World Map › Major Earthquakes Since 1900 › 1938
Historic Earthquake
1938 Banda Sea Earthquake
1 February 1938 · New Guinea · Indonesia
On 1 February 1938 at 19:04 UTC, a magnitude 8.6 earthquake struck Indonesia (New Guinea), at a depth of 25 km. It occurred on the Banda Sea Plate, 139 km from its boundary with the Bird's Head Plate (subduction zone). It triggered a tsunami. 24 homes were destroyed. It is the 10th most powerful of the earthquakes recorded since 1900.
- Date
- 1 February 1938
- Time
- 19:04 UTC
- Magnitude
- 8.6
- Depth
- 25 km
- Maximum Intensity
- VI (Mercalli)
- Homes Destroyed
- 24
- Homes Damaged
- 8
- Tsunami
- Yes
- Plate
- Banda Sea Plate
- Country
- Indonesia
- Nearest Volcano
- Manuk (155 km)
Nearby Major Earthquakes
Other major earthquakes recorded within 300 km.
- 20232023 Maluku Earthquake · M 7.61 deaths
- 1956Banda Sea · M 7.5
- 1950Banda Sea · M 8.1
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Significant Earthquake Database (doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K) · Wikidata · Bird (2003), PB2002 · Natural Earth