List of earthquakes in 1909

This is a list of earthquakes in 1909. Only notable 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. This year was marked by a large increase in the number of events that caused deaths and damage compared to 1908.

Earthquakes in 1909

Approximate epicenters of the earthquakes in 1909 4.0–5.9 magnitude 6.0–6.9 magnitude 7.0–7.9 magnitude 8.0+ magnitude
Strongest magnitude	Afghanistan, Nurestan Province (Magnitude 7.7) July 7
Deadliest	Iran, Markazi Province January 23 (Magnitude 7.3) 8,000 deaths
Total fatalities	8,689
Number by magnitude
9.0+	0
← 1908 1910 →

Overall

By death toll

Rank	Death toll	Magnitude	Location	MMI	Depth (km)	Date
1	8,000	7.3	Iran, Markazi Province	( )	15.0	January 23
2	231	7.0	British Raj, Sind Province	( )	35.0	October 20
= 3	101	6.3	Turkey, Sivas Province	IX (Violent)	15.0	February 9
= 3	101	7.2	Dutch East Indies, west central Sumatra	( )	0.0	June 3
4	100	0.0	Morocco, Tetouan Province	( )	0.0	January 29
5	41	6.7	Japan, Shiga Prefecture	( )	5.0	August 14
6	40	6.2	France, Vaucluse	X (Extreme)	0.0	June 11
7	30	6.6	Portugal, Santarem District	X (Extreme)	0.0	April 23
8	21	6.5	China, Yunnan Province	VIII (Severe)	0.0	May 11
9	10	0.0	Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa	( )	0.0	July 8

• Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank	Magnitude	Death toll	Location	MMI	Depth (km)	Date
1	7.7	0	Afghanistan, Nurestan Province	VII (Very strong)	200.0	July 7
2	7.6	0	Fiji	( )	550.0	February 22
= 3	7.5	0	Mexico, off the coast of Guerrero	( )	20.0	July 30
= 3	7.5	0	Japan, Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu	( )	150.0	November 10
4	7.3	8,000	Iran, Markazi Province	( )	15.0	January 23
= 5	7.2	101	Dutch East Indies, west central Sumatra	( )	0.0	June 3
= 5	7.2	0	Chile, Atacama Region	( )	0.0	June 8
= 5	7.2	0	France, southeast of the Loyalty Islands	( )	100.0	August 18
= 6	7.1	0	Japan, off the southeast coast of Honshu	( )	15.0	March 13
= 6	7.1	9	Taiwan, off the northeast coast	( )	5.0	April 14
= 6	7.1	0	Dutch East Indies, Talaud Islands	( )	100.0	April 25
= 6	7.1	0	southern Pacific Ocean	( )	0.0	April 27
= 6	7.1	0	Dutch East Indies, southwest of Yamdena	( )	100.0	May 30
= 6	7.1	4	Taiwan, north of	( )	5.0	November 21
= 7	7.0	0	United States, Rat Islands, Alaska	( )	0.0	April 10
= 7	7.0	0	Bolivia, Chuquisaca Department	( )	250.0	May 17
= 7	7.0	0	United States, Fox Islands (Alaska)	( )	90.0	September 8
= 7	7.0	231	Pakistan, Sind Province	( )	35.0	October 20
= 7	7.0	0	British Solomon Islands	( )	0.0	December 9

• Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January

January

Strongest magnitude	7.3 Mw Iran
Deadliest	7.3 Mw Iran 8,000 deaths
Total fatalities	8,100
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	0

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
23[1][2]	Iran, Markazi Province	7.3	15.0		8,000 people died in the 1909 Borujerd earthquake. Some damage was caused in the area.	8,000
29[3]	Morocco, Tetouan	0.0	0.0		100 people were killed and major damage was reported. Magnitude and depth unknown.	100

February

February

Strongest magnitude	7.6 Mw Fiji
Deadliest	6.3 Mw Turkey 101 deaths
Total fatalities	101
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
9[4][5]	Turkey, Sivas Province	6.3	15.0	IX	At least 101 people were killed and major damage was caused.	101
22[6]	Fiji	7.6	550.0

March

March

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	5

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
10[7]	Japan, Ryukyu Islands	6.5	100.0
12[8][9]	Japan, off the southeast coast of Honshu	6.9	35.0		Foreshock. Some damage was caused. A tsunami was observed.
13[10][11]	Japan, off the east coast of Honshu	7.1	15.0		Further damage was caused. Another tsunami was observed.
17[12]	Japan, Izu Islands	6.7	450.0
17[13]	Dutch East Indies, Sulawesi	6.9	0.0		Depth unknown.
22[14]	Japan, off the southeast coast of Honshu	6.6	35.0

April

April

Strongest magnitude	7.1 Mw 3 events
Deadliest	6.6 Mw Portugal 30 deaths
Total fatalities	39
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	4
6.0–6.9	2

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
10[15]	New Hebrides, Espiritu Santo	6.9	0.0		Depth unknown.
10[16]	United States, Rat Islands, Alaska	7.0	0.0		Depth unknown.
14[17][18]	Taiwan, off the northeast coast	7.1	5.0		9 people were killed and another 51 were injured. 122 homes were destroyed.	9	51
23[19]	Portugal, Santarem District	6.6	0.0	X	30 people died and many homes were destroyed or damaged in the 1909 Benavente earthquake. Depth unknown.	30
25[20]	Dutch East Indies, Talaud Islands	7.1	100.0
26[21]	Kamerun, Mount Cameroon	0.0	0.0		Some damage was caused. Volcano nearby started erupting at this time. Magnitude and depth unknown.
27[22]	southern Pacific Ocean	7.1	0.0		Depth unknown.

May

May

Strongest magnitude	7.1 Mw Dutch East Indies
Deadliest	6.5 Mw China 21 deaths
Total fatalities	21
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	2
6.0–6.9	1

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
11[23]	China, Yunnan Province	6.5	0.0	VIII	21 people were killed and many homes were destroyed. Depth unknown.	21
17[24]	Bolivia, Chuquisaca Department	7.0	250.0
30[25]	Dutch East Indies, southwest of Yamdena	7.1	100.0

June

June

Strongest magnitude	7.2 Mw 2 events
Deadliest	7.2 Mw Dutch East Indies 101 deaths
Total fatalities	141
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
3[26][27]	Dutch East Indies, central Sumatra	7.2	0.0		The 1909 Kerinci earthquake killed least 101 people and many homes were destroyed or damaged. A tsunami was observed. Depth unknown.	101
8[28]	Chile, Atacama Region	7.2	0.0		Depth unknown.
11[29]	France, Vaucluse	6.2	0.0	X	This was the worst event in French history. 40 people died in the 1909 Provence earthquake. Some damage was caused. Depth unknown.	40
12[30]	New Hebrides	6.9	0.0		Depth unknown.
27[31]	British Solomon Islands	6.8	0.0		Depth unknown.

July

July

Strongest magnitude	7.7 Mw Afghanistan
Deadliest	0.0 Mw Pakistan 10 deaths
Total fatalities	11
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	2
6.0–6.9	2
5.0–5.9	1

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
7[32]	Afghanistan, Nurestan Province	7.7	200.0	VII
8[33]	Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa	0.0	0.0		10 people were killed and damage was reported. Magnitude and depth unknown.	10
13[34]	Russia, Sea of Okhotsk	6.5	250.0
15[35]	Greece, West Greece	5.7	4.0	X	1 person died.	1
30[36][37]	Mexico, off the coast of Guerrero	7.5	20.0		Extensive damage was caused.
31[38]	Mexico, off the coast of Guerrero	6.9	0.0		Aftershock. Depth unknown.

August

August

Strongest magnitude	7.2 Mw France
Deadliest	6.7 Mw Japan 41 deaths
Total fatalities	41
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
4[39]	China, eastern Xizang Province	6.5	0.0		Depth unknown.
14[40][41]	Japan, Shiga Prefecture, Japan	6.7	5.0		Main article: 1909 Anegawa earthquake	41
16[42]	Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica	6.8	0.0		Depth unknown.
18[43]	France, southeast of Loyalty Islands	7.2	100.0

September

September

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	2

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
8[44]	United States, Fox Islands (Alaska)	7.0	90.0
10[45]	Japan, Ryukyu Islands	6.6	100.0
16[46]	Japan, south of Hokkaido	6.8	35.0

October

October

Strongest magnitude	7.0 Mw Pakistan
Deadliest	7.0 Mw Pakistan 231 deaths
Total fatalities	231
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	1
5.0–5.9	1

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
20[47][48]	Pakistan, Sind Province	7.0	35.0		231 people were killed. Some damage was caused.	231
29[49]	Turkey, Bursa Province	5.8	0.0	VIII	Major damage was reported. Depth unknown.
30[50]	Dutch East Indies, Tanimbar Islands	6.7	250.0

November

November

Strongest magnitude	7.5 Mw Japan
Deadliest	7.1 Mw Taiwan 4 deaths
Total fatalities	4
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	2
6.0–6.9	0

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
10[51]	Japan, Miyazaki Prefecture, Honshu	7.5	150.0
21[52][53]	Taiwan, north of	7.1	5.0		4 people were killed. 14 homes were destroyed.	4

December

December

Strongest magnitude	7.0 Mw British Solomon Islands
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
9[54]	British Solomon Islands	7.0	0.0		Depth unknown.
9[55][56]	Guam	6.8	50.0	VIII	Some damage was caused.