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Earthquakes in 2008 Approximate epicenters of the earthquakes in 2008
Strongest magnitude 7.9 Mw , China Deadliest 7.9 Mw , China 87,587 deaths Total fatalities 88,011 9.0+ 0 8.0–8.9 1 7.0–7.9 12 6.0–6.9 168 5.0–5.9 1768
Earthquakes in 2008 resulted in about 88,011 fatalities. The 2008 Sichuan earthquake was the deadliest with 87,587 fatalities, and also the largest at 7.9 on the moment magnitude scale . Other significant earthquakes struck Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Russia, Japan, Colombia, and other parts of China.
Compared to other years [ edit ]
Number of Earthquakes Worldwide for 1999–2009 Magnitude Ranging Between 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 8−9.9 0 1 1 0 1 2 1 2 4 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 7−7.9 18 14 15 13 14 14 10 9 13 12 16 21 19 15 17 11 18 6−6.9 118 145 121 126 140 141 140 142 178 168 144 151 204 129 125 144 124 5−5.9 1057 1335 1215 1171 1203 1515 1693 1712 2074 1768 1896 1963 2271 1412 1402 1577 1413 Total 1193 1495 1352 1310 1358 1672 1844 1865 2270 1948 2057 2136 2495 1558 1546 1733 1556
Note that an increase in detected earthquake numbers does not necessarily represent an increase in earthquakes per se. Population increase, habitation spread, and advances in earthquake detection technology all contribute to higher earthquake numbers being recorded over time. USGS's Website has more information.
For exact dates and live earthquakes please visit USGS's Global Earthquake Search Page and Real-time Earthquake Map or EMSC's Real-time Seismicity .
Rank
Death toll
Magnitude
Location
MMI
Depth (km)
Date
1
87,587
7.9
China , Sichuan
XI (Extreme )
19.0
May 12
2
215
6.4
Pakistan , Balochistan
VIII (Severe )
10.0
October 29
3
75
6.6
Kyrgyzstan , Osh
VII (Very strong )
27.6
October 5
4
44
5.9
DR Congo , Lake Kivu
VIII (Severe )
10.0
February 3
5
41
6.1
China , Sichuan
VI (Strong )
10.0
August 30
6
23
6.9
Japan , Honshu
IX (Violent )
8.0
June 13
7
13
5.8
Russia , Dagestan
VII (Very strong )
20.0
October 11
8
11
5.9
Colombia , El Calvario
VII (Very strong )
35.0
May 24
9
10
6.4
China , Tibet
VII (Very strong )
10.0
October 6
Rank
Magnitude
Death toll
Location
MMI
Depth (km)
Date
1
7.9
87,587
China , Sichuan
XI (Extreme )
19.0
May 12
2
7.7
0
Russia , Sea of Okhotsk
III (Weak )
632.8
July 5
3
7.4
3
Indonesia , Simeulue
VIII (Severe )
25.0
February 20
3
7.4
6
Indonesia , Sulawesi
VII (Very strong )
21.0
November 16
5
7.3
0
Russia , Sea of Okhotsk
III (Weak )
632.0
May 12
5
7.3
0
New Caledonia , Loyalty Islands
VII (Very strong )
33.0
April 9
7
7.2
0
Indonesia , Sumatra
VI (Strong )
28.0
February 25
7
7.2
0
China , Xinjiang
VIII (Severe )
15.0
March 20
9
7.1
0
Australia , Macquarie Island
V (Moderate )
16.0
April 12
10
7.0
0
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
VII (Very strong )
8.0
June 30
10
7.0
0
Japan , Honshu
VIII (Severe )
22.0
July 19
10
7.0
0
New Zealand , Kermadec Islands
V (Moderate )
36.0
September 29
Note : At least 7.0 Magnitude
January Strongest magnitude 6.6 Canada Deadliest 4.6 Algeria 1 death 6.2 Indonesia 1 death Total fatalities 2 8.0–8.9 0 7.0–7.9 0 6.0–6.9 14 5.0–5.9 110
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Papua New Guinea on January 1.[ 1]
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Sumatra , Indonesia on January 4.[ 2]
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Haida Gwaii , Canada on January 5.[ 3]
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Haida Gwaii , Canada on January 5.[ 4]
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Greece on January 6.[ 5]
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Papua , Indonesia on January 7. Six people were injured and 22 homes were damaged.[ 6]
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Tibet , China on January 9.[ 7]
A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck Northern Algeria on January 9. One person was killed and several homes were damaged.[ 8] [ 9]
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Haida Gwaii , Canada on January 9.[ 10]
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Oregon on January 10.[ 11]
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Fiji on January 15.[ 12]
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck the Molucca Sea on January 20.[ 13]
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Tonga on January 22.[ 14]
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Tonga on January 22.[ 15]
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Sumatra , Indonesia on January 22. One person died, five others were injured and several homes were damaged in Gunungsitoli .[ 16] [ 9] [ 17]
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the Banda Sea on January 30.[ 18]
February Strongest magnitude 7.4 Indonesia Total fatalities 49 7.0–7.9 2 6.0–6.9 18 5.0–5.9 146
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Lake Kivu , Democratic Republic of the Congo on February 3, killing 44 people.[ 19]
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Tarapaca , Chile on February 4.[ 20]
A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck West Bengal , India on February 6, killing 1 person.[ 9]
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake occurred in the Northern Atlantic Ocean on February 8.[ 21]
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck the South Sandwich Islands on February 10.[ 22]
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Oaxaca , Mexico on February 12.[ 23]
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Rwanda on February 14, killing 1 person.[ 9]
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Southern Greece on February 14.[ 24]
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Svalbard on February 21.[ 25]
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Nevada on February 21.[ 26]
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck the South Shetland Islands on February 23.[ 27]
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Sumatra , Indonesia on February 20, killing 3 people.[ 28]
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Sumatra , Indonesia on February 25.[ 29]
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Lincolnshire , Great Britain on February 27, injuring 1 person.
March Strongest magnitude 7.2 China Total fatalities 0 7.0–7.9 1 6.0–6.9 14 5.0–5.9 147
April Strongest magnitude 7.3 New Caledonia Total fatalities 0 7.0–7.9 2 6.0–6.9 19 5.0–5.9 163
May Strongest magnitude 7.9 China Total fatalities 87,587 7.0–7.9 1 6.0–6.9 12 5.0–5.9 175
July Strongest magnitude 7.7 Russia Total fatalities 4 7.0–7.9 2 6.0–6.9 12 5.0–5.9 124
August Strongest magnitude 6.7 China Total fatalities 54 6.0–6.9 16 5.0–5.9 153
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck the Banda Sea on August 4.[ 30]
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Sichuan , China on August 5, killing 4 people.[ 9]
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck offshore Antarctica on August 9.[ 30]
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck offshore Antarctica on August 9.[ 30]
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the Andaman Islands on August 10.[ 30]
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake occurred in the South Atlantic Ocean on August 11.[ 30]
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the Philippines on August 15.[ 30]
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Samoa on August 19.[ 30]
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Yingjiang , China on August 21, killing 5 people.
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck offshore Rodrigues , Mauritius on August 22.[ 30]
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Tibet , China on August 25.[ 30]
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Peru on August 26.[ 30]
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Irkutsk , Russia on August 27.[ 30]
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake occurred in the South Atlantic Ocean on August 28.[ 30]
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Papua New Guinea on August 31.[ 30]
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Sichuan , China on August 30, killing 43 people.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Sichuan , China on August 31, killing 2 people.[ 9]
September Strongest magnitude 7.0 New Zealand Total fatalities 10 7.0–7.9 1 6.0–6.9 11 5.0–5.9 138
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^ "National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC)" . Neic.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-10-01 .
^ "National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC)" . Neic.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-10-01 .
^ "National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC)" . Neic.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-10-01 .
^ "National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC)" . Neic.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-10-01 .
^ "M 6.2 - 146 km SSW of Singkil, Indonesia" .
^ "National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC)" . Neic.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-10-01 .
^ "National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC)" . Neic.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-10-01 .
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^ "Magnitude 6.9 - NORTHERN MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE" . Earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-10-01 .
^ "Magnitude 6.6 - SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION" . Earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-10-01 .
^ "Magnitude 6.5 - OAXACA, MEXICO" . Earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-10-01 .
^ "Magnitude 6.9 - SOUTHERN GREECE" . Earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-10-01 .
^ Aftenposten: Kraftigste jordskjelvet i Norge i moderne tid Archived 2010-01-22 at the Wayback Machine , 21. February 2008
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^ "Magnitude 6.8 - SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION" . Earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-10-01 .
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^ "Magnitude 7.2 - KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA" . Earthquake.usgs.gov. Archived from the original on 2010-01-15. Retrieved 2015-10-01 .
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^ "Magnitude 7.2 - XINJIANG-XIZANG BORDER REGION" . Earthquake.usgs.gov. Archived from the original on 2010-01-14. Retrieved 2015-10-01 .
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^ "The São Vicente earthquake of 2008 April and seismicity in thecontinental shelf off SE Brazil: further evidence for flexural stresses" .
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^ a b "気象庁 | 日本付近で発生した主な被害地震(平成8年〜平成24年8月)" . Archived from the original on December 14, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2013 .
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^ "Magnitude 6.7 - GUAM REGION" . Earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-10-01 .
^ "Magnitude 6.4 - GREECE" . Earthquake.usgs.gov. Archived from the original on 2010-01-14. Retrieved 2015-10-01 .
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^ "Magnitude 6.6 - ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION" . Earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2015-10-01 .
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^ "Magnitude 7.0 - OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN" . Earthquake.usgs.gov. Archived from the original on 2010-01-14. Retrieved 2015-10-01 .
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February April May June July August September October November December † indicates earthquake resulting in at least 30 deaths ‡ indicates the deadliest earthquake of the year