List of earthquakes in 1937

This is a list of earthquakes in 1937. 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. The death toll of 497 was the lowest since 1921. China once again bore the brunt of the deadly events. The largest magnitude event was a 7.8 in January in China. Activity was fairly scattered across the planet with China, Dutch East Indies, Mexico, South America, the southern Pacific Ocean islands and Alaska seeing large (7.0+ magnitude) events.

Earthquakes in 1937

Approximate epicenters of the earthquakes in 1937 4.0–5.9 magnitude 6.0–6.9 magnitude 7.0–7.9 magnitude 8.0+ magnitude
Strongest magnitude	China, Qinghai Province (Magnitude 7.8) January 7
Deadliest	China, Shandong Province (Magnitude 6.9) July 31 390 deaths
Total fatalities	497
Number by magnitude
9.0+	0
← 1936 1938 →

Overall

By death toll

Rank	Death toll	Magnitude	Location	MMI	Depth (km)	Date
1	390	6.9	China, Shandong Province	IX (Violent)	25.0	July 31
2	51	5.0	China, Shanxi Province	VII (Very strong)	0.0	September 15
3	34	7.3	Mexico, Veracruz	( )	90.0	July 26
4	15	6.3	Peru, Pasco Region	X (Extreme)	15.0	December 24

• Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank	Magnitude	Death toll	Location	MMI	Depth (km)	Date
1	7.8	0	PRC, Qinghai Province	X (Extreme)	15.0	January 7
2	7.5	1	Philippines, Luzon	VIII (Severe)	15.0	August 20
= 3	7.4	0	Russian SFSR, Kuril Islands	( )	30.0	February 21
= 3	7.4	4	Mexico, Guerrero	( )	25.0	December 23
= 4	7.3	0	Fiji	( )	330.0	April 16
= 4	7.3	34	Mexico, Veracruz	( )	90.0	July 26
= 4	7.3	0	United States, Andreanof Islands, Alaska	( )	120.0	September 3
= 5	7.2	0	British Solomon Islands	( )	15.0	January 25
= 5	7.2	0	United Kingdom, South Sandwich Islands	( )	95.0	September 8
= 5	7.2	0	Afghanistan, Badakhshan Province	VII (Very strong)	200.0	November 14
= 6	7.1	0	Peru, off the coast of northern	( )	30.0	June 21
= 6	7.1	0	Ecuador, Pastaza Province	( )	175.0	July 19
= 6	7.1	0	Dutch East Indies, Bali Sea	( )	610.0	August 11
7	7.0	0	United States, central Alaska	VIII (Severe)	10.0	July 22

• Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January

January

Strongest magnitude	7.8 Mw China
Total fatalities	0
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
4[1]	New Guinea, West Sepik Province	6.0	35.0
5[2]	Japan, southeast of Kyushu	6.5	20.0
7[3][4]	China, Qinghai Province	7.8	15.0	X	Some damage was reported.
11[5]	Mexico, off the coast of Oaxaca	6.0	110.0
12[6]	Nicaragua, Chinandega Department	0.0	0.0		Some damage was caused. The magnitude and depth were unknown.
23[7]	New Guinea, southeast of New Ireland (island)	6.8	35.0
25[8]	British Solomon Islands	7.2	15.0

February

February

Strongest magnitude	7.4 Mw Russian SFSR
Deadliest	5.4 Mw French Algeria 1+ deaths
Total fatalities	1+
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	0
5.0–5.9	1

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
10[9]	French Algeria, Guelma Province	5.4	0.0	VIII	At least 1 person died and some damage was caused. The depth was unknown.	1+
21[10][11]	Russian SFSR, Kuril Islands	7.4	30.0		Some damage was reported.

March

March

Strongest magnitude	6.6 Mw Peru
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	0
6.0–6.9	5

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
9[12]	Costa Rica, Puntarenas Province	6.4	20.0
14[13]	Chile, off the coast of Antofagasta Region	6.4	15.0
19[14]	Chile, Atacama Region	6.0	70.0
25[15][16]	United States, southern California	6.0	6.0	VI
29[17]	Peru, Moquegua Region	6.6	120.0

April

April

Strongest magnitude	7.3 Mw Fiji
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	4

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
2[18]	Fiji	6.5	600.0
5[19]	Dutch East Indies, off the north coast of Papua (province)	6.8	15.0
16[20]	Fiji	7.3	330.0
29[21][22]	United States, south of Alaska Peninsula	6.6	35.0	I
29[23]	Russian SFSR, Primorsky Krai	6.2	370.0

May

May

Strongest magnitude	6.5 Mw 5 events
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
10[24]	Fiji, south of	6.5	640.0
13[25]	Dutch East Indies, south of Minahassa Peninsula, Sulawesi	6.2	200.0
21[26]	Colombia, Cauca Department	6.5	90.0
28[27]	New Guinea, Rabaul	0.0	0.0	VIII	Some homes were destroyed. This event was part of a volcanic eruption which left 507 dead. The magnitude and depth was unknown.
28[28]	Mexico, Chiapas	6.5	150.0
28[29]	Japan, Volcano Islands	6.5	530.0
31[30]	Dutch East Indies, northeast of Halmahera	6.2	170.0
31[31]	New Guinea, southwest of Bougainville Island	6.5	100.0

June

June

Strongest magnitude	7.1 Mw Peru
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[32]	Russian SFSR, Kuril Islands	6.5	130.0
8[33]	Mexico, Chiapas	6.2	200.0
21[34]	Peru, off the north coast	7.1	30.0

July

July

Strongest magnitude	7.3 Mw Mexico
Deadliest	6.9 Mw China 390 deaths
Total fatalities	424
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	3
6.0–6.9	10

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
1[35]	Dutch East Indies, north of Simeulue	6.3	30.0
2[36]	New Hebrides	6.5	35.0
4[37]	British Solomon Islands	6.5	15.0	rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake
4[38]	British Solomon Islands	6.6	15.0
9[39]	Peru, Arequipa Region	6.0	180.0
15[40]	Russian SFSR, off the east coast of Kamchatka	6.5	140.0
18[41][42]	United States, Fox Islands (Alaska)	6.3	70.0	I
19[43]	Ecuador, Pastaza Province	7.1	175.0
21[44]	Russian SFSR, south of Sakhalin	6.0	400.0
22[45][46]	United States, central Alaska	7.0	10.0	VIII	Some minor damage was reported.
26[47][48]	Mexico, Veracruz	7.3	90.0		34 people were killed in the 1937 Orizaba earthquake. Some damage was caused.	34
26[49]	Japan, off the east coast of Honshu	6.6	35.0
31[50][51]	China, Shandong Province	6.9	25.0	IX	390 deaths were reported and at least 101 people were injured during the 1937 Heze earthquakes. Many homes were wrecked.	390	101+

August

August

Strongest magnitude	7.5 Mw Philippines
Deadliest	7.5 Mw Philippines 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
1[52]	China, Shandong Province	6.7	25.0		This came around 14 hours after the previous deadly event on July 31.
4[53]	India, Nicobar Islands	6.0	120.0
5[54]	New Guinea, West New Britain Province	6.6	140.0
8[55]	United States, Northern Mariana Islands	6.5	120.0
11[56]	Dutch East Indies, Bali Sea	7.1	610.0
20[57][58]	Philippines, Luzon	7.5	15.0	VIII	1 person was killed and 200 were injured. Many homes were destroyed or damaged.	1	200
31[59]	British Burma, Kachin State	6.6	15.0

September

September

Strongest magnitude	7.2 Mw 2 events
Deadliest	5.0 Mw China 51 deaths
Total fatalities	52+
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	2
6.0–6.9	9
5.0–5.9	1

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
1[60]	New Zealand, south of the Kermadec Islands	6.5	45.0
3[61][62]	United States, Andreanof Islands, Alaska	7.2	80.0	I
4[63]	Fiji	6.5	35.0
8[64]	United Kingdom, South Sandwich Islands	7.2	95.0
15[65]	China, Shanxi Province	5.0	0.0	VII	At least 51 people died and many homes were destroyed.	51+
15[66]	British Solomon Islands	6.7	35.0
21[67]	Laos, Oudomxay Province	6.0	35.0
21[68]	Dutch East Indies, Molucca Sea	6.7	50.0
23[69]	New Guinea, southwest of Bougainville Island	6.9	35.0
24[70]	Chile, Antofagasta Region	6.0	130.0
27[71][72]	Dutch East Indies, south of Java	6.8	55.0	IX	1 person was killed. 326 homes were destroyed and a further 2,200 were damaged.	1
28[73]	Dutch East Indies, south of Minahassa Peninsula, Sulawesi	6.5	200.0

October

October

Strongest magnitude	6.7 Mw Mexico
Total fatalities	0
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	0
6.0–6.9	6

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
5[74]	Mexico, Guerrero	0.0	0.0		Major damage was caused. The magnitude and depth were unknown.
6[75]	Mexico, Morelos	6.7	35.0
12[76]	Chile, Antofagasta Region	6.5	110.0
17[77]	Japan, off the east coast of Honshu	6.5	25.0
23[78]	New Zealand, Bay of Plenty Region, North Island	6.2	35.0
27[79]	Chile, O'Higgins Region	6.0	110.0
29[80]	Afghanistan, Badakhshan Province	6.2	230.0

November

November

Strongest magnitude	7.2 Mw Afghanistan
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
1[81]	Chile, Antofagasta Region	6.0	75.0
14[82][83]	Afghanistan, Badakhshan Province	7.2	200.0	VII	Major damage was caused.
15[84]	India, Jammu and Kashmir	6.4	30.0
26[85]	Taiwan, east of	6.0	50.0
28[86]	Dutch East Indies, off the west coast of Sumatra	6.5	15.0
30[87]	Italian Ethiopia, SNNPR	6.3	10.0

December

December

Strongest magnitude	7.4 Mw Mexico
Deadliest	6.3 Mw Peru 15 deaths
Total fatalities	19
Number by magnitude
8.0–8.9	0
7.0–7.9	1
6.0–6.9	8

Date	Country and location	Mw	Depth (km)	MMI	Notes	Casualties
						Dead	Injured
8[88][89]	Taiwan, Taitung County	6.9	15.0		1 person was hurt and 5 homes collapsed.		1
12[90]	Chile, Antofagasta Region	6.0	60.0
13[91]	Taiwan, off the east coast	6.7	15.0
16[92]	Greece, south of Crete	6.5	100.0
17[93]	Taiwan, Taitung County	6.6	15.0
18[94]	Uzbek SSR, Tashkent Region	6.5	15.0
23[95][96]	Mexico, Guerrero	7.4	25.0		4 deaths were reported.	4
24[97][98]	Peru, Pasco Region	6.3	15.0	X	15 people died and some damage was caused.	15
25[99]	Russian SFSR, Irkutsk Oblast	6.0	35.0
26[100]	El Salvador, La Libertad Department (El Salvador)	0.0	0.0		Major damage was caused. The magnitude and depth were unknown.