WThis is a list of earthquakes in 2016. Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in damage and/or casualties, or are notable for some other reason. 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. Major events took place in Ecuador, Italy, Taiwan, Indonesia and New Zealand this year, while the strongest tremor was observed in Papua New Guinea. 2016 was also the first year since 2008 with no magnitude 8+ earthquakes.
WThe 2016 Aceh earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra with a Mw of 6.5 in Aceh province on 7 December 2016, at 05:03 WIB. The shock was reported to be at a depth of 13 km, categorized as a strong, shallow earthquake. The epicentre was located near the village of Reuleut in Pidie Jaya Regency, 164 km (102 mi) southeast of the province's capital, Banda Aceh. 104 people died in the quake, with at least 1,000 people injured. It was the deadliest earthquake in Aceh since the 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake and the deadliest in Sumatra since the 2010 Mentawai earthquake and tsunami.
WThe 2016 Chiloé earthquake with a magnitude of Mww 7.6 struck that 225 kilometres (140 mi) south-west of Puerto Montt in southern Chile at 11:22 local time, 25 December. The earthquake triggered a tsunami warning on coasts located up to 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) from the quake's epicentre, generating massive evacuation across the Greater Chiloé Island, after advice from the Chilean government. Although there was damage in some parts of the island, the government reported no casualties.
WAn earthquake occurred in Christchurch on 14 February 2016 at 1:13 p.m. local time and initially recorded as 5.9 on the Richter scale, but subsequently reviewed as 5.7. Often referred to as the Valentine's Day earthquake, it was centred in the sea off New Brighton at a depth of 15 kilometres (9.3 mi). It was the first large earthquake that the Christchurch area had experienced since May 2012, and it was part of the earthquake sequence that started with the 4 September 2010 Canterbury earthquake.
WThe 2016 Ecuador earthquake occurred on April 16 at 18:58:37 ECT with a moment magnitude of 7.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). The very large thrust earthquake was centered approximately 27 km (17 mi) from the towns of Muisne and Pedernales in a sparsely populated part of the country, and 170 km (110 mi) from the capital Quito, where it was felt strongly. Regions of Manta, Pedernales and Portoviejo accounted for over 75 percent of total casualties. Manta's central commercial shopping district, Tarqui, was completely destroyed. Widespread damage was caused across Manabí Province, with structures hundreds of kilometres from the epicenter collapsing. At least 676 people were killed and 16,600 people injured. President Rafael Correa declared a state of emergency; 13,500 military personnel and police officers were dispatched for recovery operations.
WThe 2016 Fukushima earthquake struck Japan with a moment magnitude of 6.9 east-southeast of Namie, Fukushima Prefecture at 05:59 JST on November 22, at a depth of 11.4 km (7.1 mi). The shock had a maximum intensity of VII (Very strong) on the Mercalli scale. The earthquake was initially reported as a 7.3 magnitude by Japan Meteorological Agency, which was later upgraded to a 7.4, while the United States Geological Survey and GFZ Potsdam determined a magnitude of 6.9. It was reported to be an aftershock of the 2011 earthquake.
WThe 2016 Gyeongju earthquake occurred on September 12 near Gyeongju, South Korea. Measuring 5.8 on the local magnitude scale, it was the strongest earthquake in the country.
WThe 2016 Imphal earthquake struck northeast India in the state of Manipur on January 4 with a moment magnitude of 6.7 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII. Its epicentre was located in the Tamenglong district; about 30 km west of Imphal. At least eleven people were killed, 200 others were injured and numerous buildings were damaged. The quake was also strongly felt in Bangladesh. It was also extensively felt in eastern and north-eastern India. The earthquake, which hit at 4:35 a.m. on 4 January local time, was centered in an isolated area. Imphal has a population of more than 250,000. It was one of the most damaging earthquakes in Manipur since 1880 and 1939.
WThe 2016 Kaikoura earthquake was a magnitude 7.8 (Mw) earthquake in the South Island of New Zealand that occurred two minutes after midnight on 14 November 2016 NZDT. Ruptures occurred on multiple faults and the earthquake has been described as the "most complex earthquake ever studied".
WThe 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes were a series of earthquakes, including a magnitude 7.0 main shock which struck at 01:25 JST on April 16, 2016 beneath Kumamoto City of Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu Region, Japan, at a depth of about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi), and a foreshock earthquake with a magnitude 6.2 at 21:26 JST (12:26 UTC) on April 14, 2016, at a depth of about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi).
WThis is a list of earthquakes in Colombia. Colombia is a seismically active country and has a large seismic risk in many areas of its territory due to its location at the boundaries of the Malpelo, Panama, Caribbean, North Andes and South American Plates along the Pacific Ring of Fire. The southeastern and extreme eastern portions of Colombia are not as seismically active as the rest of the country.
WThe 2016 Oklahoma earthquake occurred on September 3, 2016 near Pawnee, Oklahoma. Measuring 5.8 on the moment magnitude scale, it is the strongest in state history. At 5.8 magnitude, this ties it with the 2011 Virginia earthquake, which was determined after it struck to be the most powerful quake in the eastern United States in the preceding 70 years.
WThis is a list of earthquakes in 2016. Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in damage and/or casualties, or are notable for some other reason. 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. Major events took place in Ecuador, Italy, Taiwan, Indonesia and New Zealand this year, while the strongest tremor was observed in Papua New Guinea. 2016 was also the first year since 2008 with no magnitude 8+ earthquakes.
WAt 03:57 local time on 6 February 2016, an earthquake with a moment magnitude of 6.4 struck 28 km (17 mi) northeast of Pingtung City in southern Taiwan, in the Meinong District of Kaohsiung. The earthquake struck at a depth of around 23 km (14 mi). Its comparatively shallow depth caused more intense reverberations on the surface. The earthquake had a maximum intensity of VII on the Mercalli intensity scale, causing widespread damage and 116 deaths. Almost all of the deaths were caused by a collapsed residential building, named Weiguan Jinlong in Yongkang District, except two others, whom were killed in Gueiren District. Sixty-eight aftershocks have occurred. The earthquake was the deadliest earthquake in Taiwan since the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake.
WThe 2016 Sumatra earthquake was a 7.8 magnitude earthquake which struck on 2 March 2016 in the Indian Ocean, approximately 800 kilometers southwest of Sumatra in Indonesia. Tsunami warnings were issued for Indonesia and Australia, but were withdrawn two hours later. Heronimus Guru, the National Meteorological Agency's deputy head of operations, initially stated that "there are some who have died", without citing an official death toll; however, it is now known that there were no deaths directly related to the earthquake.
WA magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Tanzania 27 km (17 mi) east northeast of Nsunga, Kagera Region on September 10 at a depth of 40 km (25 mi). The shock had a maximum intensity of VII (Very strong). Nineteen people were killed and 253 injured in Tanzania, while four people were killed in Kamuli and seven others were injured in the Rakai District of neighbouring Uganda.
WA magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Myanmar 135 km (84 mi) north-west of Mandalay on April 13 with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong). It struck at 8:25 pm local time, and was centered in an isolated area. The estimated depth was 134 km. It lasted for around one minute according to Xinhua reporters.
WA magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Myanmar 25 km (16 mi) west of Chauk on 24 August 2016 with a maximum Mercalli intensity of VI (Strong). It struck at 5:04 pm local time, and was centered in an isolated area. The estimated depth was 84.1 km. Tremors from the earthquake were felt in Yangon, in the eastern cities of Patna, Guwahati, and Kolkata in India, in Bangkok in Thailand and in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. According to reports, several temples in the nearby ancient city of Bagan were damaged and four people were reported dead.
WAn earthquake, measuring 6.2 ± 0.016 on the moment magnitude scale, hit Central Italy on 24 August 2016 at 03:36:32 CEST.
WA series of major earthquakes struck Central Italy between the Marche and Umbria regions in October 2016. The third quake on 30 October was the largest in Italy in 36 years, since the 1980 Irpinia earthquake.
WThe 2009–20 Oklahoma earthquake swarms are a series of human activity-induced earthquakes affecting central Oklahoma, southern Kansas, northern Texas. Beginning in 2009, the frequency of earthquakes in the U.S. state of Oklahoma rapidly increased from an average of fewer than two 3.0+ magnitude earthquakes per year since 1978 to hundreds each year in the 2014–17 period. Thousands of earthquakes have occurred in Oklahoma and surrounding areas in southern Kansas and North Texas since 2009. Scientific studies attribute the rise in earthquakes to the disposal of wastewater produced during oil extraction that has been injected more deeply into the ground.
WThe 2016 Old Iliamna earthquake struck in the Cook Inlet region of Alaska near Iliamna at 1:30 AM AKST on January 24, 2016. The quake was centered approximately 162 miles (261 km) from Anchorage, and 65 miles (105 km) from Homer. The earthquake registered 7.1, and was felt across a wide area of Southcentral Alaska, the Kenai Peninsula and as far away as Juneau roughly 700 miles (1,100 km) southeast of the epicenter. Moderate to heavy damage to homes, roads and businesses was experienced over a wide area.
WThe 2016 Te Araroa earthquake was an earthquake measuring 7.1 on the moment magnitude scale that occurred at 04:37:55 NZST on 2 September 2016. The epicentre was located 125 km (78 mi) north-east of Te Araroa off the East Cape of the North Island of New Zealand with a focal depth of 22 km (14 mi). The earthquake was widely felt throughout the North Island and in the upper South Island. There were no reported casualties, and buildings predominantly suffered only a little bit of damage.