List of earthquakes in 1963

This is a list of earthquakes in 1963. 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. Maximum intensities are indicated on the Mercalli intensity scale and are sourced from United States Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeMap data. A fairly active year with 17 events reaching above magnitude 7.0. The intensity of the events was stronger with 2 measuring above magnitude 8. Both events came within 3 weeks of each other. The strongest of 1963 was in the Kuril Islands, Russia and was magnitude 8.5. Macedonia had by far the most of the 1,488 fatalities. A fairly modest magnitude 6.0 event in July resulted in 1,070 deaths and substantial destruction. Libya had one of the worst events in its history in February. Again a fairly moderate magnitude 5.6 ended up with 300 deaths in the area.

Earthquakes in 1963

Approximate epicenters of the earthquakes in 1963 4.0–5.9 magnitude 6.0–6.9 magnitude 7.0–7.9 magnitude 8.0+ magnitude
Strongest magnitude	Soviet Union, Kuril Islands, Russia (Magnitude 8.5) October 13
Deadliest	Yugoslavia, Skopje, Socialist Republic of Macedonia (Magnitude 6.0) July 26 1,070 deaths
Total fatalities	1,488
Number by magnitude
9.0+	0
← 1962 1964 →

Overall

By death toll

Rank	Death toll	Magnitude	Location	MMI	Depth (km)	Date
1	1,070	6.0	Yugoslavia, Skopje, Macedonia	X (Extreme)	15.0	July 26
2	375	5.6	Kingdom of Libya, Marj District	VI (Strong)	25.0	February 21
3	100	6.0	Iran, Kermanshah Province	VII (Very strong)	20.0	March 24
4	15	7.2	Taiwan, off the east coast of Taiwan	VII (Very strong)	30.0	February 13

• Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank	Magnitude	Death toll	Location	MMI	Depth (km)	Date
1	8.5	0	Soviet Union, Kuril Islands, Russia	IX (Violent)	35.0	October 13
2	8.1	0	Indonesia, Banda Sea	VIII (Severe)	65.0	November 4
3	7.8	0	Soviet Union, Kuril Islands, Russia	VI (Strong)	28.2	October 20
4	7.7	0	Peru, Puno Region	IV (Light)	550.0	August 15
= 5	7.6	0	Brazil, Acre (state)	I (Not felt)	590.7	November 9
= 5	7.6	0	United Kingdom, south of Fiji	VIII (Severe)	55.0	December 18
6	7.5	0	Australia, Morobe Province, Papua and New Guinea	VI (Strong)	186.6	February 26
7	7.4	0	United Kingdom, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands	IX (Violent)	35.0	September 15
8	7.3	0	New Zealand, Kermadec Islands	I (Not felt)	10.0	March 26
= 9	7.2	15	Taiwan, off the east coast of Taiwan	VII (Very strong)	30.0	February 13
= 9	7.2	0	Soviet Union, east of the Kuril Islands, Russia	I (Not felt)	15.0	March 16
= 9	7.2	0	United Kingdom Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands	VIII (Severe)	45.0	September 17
= 10	7.1	0	Indonesia, south of Halmahera	VII (Very strong)	30.0	April 16
= 10	7.1	0	Indonesia, south of Halmahera	I (Not felt)	30.0	April 16
= 11	7.0	0	United Kingdom Fiji	III (Weak)	570.0	August 25
= 11	7.0	0	Soviet Union, Kuril Islands, Russia	V (Moderate)	37.5	October 12
= 11	7.0	0	Indonesia, Java Sea	I (Not felt)	661.5	December 15

• Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January

January

Strongest magnitude	6.7 Mw  Japan
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	0
6.0–6.9	7

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
1[1]	United States, south of Alaska Peninsula	6.4	74.8
2[2][3]	Indonesia, Papua (province)	6.0	25.0	VI
5[4][5]	Indonesia, West Timor	6.0	35.0	VI
24[6][7]	Philippines, off the east coast of Mindanao	6.0	50.0	IV
28[8][9]	Australia, west of New Hanover Island, Papua and New Guinea	6.5	35.0	VI
28[10][11]	United States, south of Alaska Peninsula	6.6	35.0	V
31[12]	Japan, northwest of Ryukyu Islands	6.7	50.0

February

February

Strongest magnitude	7.5 Mw  Australia
Deadliest	5.6 Mw  Kingdom of Libya 300 deaths
Total fatalities	315
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	2
6.0–6.9	6
5.0–5.9	1

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
5[13][14]	Chile, Araucanía Region	6.4	25.0	VII
6[15][16]	Chile, Araucanía Region	6.0	25.0	VI	Aftershock.
13[17][18][19]	Taiwan, off the east coast of	7.2	30.0	VII	The 1963 Su-ao earthquake left 15 people dead and another 18 were injured. Some homes were destroyed.	15	18
13[20][21]	United Kingdom, Solomon Islands	6.4	20.0	VI
14[22][23]	Indonesia, Barat Daya Islands	6.6	220.0	IV
14[24][25]	Australia, Madang Province, Papua and New Guinea	6.1	64.7	VI
21[26][27][28]	Kingdom of Libya, Marj District	5.6	25.0	VI	300 people were killed and a further 375 were injured in the 1963 Marj earthquake. Many homes were damaged or destroyed. Costs reached $5 million (1963 rate).	300	375
26[29][30]	Australia, Morobe Province, Papua and New Guinea	7.5	186.6	VI
27[31][32]	Australia, West New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea	6.7	35.0	VI

March

March

Strongest magnitude	7.3 Mw  New Zealand
Deadliest	6.0 Mw  Iran 100 deaths
Total fatalities	100
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	2
6.0–6.9	10

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
4[33][34]	Taiwan, off the east coast	6.3	20.0	VI
4[35][36]	Peru, off the north coast	6.1	15.0	V
10[37][38]	Taiwan, off the east coast	6.1	15.0	V	Aftershock.
16[39]	Soviet Union, east of the Kuril Islands, Russia	7.2	15.0
24[40][41]	Indonesia, northeast of Sumba	6.3	20.0	VI
24[42][43][44]	Iran, Kermanshah Province	6.0	20.0	VII	100 people were killed and major damage was caused.	100
26[45]	New Zealand, Kermadec Islands	7.3	10.0
26[46]	New Zealand, Kermadec Islands	6.5	15.0		Aftershock.
26[47][48]	Japan, off the west coast of Honshu	6.3	15.0	VI
28[49][50]	Iceland, off the north coast of	6.9	10.0	VII
31[51]	New Zealand, Kermadec Islands	6.6	35.0		Aftershock.
31[52][53]	Australia, West New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea	6.1	35.0	V

April

April

Strongest magnitude	7.1 Mw  Indonesia two events
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	2
6.0–6.9	7
5.0–5.9	1

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
7[54][55]	Indonesia, off the west coast of Sumatra	6.1	59.4	V
10[56][57]	Indonesia, Timor	6.0	70.0	V
13[58][59]	Peru, San Martin Region	6.5	119.8	V
13[60][61]	Indonesia, Papua (province)	6.1	46.9	VI
16[62][63]	Indonesia, south of Halmahera	7.1	30.0	rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake.
16[64][65]	Indonesia, south of Halmahera	7.1	30.0	VI
19[66][67][68]	China, southern Qinghai Province	6.7	20.0	VIII	A few homes were damaged or destroyed.
23[69][70][71]	China, Yunnan Province	5.8	30.0	VII	Some homes were destroyed.
27[72][73]	Indonesia, Halmahera	6.0	28.8	VI	Aftershock.
30[74][75]	Indonesia, southeast of Halmahera	6.3	60.0	V	Aftershock.

May

May

Strongest magnitude	6.9 Mw  Soviet Union
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	0
6.0–6.9	9
5.0–5.9	1

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
1[76][77]	New Hebrides, Vanuatu	6.8	142.9	VI
8[78][79]	Japan, off the east coast of Honshu	6.2	46.5	V
9[80][81][82]	Nicaragua, León Department	5.6	50.0	V	Some damage was caused.
10[83][84]	Ecuador, Morona-Santiago Province	6.6	20.0	VI
12[85][86]	United States, Kodiak Island, Alaska	6.0	36.6	IV
18[87][88]	Argentina, San Juan Province, Argentina	6.0	15.0	VII
19[89][90]	Chile, Aysén Region	6.4	15.0	VII
20[91]	New Zealand, Kermadec Islands	6.8	65.0
22[92]	Soviet Union, Kuril Islands, Russia	6.9	30.0
26[93][94]	Soviet Union, Kamchatka, Russia	6.1	30.0	VI

June

June

Strongest magnitude	6.9 Mw  Soviet Union
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	0
6.0–6.9	6
5.0–5.9	1

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
4[95][96]	Indonesia, south of Halmahera	6.1	30.0	VI
7[97]	Tonga	6.0	20.0
19[98][99]	Indonesia, Talaud Islands	6.1	65.0	V
21[100][101][102]	China, Heilongjiang Province	5.9	35.0	VII	Some damage was reported.
24[103][104]	United States, Cook Inlet, Alaska	6.3	45.0	VII
26[105]	China, Xinjiang Province	6.0	95.0
28[106]	Soviet Union, Kuril Islands, Russia	6.9	25.0

July

July

Strongest magnitude	6.8 Mw  United Kingdom
Deadliest	6.0 Mw  Yugoslavia, Socialist Republic of Macedonia 1,070 deaths
Total fatalities	1,070
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	0
6.0–6.9	8

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
4[107]	United Kingdom, south of Fiji	6.8	181.3
9[108][109]	Costa Rica, off the south coast	6.0	35.0	VI
16[110][111]	Soviet Union, Abkhazia, Georgia	6.4	30.0	VII
19[112]	Ligurian Sea	6.3	15.0
19[113]	Ligurian Sea	6.1	15.0		This came a minute after the last event.
26[114][115][116]	Yugoslavia, Skopje, Socialist Republic of Macedonia	6.0	15.0	X	This event struck directly under Skopje. 1,070 people were killed and 3,300 were injured. Extensive damage was caused with costs being $1 billion (1963 rate).	1,070	3,300
29[117]	New Zealand, Kermadec Islands	6.6	25.0	rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake.
30[118]	New Zealand, Kermadec Islands	6.5	25.0

August

August

Strongest magnitude	7.7 Mw  Peru
Deadliest	6.5 Mw  China 1 death
Total fatalities	1
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	2
6.0–6.9	5

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
8[119][120]	Australia, East New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea	6.0	50.0	V
15[121][122]	Japan, off the east coast of Honshu	6.5	35.0	IV
15[123][124][125]	Peru, Puno Region	7.7	550.0	IV	Some damage was reported.
17[126][127]	Japan, south of Kyushu	6.4	35.0	VI
25[128][129]	United Kingdom, Fiji	7.0	570.0	III
29[130][131][132]	China, southern Xinjiang Province	6.5	15.0	VII	1 person died and 40 homes were destroyed.	1
29[133]	Peru, off the north coast	6.6	25.0

September

September

Strongest magnitude	7.4 Mw  United Kingdom
Deadliest	2 events caused 1 death each.
Total fatalities	2
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	2
6.0–6.9	4

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
9[134][135]	Australia, New Ireland (island), Papua and New Guinea	6.2	15.0	VII
15[136][137]	United Kingdom, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands	7.4	35.0	IX	A large event followed a couple of days later. This is an example of a doublet earthquake.
17[138][139]	Peru, off the central coast	6.0	68.0	VI	Foreshock.
17[140][141]	United Kingdom, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands	7.2	45.0	VIII
18[142][143][144]	Turkey, eastern Sea of Marmara	6.2	30.0	VI	1 person was killed and at least 51 were injured. 7 homes were destroyed and 163 were damaged.	1	51+
24[145][146][147]	Peru, off the central coast	6.9	64.1	VII	1 person was killed and some damage was caused.	1

October

October

Strongest magnitude	8.5 Mw  Soviet Union
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	1
7.0–7.9	2
6.0–6.9	4

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
3[148][149]	Japan, off the east coast of Kyushu	6.2	35.0	V
12[150][151]	Soviet Union, Kuril Islands, Russia	7.0	37.5	V	Foreshock.
13[152][153][154]	Soviet Union, Kuril Islands, Russia	8.5	35.0	IX	The 1963 Kuril Islands earthquake caused some property damage. A tsunami was observed.
15[155][156]	Indonesia, Seram	6.0	25.0	VI
16[157][158]	Soviet Union, Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, Tajikistan	6.5	35.0	VI
20[159][160]	Soviet Union, Kuril Islands, Russia	7.8	28.2	VI	Aftershock.
31[161]	Tonga	6.3	16.5

November

November

Strongest magnitude	8.1 Mw  Indonesia
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	1
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	6

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
3[162][163]	Peru, Amazonas Region	6.2	25.0	VI
4[164][165][166]	Indonesia, Banda Sea	8.1	65.0	VIII	Some damage was caused.
6[167][168]	Indonesia, Papua (province)	6.3	25.0	VI
9[169]	Brazil, Acre (state)	7.6	590.7
10[170]	Brazil, Acre (state)	6.3	593.9		Aftershock.
10[171]	Soviet Union, Kuril Islands, Russia	6.5	21.2		Aftershock.
18[172][173]	Mexico, Gulf of California	6.4	15.0	VII
23[174]	Mexico, Gulf of California	6.1	15.0		Aftershock.

December

December

Strongest magnitude	7.6 Mw  United Kingdom
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	2
6.0–6.9	2

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
3[175][176]	Chile, Antofagasta Region	6.3	35.0	VI
15[177]	Indonesia, Java Sea	7.0	661.5
16[178][179][180]	Indonesia, Sunda Strait	6.5	45.0	VI	Some homes were damaged.
18[181][182]	United Kingdom, south of Fiji	7.6	55.0	VIII