New Delhi: Another new year and another earthquake. On January 7, 2025, Tibet was hit by a 6.8-magnitude quake. The earthquake left 126 dead and nearly 200 injured and damaged more than 1,000 homes. Tibet is a seismically active zone, and the area logged over 100 earthquakes of 3.0 magnitude last year. Strong tremors were felt in Nepal and India, too. Since the earthquake happened, there have been 150 aftershocks in just nine hours.
Well, the earthquake in Tibet is not the first one to happen in January. During January, the world witnessed many earthquakes. Some of them turned deadly and left thousands dead.
But while we look at the devastation caused by earthquakes in January, a question arises: Is there any connection between January and earthquakes? Well, there is no direct connection.
Earthquakes happen when the Earth suddenly moves along faults. This movement releases energy stored as ‘elastic strain’ through seismic waves, which travel through the Earth and shake the ground.
In very cold areas, the weight of snow and extreme cold can put more stress on fault lines. When the snow melts, it can lead to earthquakes. This is known as the seasonal stress cycle.
This article lists the earthquakes that occurred in January and left several dead.
List of major earthquakes occurred in January
| Earthquake | Date | Location | Magnitude | Causalities |
| Shaanxi earthquake | January 23, 1556 | Shaanxi, China | 8 | 100000 |
| Sumatra earthquake | January 4, 1907 | Sumatra, Indonesia | 8.2 | 2188 |
| Nepal earthquake | January 15, 1934 | Koshi, Nepal | 8 | 10,700–12,000 |
| San Juan earthquake | January 15, 1944 | San Juan, Argentina | 7 | 10000 |
| Azores earthquake | January 1, 1980 | Azores Island, Portugal | 6.9 | 61 |
| Tajikistan earthquake | January 23, 1989 | Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Union | 5.3 | 274 |
| Kobe earthquake | January 17, 1995 | Kobe, Japan | 6.9 | 5,502–6,434 |
| Sulawesi earthquake | January 1, 1996 | Sulawesi, Indonesia | 7.9 | 9 |
| Bhuj earthquake | January 26, 2001 | Bhuj, India | 7.6 | 13,805–20,023 |
| Haiti earthquake | January 12, 2010 | Haiti | 7 | 46,000–316,000 |
| Ishikawa earthquake | January 1, 2024 | Ishikawa, Japan | 7.5 | 504 |
Shaanxi Earthquake, 1556
The Shaanxi earthquake happened early on February 2, 1556, in Huaxian, Shaanxi, during the Ming dynasty. Many residents lived in yaodongs, which are artificial caves in loess cliffs. These caves collapsed, burying those inside. Modern estimates show that the earthquake directly killed over 100,000 people. Additionally, over 700,000 people either fled or died from famine and disease, totalling around 830,000 deaths recorded at the time. This earthquake is one of the deadliest in history and a significant natural disaster in China.
Sumatra Earthquake, 1907
The Sumatra earthquake occurred on January 4, 1907. It was estimated to have a magnitude of 8.2 to 8.4, with its epicentre near Simeulue, off Sumatra. The earthquake caused a damaging tsunami across the Indian Ocean, leading to at least 2,188 deaths in Sumatra. The shaking was less intense than the size of the tsunami, leading to its description as a “tsunami earthquake.” A large aftershock, happening less than an hour later, caused higher shaking levels on Nias Island. The tsunami inspired the S’mong legend, which helped save many lives during the 2004 earthquake.
Nepal-India Earthquake, 1934
The Nepal-India earthquake, also known as the Bihar-Nepal earthquake, occurred on January 15, 1934, at 2.13 pm IST. This magnitude 8.0 earthquake caused severe damage in northern Bihar and Nepal, destroying towns like Munger and Muzaffarpur. It resulted in 10,700 to 12,000 deaths, 7,253 of which were in Bihar.
San Juan Earthquake, 1944
The San Juan earthquake struck San Juan, Argentina, on January 15, 1944. This moderate to strong earthquake had an estimated magnitude between 6.7 and 7.8. It destroyed much of San Juan, killing 10,000 people, which was about 10 per cent of the population at that time. One-third of the province’s population became homeless. It is considered the worst natural disaster in Argentina’s history.
Kobe Earthquake, 1995
The Great Hanshin Earthquake occurred on January 17, 1995, in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, including the Hanshin region. It measured 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum intensity of 7 on the JMA Seismic Intensity Scale. The tremors lasted about 20 seconds, with the focus located 17 km below the surface, near Awaji Island, 20 km from Kobe. At least 5,000 people died, with around 4,600 from Kobe itself.
Bhuj Earthquake, 2001
The Gujarat earthquake, known as the Bhuj earthquake, occurred on January 26, 2001, at 8:46 am IST. The epicentre was about 9 km south-southwest of Chobari in Kutch District, Gujarat, India. This earthquake measured 7.6 in magnitude and struck at a depth of 17.4 km. It caused extreme shaking and killed at least 20,023 people, injured about 166,000, and destroyed around 400,000 buildings.
Haiti Earthquake, 2010
The Haiti earthquake was a catastrophic event with a magnitude of 7.0. It struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, near Léogâne, about 25 kilometres west of Port-au-Prince. By January 24, at least 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or greater were recorded. The quake affected an estimated three million people. Death estimates range from 100,000 to 160,000, but Haitian government figures suggest between 220,000 and 316,000, which are debated.
Ishikawa Earthquake, 2024
On January 1, 2024, an earthquake struck 6 km north-northeast of Suzu in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan. The earthquake confirmed 504 deaths, with two people still missing. Nearly 500 fatalities occurred in Ishikawa, while four were reported in Niigata and two in Toyama. The main shock injured over 1,300 people and damaged 178,270 buildings across nine prefectures. Out of the deaths, the earthquake directly caused 228, and 276 were disaster-related fatalities due to fear of aftershocks, power and water outages, and evacuations. The Japan Meteorological Agency named this earthquake the 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake.
January has witnessed numerous devastating earthquakes throughout history, causing significant loss of life and widespread destruction. While there’s no direct link between the month and seismic activity, factors like seasonal snowmelt can increase stress on fault lines. This article examines major January earthquakes, including the 1556 Shaanxi quake, the 1934 Nepal-India earthquake and the 2010 Haiti disaster, highlighting their impact and exploring the science behind these catastrophic events. knowledge Knowledge News, Photos and Videos on General Knowledge
