This is a list of earthquakes in 1966. 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. With only 9 events above magnitude 7.0+ this was a fairly quiet year. The largest event was in Peru in October and measured 8.1. Turkey had the deadliest event of the year when in August a magnitude 6.8 earthquake caused nearly 2,400 deaths. China had a number of deadly earthquakes especially in March. DR Congo also had an earthquake in March which resulted in 140 deaths. Japan and large portions of Indonesia were notably quiet this year.

Overall

By death toll

Rank Death toll Magnitude Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , Hebei Province 2 , Mus Province 3 , North Kivu 4 , off the coast of central Peru 5 , Hebei Province 6 , Sudurpashchim Province 7 , Uttar Pradesh 8 , Mus Province 9 , Mus Province 9 , Tashkent Region, Uzbekistan Note: At least 10 casualties

By magnitude

Rank Magnitude Death toll Location MMI Depth (km) Date 1 , off the coast of central Peru 2 , Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands = 3 , Morotai = 3 , Antofagasta Region 4 , off the east coast of Taiwan = 5 , British Solomon Islands = 5 , Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands = 6 , Banda Sea = 6 central Mid-Atlantic Ridge Note: At least 7.0 magnitude

Notable events

January

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the south coast of Honshu 6.0 15.0 , Vanuatu 6.0 10.0 , Yunnan Province 5.1 0.0 Some homes were destroyed. Unknown depth.

February

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Vanuatu 6.4 180.0 , Central Greece (region) 6.2 10.0 1 person died and 60 people were injured. 450 homes were destroyed. Property damage costs were $4 million (1966 rate). 1 60 , Yunnan Province 6.4 10.0 Many homes were destroyed. , Baluchistan, Pakistan 6.5 10.0 rowspan="2"| Doublet earthquake. , Punjab, Pakistan 6.5 10.0 , Northern Mariana Islands 6.5 45.7 , Tanimbar Islands 6.0 35.0 , Yunnan Province 5.9 10.0 Aftershock of February 5 event. Some homes were destroyed. , Vanuatu 6.6 35.0 , East New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.9 35.0

March

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Hebei Province 5.2 0.0 11 homes were destroyed. Unknown depth. This was a foreshock to a series of large and destructive events over the coming weeks. , western Xizang Province 6.7 20.0 , western Xizang Province 6.3 20.0 Aftershock. , Mus Province 6.0 38.0 10 people were killed and major damage was caused. 10 , Hebei Province 6.5 25.0 At least 101 people were killed and extensive damage was caused in the 1966 Xingtai earthquakes. 101+ , off the east coast 7.5 30.0 The 1966 Hualien earthquake left 7 people dead and 10 injured. Some homes were destroyed. 7 10 , Fiji 6.7 625.0 , Hebei Province 5.6 0.0 Some homes were destroyed. Unknown depth. Aftershock of March 7 event. Foreshock of March 22 event. , North Kivu 6.6 29.3 140 people were killed and at least 101 injured in the 1966 Toro earthquake. Property damage costs were $1.5 million (1966 rate). 140 101+ , Hebei Province 6.2 20.0 Foreshock. , Hebei Province 6.8 20.0 The 1966 Xingtai earthquakes caused at least 101 deaths and further damage. 101+ , off the east coast 6.2 49.5 , Hebei Province 6.0 20.0 Some homes were destroyed. Aftershock. , Hebei Province 6.0 20.0 Aftershock.

April

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the east coast of Kamchatka 6.2 46.6 , Coquimbo Region 6.1 60.5 , Araucania Region 6.2 35.0 , Kodiak Island, Alaska 6.2 15.0 , Hebei Province 5.3 0.0 22 homes were destroyed. Unknown depth. Aftershock of March 22 event. , Dagestan, Russia 6.0 20.0 , Gulf of Tomini 6.5 20.0 , Gulf of Tomini 6.1 35.0 Aftershock. , Tashkent Region, Uzbekistan 5.1 3.0~8.0 The 1966 Tashkent earthquake caused 10 deaths and major damage. Costs were $300 million (1966 rate). It is unknown if the depth is correct or not. 10

May

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Ucayali Region 6.4 161.0 , West New Britain Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.1 35.0 , off the east coast 6.2 50.0 , southeast of Crete 6.0 25.0

June

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Badakhshan Province 6.6 215.6 , east of Mindanao 6.0 25.0 , off the coast of central 6.2 20.0 , State of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia 6.8 35.0 , Santa Cruz Islands, British Solomon Islands 6.7 241.6 , Solomon Islands 7.1 45.0 , British Solomon Islands 6.8 45.0 Aftershock. , Banda Sea 7.0 531.8 , Sudurpashchim Province 6.0 25.9 80 people were killed and 100 were injured. 5,200 homes were destroyed. Damage costs were $1 million (1966 rate). Foreshock. 80 100 , Sudurpashchim Province 6.3 25.0 , Vanuatu 6.0 45.0

July

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , off the east coast 6.4 112.5 , Rat Islands, Alaska 6.8 15.0 , Ryukyu Islands 6.1 35.6 , Mus Province 4.6 64.0 12 people were killed and 20 were injured. Major damage was caused. 12 20

August

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Baluchistan, Pakistan 6.0 20.2 Foreshock. , Baluchistan, Pakistan 6.2 25.0 Foreshock. , Baluchistan, Pakistan 6.9 25.0 , south of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska 6.9 19.7 , Gulf of California 6.5 15.0 6.0 98.0 , Uttar Pradesh 5.6 27.0 15 people were killed and some damage was caused. 15 , off the northeast coast of Mindoro 6.0 19.8 , Mus Province 6.8 24.7 2,394 people were killed in the 1966 Varto earthquake. Extensive property damage was caused with costs being around $20 million (1966 rate). 2,394 , Bingol Province 6.2 25.0 Aftershock. , off the east coast of Mindanao 6.0 35.0

September

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Peloponnese (region) 5.9 17.0 1 person was killed and 25 were injured. Damage costs reached $14 million (1966 rate) with 180 homes collapsing. 1 25 , Morotai 7.7 115.0 , northern California 5.9 10.0 Some damage was reported to buildings and infrastructure in the area. , off the east coast 6.2 30.0 , Yunnan Province 5.4 0.0 Some damage was caused. Unknown depth. , Guerrero 6.0 80.3 , Yunnan Province 6.3 20.0 Extensive damage was caused.

October

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Jilin Province 5.2 0.0 Major damage was caused. Unknown depth. , southeast of the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia 6.9 150.0 , off the coast of central 8.1 40.0 The 1966 Peru earthquake left 125 people dead and 3,000 injured. Major property damage was reported. Costs were $35 million (1966 rate). 125 3,000 central Mid-Atlantic Ridge 7.0 15.0 , Volcano Islands 6.7 10.0 , Western Greece 5.9 25.0 1 person died and 23 were injured. Many homes were destroyed. 1 23

November

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured Mona Passage 6.0 26.5 , San Juan Province, Argentina 6.1 113.0 , Vanuatu 6.3 35.0

December

+DateCountry and location Mw Depth (km) MMINotes Casualties Dead Injured , Vanuatu 6.8 125.0 , East Sepik Province, Papua and New Guinea 6.3 65.0 , Santiago del Estero Province 6.3 578.0 , Vanuatu 6.3 230.0 , off the east coast of Papua and New Guinea 6.6 30.0 , Antofagasta Region 7.7 25.0 3 people were killed and 6 were injured. Many homes were destroyed. Damage costs were $400,000 (1966 rate). 3 6 , Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands 7.8 55.0 , Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Islands 7.1 35.0 Aftershock.

References