World Map › Major Earthquakes Since 1900 › 1978
Historic Earthquake
1978 Tabas Earthquake
16 September 1978 · Tabas · Iran
On 16 September 1978 at 15:35 UTC, a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Iran (Tabas), at a depth of 33 km. It occurred on the Eurasian Plate. It killed at least 20,000 people. 15,000 homes were destroyed. It is the 23rd deadliest of the earthquakes recorded since 1900.
- Date
- 16 September 1978
- Time
- 15:35 UTC
- Magnitude
- 7.4
- Depth
- 33 km
- Maximum Intensity
- IX (Mercalli)
- Deaths
- 20,000
- Homes Destroyed
- 15,000
- Estimated Damage
- 50 million US dollars
- Plate
- Eurasian Plate
- Country
- Iran
Nearby Major Earthquakes
Other major earthquakes recorded within 300 km.
- 20052005 Zarand Earthquake · M 6.4612 deaths
- 19971997 Qayen Earthquake · M 7.21,728 deaths
- 19791979 Ghaenat Earthquakes · M 7.120 deaths
- 1979Khorasan · M 6.6171 deaths
- 1979Bonzanabad · M 6.5129 deaths
- 19681968 Dasht-e Bayaz Earthquake · M 7.110,488 deaths
- 19471947 Dustabad Earthquake · M 6.9500 deaths
- 1941Mohammadabad · M 6.3730 deaths
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Significant Earthquake Database (doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K) · Wikidata · Bird (2003), PB2002 · Natural Earth