Approximate epicenters of the earthquakes in 2012
| |||
Strongest magnitude | 8.6 Mw ![]() | ||
---|---|---|---|
Deadliest | 6.4 Mw ![]() 304 deaths | ||
Total fatalities | 826 | ||
Number by magnitude | |||
9.0+ | 0 | ||
8.0–8.9 | 2 | ||
7.0–7.9 | 15 | ||
6.0–6.9 | 129 | ||
5.0–5.9 | 1,412 | ||
This is a list of earthquakes in 2012. Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in damage or casualties, or are notable for some other reason. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Two huge 8 magnitude earthquakes (8.6 and 8.2) struck Indonesia in April, but caused little damage, and no tsunami. The deadliest quake occurred in Iran, while other destructive tremors were observed in Guatemala, Philippines, or China.
Magnitude Ranging Between | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
8−9.9 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
7−7.9 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 16 | 21 | 19 | 15 |
6−6.9 | 140 | 141 | 140 | 142 | 178 | 168 | 144 | 151 | 204 | 129 |
5−5.9 | 1203 | 1515 | 1693 | 1712 | 2074 | 1768 | 1896 | 1963 | 2271 | 1412 |
Total | 1358 | 1672 | 1844 | 1865 | 2270 | 1948 | 2057 | 2136 | 2495 | 1558 |
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 | 306 | 6.4 | ![]() | VIII (Severe) | 9.9 | August 11 |
2 | 139 | 7.4 | ![]() | VII (Very strong) | 41.6 | November 7 |
3 | 113 | 6.7 | ![]() | VII (Very strong) | 20.0 | February 6 |
4 | 81 | 5.6 | ![]() | VI (Strong) | 9.9 | September 7 |
5 | 75 | 5.7 | ![]() | V (Moderate) | 15.0 | June 11 |
6 | 38 | 6.8 | ![]() | VII (Very strong) | 9.8 | November 11 |
7 | 27 | 5.8 | ![]() | VIII (Severe) | 9.0 | May 29 |
8 | 10 | 8.6 | ![]() | VII (Very strong) | 22.9 | April 11 |
Rank | Magnitude | Death toll | Location | Intensity | Depth (km) | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 8.6 | 10 | ![]() | VII (Very Strong) | 20.0 | April 11 |
2 | 8.2 | 0 | ![]() | V (Moderate) | 25.1 | April 11 |
3 | 7.8 | 1 [1] | ![]() | V (Moderate) | 14.0 | October 28 |
4 | 7.7 | 0 | ![]() | V (Moderate) | 625.9 | August 14 |
5 | 7.6 | 1 | ![]() | VII (Very Strong) | 28.0 | August 31 |
5 | 7.6 | 2 | ![]() | X (Extreme) | 35.0 | September 5 |
7 | 7.4 | 2 | ![]() | VIII (Severe) | 20.0 | March 20 |
7 | 7.4 | 139 | ![]() | VII (Very Strong) | 24.0 | November 7 |
9 | 7.3 | 0 | ![]() | II (Weak) | 28.0 | August 27 |
9 | 7.3 | 0 | ![]() | V (Moderate) | 170.0 | September 30 |
9 | 7.3 | 3 | ![]() | V (Moderate) | 31.0 | December 7 |
12 | 7.2 | 0 | ![]() | IV (Light) | 19.0 | January 11 |
13 | 7.1 | 0 | ![]() | V (Moderate) | 23.0 | February 2 |
13 | 7.1 | 1 | ![]() | VIII (Severe) | 40.7 | March 25 |
13 | 7.1 | 0 | ![]() | V (Moderate) | 155.0 | December 10 |
16 | 7.0 | 0 | ![]() | VI (Strong) | 13.0 | April 12 |
Strongest magnitude | 7.2 Mw ![]() |
---|---|
Deadliest | 5.5 Mw ![]() 1 death |
Total fatalities | 1 |
Number by magnitude | |
9.0+ | 0 |
8.0–8.9 | 0 |
7.0–7.9 | 1 |
6.0–6.9 | 9 |
5.0–5.9 | 163 |
Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dead | Injured | ||||||
1 [2] | ![]() | 6.8 | 365.3 | V | - | - | - |
5 [3] | ![]() | 5.5 | 39.8 | V | One person died of a heart attack [4] and minor damage in Santo Domingo. [5] | 1 | - |
9 [6] | ![]() | 6.4 | 28.0 | VI | - | - | - |
10 [7] | ![]() | 7.2 | 19.0 | IV | Foreshock of the 2012 Indian Ocean earthquakes. | - | - |
15 [8] | ![]() | 6.6 | 8.0 | - | - | - | - |
19 [9] | ![]() | 5.1 | 8.3 | VI | At least 238 people injured and minor damage in Razavi Khorasan province. | - | 238 |
21 [10] | ![]() | 6.2 | 45.0 | VI | - | - | - |
23 [11] | ![]() | 6.1 | 20.0 | VI | - | - | - |
27 [12] | ![]() | 5.2 | 36.3 | IV | One person injured in Tokyo. [13] | - | 1 |
30 [14] | ![]() | 6.4 | 43.0 | VI | At least 119 people injured and several buildings damaged in Ica. [15] | - | 119 |
Strongest magnitude | 7.1 Mw ![]() |
---|---|
Deadliest | 6.7 Mw ![]() 113 deaths |
Total fatalities | 113 |
Number by magnitude | |
7.0–7.9 | 1 |
6.0–6.9 | 11 |
5.0–5.9 | 174 |
Date | Country and location | Mw | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Casualties | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dead | Injured | ||||||
1 [16] | ![]() | 5.4 | 80.3 | V | The roofs of some houses collapsed in Bengkulu. [17] | - | - |
2 [18] | ![]() | 7.1 | 23.0 | V | - | - | - |
Strongest magnitude | 7.4 Mw, ![]() |
---|---|
Total fatalities | 4 |
Number by magnitude | |
7.0–7.9 | 2 |
6.0–6.9 | 11 |
5.0–5.9 | 116 |
Strongest magnitude | 8.6 Mw, ![]() |
---|---|
Total fatalities | 11 |
Number by magnitude | |
8.0–8.9 | 2 |
7.0–7.9 | 0 |
6.0–6.9 | 17 |
5.0–5.9 | 165 |
Strongest magnitude | 6.7 Mw, ![]() |
---|---|
Total fatalities | 29 |
Number by magnitude | |
6.0–6.9 | 9 |
5.0–5.9 | 99 |
Strongest magnitude | 6.4 Mw,![]() ![]() |
---|---|
Total fatalities | 79 |
Number by magnitude | |
6.0–6.9 | 10 |
5.0–5.9 | 88 |
Strongest magnitude | 6.7 Mw ![]() |
---|---|
Total fatalities | 2 |
Number by magnitude | |
7.0–7.9 | 0 |
6.0–6.9 | 11 |
5.0–5.9 | 98 |
Strongest magnitude | 7.7 Mw, ![]() |
---|---|
Total fatalities | 313 |
Number by magnitude | |
7.0–7.9 | 3 |
6.0–6.9 | 10 |
5.0–5.9 | 112 |
Strongest magnitude | 7.6 Mw, ![]() |
---|---|
Total fatalities | 83 |
Number by magnitude | |
7.0–7.9 | 2 |
6.0–6.9 | 7 |
5.0–5.9 | 111 |
Strongest magnitude | 7.8 Mw, ![]() |
---|---|
Total fatalities | 2 |
Number by magnitude | |
7.0–7.9 | 1 |
6.0–6.9 | 13 |
5.0–5.9 | 103 |
Strongest magnitude | 7.4 Mw, ![]() |
---|---|
Total fatalities | 177 |
Number by magnitude | |
7.0–7.9 | 1 |
6.0–6.9 | 14 |
5.0–5.9 | 85 |
Strongest magnitude | 7.3 Mw, ![]() |
---|---|
Total fatalities | 12 |
Number by magnitude | |
7.0–7.9 | 2 |
6.0–6.9 | 9 |
5.0–5.9 | 98 |