World Map › Major Earthquakes Since 1900 › 1938
Historic Earthquake
1938 Indonesia Earthquake
19 May 1938 · Sulawesi Island · Indonesia
On 19 May 1938 at 17:08 UTC, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Indonesia (Sulawesi Island), at a depth of 35 km. It occurred on the Molucca Sea Plate, 115 km from its boundary with the Banda Sea Plate (continental rift). It killed at least 17 people. 942 homes were destroyed.
- Date
- 19 May 1938
- Time
- 17:08 UTC
- Magnitude
- 7.7
- Depth
- 35 km
- Maximum Intensity
- IX (Mercalli)
- Deaths
- 17
- Homes Destroyed
- 942
- Homes Damaged
- 184
- Tsunami
- See the tsunami (3.0 m wave)
- Plate
- Molucca Sea Plate
- Country
- Indonesia
- Nearest Volcano
- Colo (119 km)
Nearby Major Earthquakes
Other major earthquakes recorded within 300 km.
- 20182018 Sulawesi Earthquake and Tsunami · M 7.54,340 deaths
- 20082008 Sulawesi Earthquake · M 7.36 deaths
- 1996Sulawesi, Minahassa Peninsula · M 7.99 deaths
- 1991Minahassa, Gorontalo · M 7.5
- 1990Minahassa Peninsula, Bolaang-Gorontalo · M 7.63 deaths
- 19681968 Sulawesi Earthquake · M 7.4200 deaths
- 1939Centrtal Sulawesi, Kalo · M 8.0
- 1905Minahassa Peninsula · M 8.4
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Significant Earthquake Database (doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K) · Wikidata · Bird (2003), PB2002 · Natural Earth