List of earthquakes in 1908

Earthquakes in 1908

class=notpageimage| Approximate epicenters of the earthquakes in 1908 4.0–5.9 magnitude 6.0–6.9 magnitude 7.0–7.9 magnitude 8.0+ magnitude
Strongest magnitude	Mexico, Guerrero, (Magnitude 7.7) 26 March
Deadliest	Kingdom of Italy Sicily, (Magnitude 7.0) 28 December, 120,000 deaths
Total fatalities	120,000
Number by magnitude
9.0+	0
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	10
6.0–6.9	18
5.0–5.9	0
← 1907 1909 →

This is a list of earthquakes in 1908. 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. One of the early 20th century's worst earthquakes happened this year in Italy. A magnitude 8.2 earthquake was said to have occurred off the Peruvian coast on 12 December. This earthquake has been proven to be of false origin since seismological data does not support its existence.^[1]

Overall

By death toll

Rank	Death toll	Magnitude	Location	MMI	Depth (km)	Date
1	120,000	7.0	Kingdom of Italy, Sicily	XI (Extreme)	15.0	28 December

• Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank	Magnitude	Death toll	Location	MMI	Depth (km)	Date
1	7.7	0	Mexico, Guerrero	( )	80.0	26 March
2	7.5	0	Dutch East Indies, off west coast of Sumatra	( )	130.0	6 February
3	7.2	0	Scotia Sea	( )	0.0	17 August
4	7.1	0	Japan, off east coast of Honshu	( )	35.0	15 January
= 5	7.0	0	Mexico, off the coast of Guerrero	( )	0.0	27 March
= 5	7.0	0	Southwest Indian Ridge	( )	0.0	22 April
= 6	7.0	0	United States, Gulf of Alaska	( )	0.0	15 May
= 6	7.0	0	Afghanistan, Badakhshan Province	( )	220.0	24 October
= 6	7.0	0	British Burma, Kachin State	( )	15.0	12 December
= 6	7.0	120,000	Italy, Sicily	XI (Extreme)	15.0	28 December

• Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January

January

Strongest magnitude	7.1 Mw Japan
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	1

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
11[2]	Taiwan, Taitung County	6.8	5.0
15[3]	Japan, off the east coast of Honshu	7.1	35.0

February

February

Strongest magnitude	7.5 Mw Dutch East Indies
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	2

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
6[4]	Dutch East Indies, off the west coast of Sumatra	7.5	130.0
9[5]	China, western Sichuan	6.7	15.0
14[6]	United States, southern Alaska	6.0	0.0		Depth unknown.

March

March

Strongest magnitude	7.7 Mw Mexico
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	2
6.0–6.9	3

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
5[7]	Philippines, Mindanao	6.9	0.0		Depth unknown.
12[8]	Afghanistan, Badakhshan Province	6.5	200.0
23[9]	Dutch East Indies, Timor Sea	6.6	0.0		Some damage was caused on Timor. Depth unknown.
26[10][11]	Mexico, Guerrero	7.7	80.0		Some damage was caused.
27[12]	Mexico, off the coast of Guerrero	7.0	0.0		Depth unknown.

April

April

Strongest magnitude	7.0 Mw Southwest Indian Ridge
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	2

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
16[13]	Afghanistan, Badakhshan Province	6.6	220.0
19[14]	Russia, Sea of Japan	6.7	450.0
22[15]	Southwest Indian Ridge	7.0	0.0		Depth unknown.

May

May

Strongest magnitude	7.0 Mw United States
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	3

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
3[16]	Russia, Kuril Islands	6.5	35.0
5[17]	Dutch East Indies, Celebes Sea	6.9	0.0		Depth unknown.
15[18]	United States, Gulf of Alaska	7.0	0.0		Depth unknown.
17[19]	Greece, south of Crete	6.6	100.0

August

August

Strongest magnitude	7.2 Mw Scotia Sea
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	1

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
17[20]	Scotia Sea	7.2	0.0		Depth unknown.
20[21]	China, western Xizang Province	6.9	15.0

September

September

Strongest magnitude	6.8 Mw United States
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	0
6.0–6.9	1

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
21[22]	United States, south of Hawaii (island)	6.8	0.0		Depth unknown.

October

October

Strongest magnitude	7.0 Mw Afghanistan
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	3

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
6[23]	Romania, Buzau County	6.6	150.0
13[24]	Mexico, Guerrero	6.9	0.0		Depth unknown.
23[25]	Afghanistan, Badakhshan Province	6.9	220.0		These events can be considered a doublet earthquake.
24[26]	Afghanistan, Badakhshan Province	7.0	220.0

November

November

Strongest magnitude	6.9 Mw 2 events
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
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
2[27]	Dutch East Indies, southwest of the Mentawai Islands	6.9	0.0		Depth unknown.
6[28]	Russia, Kuril Islands	6.9	0.0		Depth unknown.

December

December

Strongest magnitude	7.2 Mw British Burma
Deadliest	7.0 Mw Italy 120,000 deaths
Total fatalities	120,000
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	1
7.0–7.9	2
6.0–6.9	0

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
12[29]	British Burma, Kachin State	7.2	15.0
28[30][31][32]	Italy, Sicily	7.0	15.0	XI	The 1908 Messina earthquake caused 82,000 deaths in total. The earthquake contributed to 80,000 of the total. A tsunami resulted in another 2,000 deaths. Damage costs were around $116 million (1908 rate).	82,000

References

1. Giacomo, Domenico Di; Dewey, James W. (2020). "The (Mythical) M 8.2 Off Coast of Peru Earthquake of 12 December 1908". Seismological Research Letters. 91 (1): 488–498. doi:10.1785/0220190232.
2. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 11 January 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
3. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 15 January 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
4. "Significant Earthquake: SW. SUMATRA". National Geophysical Data Center. 6 February 1908. Archived from the original on 28 September 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
5. "M 6.7 – western Sichuan, China". United States Geological Survey. 9 February 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
6. "Significant Earthquake: ALASKA: GULF OF ALASKA". National Geophysical Data Center. 14 February 1908. Archived from the original on 28 September 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
7. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 5 March 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
8. "On-Line Bulletin". International Seismological Centre. 12 March 1908. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
9. "Significant Earthquake: INDONESIA: TIMOR". National Geophysical Data Center. 23 March 1908. Archived from the original on 7 March 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
10. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 26 March 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
11. "Significant Earthquake: MEXICO: GUERRERO". National Geophysical Data Center. 26 March 1908. Archived from the original on 28 September 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
12. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 27 March 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
13. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 16 April 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
14. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 19 April 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
15. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 22 April 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
16. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 3 May 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
17. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 5 May 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
18. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 15 May 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
19. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 17 May 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
20. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 17 August 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
21. "M 6.9 – western Xizang". United States Geological Survey. 20 August 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
22. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 21 September 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
23. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 6 October 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
24. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 13 October 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
25. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 23 October 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
26. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 24 October 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
27. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 2 November 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
28. "Centennial Earthquake Catalog". United States Geological Survey. 6 November 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
29. "M 7.2 – 64 km NNE of Sarupathar, India". United States Geological Survey. 12 December 1908. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
30. "M 7.0 – Sicily, Italy". United States Geological Survey. 28 December 1908. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
31. "Significant Earthquake: ITALY: MESSINA, SICILY, CALABRIA". National Geophysical Data Center. 28 December 1908. Archived from the original on 1 January 2016. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
32. "Tsunami Event: MESSINA STRAIT, IONIAN SEA". National Geophysical Data Center. 28 December 1908. Archived from the original on 8 March 2014. Retrieved 18 November 2015.