This is a list of earthquakes in 1900 . Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Exceptions to this are earthquakes which 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. The countries and their flags are noted as they would have appeared in this year for example the Netherlands being in control of present-day Indonesia . An average year with 13 magnitude 7.0+ events being reported. The death toll was low with an event in Venezuela making up the vast majority of the total.
Note : At least 10 casualties
Rank
Magnitude
Death toll
Location
MMI
Depth (km)
Date
1
7.9
0
United States , Kodiak Island , Alaska
VIII (Severe )
0.0
October 9
2
7.7
25
Venezuela , offshore Miranda (state)
X (Extreme )
0.0
October 29
3
7.6
0
United Kingdom , Santa Cruz Islands , Solomon Islands
VI (Strong )
0.0
July 29
4
7.5
0
Russia , Sea of Okhotsk
( )
450.0
January 31
5
7.3
0
Mexico , Jalisco
( )
10.0
January 20
6
7.2
0
Costa Rica , Guanacaste Province
( )
0.0
June 21
= 7
7.1
0
German Empire , Bismarck Sea , German New Guinea
( )
0.0
September 17
= 7
7.1
0
Russia , Kuril Islands
IX (Violent )
35.0
December 25
= 8
7.0
0
Netherlands , southern Sumatra , Dutch East Indies
( )
0.0
January 5
= 8
7.0
0
German Empire , Bismarck Sea , German New Guinea
( )
0.0
January 11
= 8
7.0
0
Japan , Miyagi Prefecture , Honshu
( )
5.0
May 11
= 8
7.0
0
El Salvador , offshore
( )
0.0
November 9
= 8
7.0
0
Russia , east of the Kuril Islands
( )
35.0
November 24
Note : At least 7.0 magnitude
January Strongest magnitude 7.5 Mw Russia Total fatalities 0 8.0–8.9 0 7.0–7.9 4 6.0–6.9 1
April Strongest magnitude 6.9 Mw Japan Total fatalities 0 8.0–8.9 0 7.0–7.9 0 6.0–6.9 1
May Strongest magnitude 7.0 Mw Japan Total fatalities 0 8.0–8.9 0 7.0–7.9 1 6.0–6.9 1
June Strongest magnitude 7.2 Mw Costa Rica Total fatalities 0 8.0–8.9 0 7.0–7.9 1 6.0–6.9 0
July Strongest magnitude 7.6 Mw United Kingdom Total fatalities 0 8.0–8.9 0 7.0–7.9 1 6.0–6.9 0
August Strongest magnitude 6.8 Mw Japan Deadliest 0.0 Mw United States 5 deaths Total fatalities 5 8.0–8.9 0 7.0–7.9 0 6.0–6.9 2
Date
Country and location
Mw
Depth (km)
MMI
Notes
Casualties
Dead
Injured
5 [ 1] [ 2]
Japan , off the east coast of Honshu
6.6
35.0
11 [ 5]
United States , southeastern Alaska
0.0
0.0
An earthquake originated in Lituya Bay which caused a significant tsunami in the area. 5 people were killed in the ensuing flooding as the waves swept ashore.
5
29 [ 1] [ 2]
Japan , off the south coast of Hokkaido
6.8
35.0
September Strongest magnitude 7.1 Mw United Kingdom Total fatalities 0 8.0–8.9 0 7.0–7.9 1 6.0–6.9 1
November Strongest magnitude 7.0 Mw 2 events Total fatalities 0 8.0–8.9 0 7.0–7.9 2 6.0–6.9 2
December Strongest magnitude 7.1 Mw Russia Total fatalities 0 8.0–8.9 0 7.0–7.9 1 6.0–6.9 0
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "International Seismological Centre (2021) On-Line Bulletin" . International Seismological Centre . Retrieved July 13, 2021 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Adams, R. D.; Hughes, A. A.; McGregor, D. M. (November 1982). "Adams, R.D., Hughes, A.A., and McGregor, D.M. (1982). Analysis procedures at the International Seismological Centre. Phys. Earth Planet. Inter. 30: 85-93" . Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors . Special Issue Earthquake Algorithms. 30 (2). ScienceDirect : 85–93. doi :10.1016/0031-9201(82)90093-0 . Retrieved July 13, 2021 .
^ "Significant Earthquake Information" . National Geophysical Data Center . Retrieved July 13, 2021 .
^ "Significant Earthquake Information" . National Geophysical Data Center . Retrieved July 13, 2021 .
^ "Tsunami Event Information" . National Geophysical Data Center . Retrieved July 13, 2021 .
^ "Significant Earthquake Information" . National Geophysical Data Center . Retrieved July 13, 2021 .
^ "Significant Earthquake Information" . National Geophysical Data Center . Retrieved July 13, 2021 .
^ "Tsunami Event Information" . National Geophysical Data Center . Retrieved July 13, 2021 .
^ "M 7.9 – Kodiak Island region, Alaska" . United States Geological Survey. October 9, 1900. Retrieved February 25, 2024 .
^ "Significant Earthquake Information" . National Geophysical Data Center . Retrieved July 13, 2021 .
^ "Significant Earthquake Information" . National Geophysical Data Center . Retrieved July 13, 2021 .
^ "Significant Earthquake Information" . National Geophysical Data Center . Retrieved July 13, 2021 .