This is a list of earthquakes in 1974. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater
earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...
s 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
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
(USGS)
ShakeMap data. Activity was once again below average with 11 events reaching magnitude 7+. The largest came in October in
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
when a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck
Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of ...
. Other magnitude 7.0+ events shook the
Caribbean,
China and the southwest
Pacific Islands. Two events dominated the 25,000 deaths during 1974.
China was struck by a magnitude 6.8 event in May with upwards of 20,000 deaths. At the end of the year,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
was struck by a modest 6.2 magnitude earthquake causing 5,300 deaths.
Gabon
Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the nort ...
in central
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
was hit by a rare earthquake in September.
Overall
By death toll
*
Note: At least 10 casualties
By magnitude
*
Note: At least 7.0 magnitude
Notable events
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
References
{{Earthquakes in 1974
1974
1974