177   Chile, Valparaiso offshore VIII (Severe) 33.0 March 3
3 7.6 0   Mexico, Michoacan offshore VI (Strong) 30.8 September 21
4 7.4 0   Chile, Valparaiso offshore VIII (Severe) 33.0 March 4
4 7.4 5   Afghanistan, Badakhshan VIII (Severe) 98.7 July 29
6 7.3 0   Papua New Guinea, New Ireland VII (Very strong) 33.0 July 3
7 7.2 1   Papua New Guinea, West New Britain VIII (Severe) 26.7 May 10
7 7.2 2   Chile, O'Higgins VI (Strong) 37.8 April 9
9 7.1 0   Vanuatu, Torba VI (Strong) 43.0 December 21
9 7.1 0   Indonesia, Papua VI (Strong) 10.0 November 17
11 7.0 0   Vanuatu, Torba offshore VI (Strong) 33.0 November 28
11 7.0 0   Vanuatu, Torba offshore V (Moderate) 33.0 November 28
11 7.0 71   China, Xinjiang VII (Very strong) 6.8 August 23
11 7.0 0   Philippines, Central Luzon V (Moderate) 188.4 April 23
11 7.0 0   Indonesia, Molucca Sea offshore VII (Very strong) 50.7 April 13

By month

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January

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January
Strongest magnitude6.9 Mw   Indonesia
Deadliest6.1 Mw   Argentina
6 deaths
Total fatalities6
Number by magnitude
9.0+0
8.0–8.90
7.0–7.90
6.0–6.911

February

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January
Strongest magnitude6.3 Mw   Solomon Islands
Deadliest5.3 Mw   Iran
1 death
Total fatalities1
Number by magnitude
9.0+0
8.0–8.90
7.0–7.90
6.0–6.94
  •   February 2 – A 5.3 magnitude earthquake in Southern Iran. One person was killed, eighty were injured and about 1,500 buildings were damaged in the Firouzabad-Jahrom area.
  •   February 23; A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck the Solomon Islands.

March

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  •   March 2 – A 6.7 magnitude earthquake hits Sulawesi. Also felt at Palu.
 
Santa Cruz was amongst the cities damaged by the March 3 Santiago earthquake. Church of Santa Cruz pictured in 2009.
  •   March 3 – A 7.5 magnitude earthquake occurs near the coast of Central Chile. At least 177 people killed, 2,575 injured and extensive damage in central Chile, including the cities of San Antonio, Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Santiago and Rancagua. Maximum intensity felt in the Valparaíso area. Extensive ground cracks and subsidence occurred throughout most of the epicentral area. Numerous landslides in the coastal mountains. Felt in Chile along a 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi) strip from Copiapó to Valdivia. Also felt at Mendoza, San Juan, Buenos Aires and São Paulo. A tsunami generated with wave heights: 1.1 metres (3.6 ft) at Valparaíso; 48 centimetres (1.57 ft) at Hilo, Hawaii; 15 centimetres (0.49 ft) at Sand Point, Alaska; 12 centimetres (0.39 ft) at Adak, Alaska; 11 centimetres (0.36 ft) at Rikitea, Gambier Islands; 10 centimetres (0.33 ft) at Papeete, Tahiti; 10 centimetres (0.33 ft) at Kushiro, Nemuro and Miyako, Japan; 5 centimetres (0.16 ft) at Seward, Alaska; 4 centimetres (0.13 ft) at Kodiak, Alaska; and 3 centimetres (0.098 ft) at Honolulu and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
  •   March 3 – A 7.0 magnitude earthquake occurs near the coast of central Chile.
  •   March 4 – A 6.7 magnitude earthquake occurs near the coast of central Chile.
  •   March 4 – A 6.6 magnitude earthquake occurs near the coast of central Chile.
  •   March 14 – A 4.3 magnitude earthquake hits southern Italy. One person died of fright. Slight damage in Isernia Province.
  •     March 16 – A 6.8 magnitude earthquake occurs in Leeward Islands. Six people injured and damage on Guadeloupe. Minor damage on Montserrat. Also felt on Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Puerto Rico. Several centimeter local tsunami recorded at Basse-Terre.
  •   March 17 – A 6.6 magnitude earthquake near the coast of central Chile. One person died from a heart attack at Santiago. Damage in the Valparaíso-Viña del Mar area. Also felt at San Antonio, Melipilla, Santiago, La Serena, Pichilemu, Santa Cruz, Curicó, Talca, and Concepción. Also felt in Mendoza and San Juan Provinces, Argentina.
  •   March 18 – A 6.5 magnitude earthquake strikes Mindanao, Philippine Islands. Two people died of heart attacks, 25 injured and about 30 buildings destroyed in the Pagadian area. Felt at Zamboanga, Dipolog, Cagayan de Oro, Puerto Princesa, Palawan and Palo, Leyte.
  •   March 19 – A 6.6 magnitude earthquake hits coast of central Chile. Felt at San Antonio, Valparaíso, Viña del Mar, Santiago, and from Concepción to Coquimbo.
  •   March 19 – A magnitude 5.2 earthquake hits Bolivia. Two people killed and damage in the Monteagudo area. Felt at Santa Cruz and Sucre.
  •   March 29 – A magnitude 4.9 earthquake hits Sichuan Province, China. One person killed, 120 injured and some damage in the Neijiang area.

April

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June

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  •   June 3 – A magnitude 7.0 earthquake hits Tonga Islands. Felt at Apia, Western Samoa.
  • June 6 – A 6.6 magnitude earthquake shakes Central Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
  •   June 23 – A magnitude 6.1 earthquake hits Solomon Islands. Felt strongly in the eastern side of the islands.

July

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August

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Map showing the location of the epicenter of August 23 China earthquake.

September

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  •   September 11 – A 6.4 magnitude earthquake hits southern Xinjiang, China. Four people killed, 61 injured and damage in the Wuqia-Kashi-Shufu area. Felt at Sufi-Kurgan, Osh and at Andizhan and Fergana, USSR.
  •   September 16 – A West New Guinea region is affected by a 6.3 magnitude earthquake. At least 10 people killed, 7 injured and damage in the Enarotali area. Slumping observed in the epicentral area.
 
Damage provoked by the September 19 Mexico earthquake.

October

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November

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  •   November 7 – A magnitude 5.1 earthquake hits Turkey. Fourteen people injured and at least 113 houses damaged in the Erzurum area.
  •   November 16 – A 6.6 magnitude earthquake occurs in the mid-Indian rise.
  •   November 17 – A 6.9 magnitude earthquake hits the West Irian region. Damage at Manokwari. Felt strongly in many parts of West Irian.
  •   November 28 – A magnitude 7.2 earthquake hits Vanuatu Islands.
  •   November 28 – A magnitude 7.6 earthquake hits Vanuatu Islands.

December

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Epicenter location of the December 23 Canada earthquake.
  •   December 16 – A magnitude 6.1 earthquake hits Nicaragua. Six people injured by landslides and damage in the Rivas-Masaya area. Felt strongly along the Pacific coast of Nicaragua. Felt at Los Chiles, Liberia, Upala, Tilaran, Puntarenas, Atenas, San José, Costa Rica, and San Salvador, El Salvador.
  •   December 16 – A magnitude 6.8 earthquake hits Vanuatu Islands.
  •   December 21 – Two earthquakes, magnitude 7.6 and 6.5 hit Vanuatu Islands.
  •   December 23 – A magnitude 6.6 earthquake occurs in the northwest territories of Canada. Felt at Fort Simpson, Wrigley, and Fort Liard. Some people fled from buildings in Edmonton, Alberta about 1,100 kilometres (680 mi) from the epicenter. Felt in parts of Yukon Territory, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Also felt at Camas, Washington; Grand Forks, North Dakota; Metlakatla, Alaska; Juneau, Alaska; Helena, Montana; and Spokane, Washington.
  •   December 25 – A 4.3 magnitude earthquake in Sicily. One person killed, 14 injured and damage on Sicily. Mt. Etna erupted.
  •   December 27 – A magnitude 6.5 earthquake hits southern Sumatra. Felt strongly at Metro and Tanjungkarang-Telukbetung. Also felt at Jakarta, Java.
  •   December 28 – A 6.6 magnitude earthquake strikes the Vanuatu Islands.

References

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  •   This article incorporates public domain material from Significant Earthquakes of the World: 1985. United States Geological Survey.