| Year: | 2004 |
| Location Map: | Earth |
| Largest: | 9.1 Mw, Indonesia |
| Deadliest: | 9.1 Mw, Indonesia 227,898 deaths |
| Fatalities: | 228,755 |
| 9.0+: | 1 |
| 8.0–8.9: | 1 |
| 7.0–7.9: | 16 |
| 6.0–6.9: | 145 |
| 5.0–5.9: | 1519 |
This is a list of earthquakes in 2004. Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they resulted in significant damage or casualties, or were notable for some other reason. All dates are listed according to UTC time. The year 2004 had the most major earthquakes since 1999. In total, there were 16 magnitude 7.0+ earthquakes this year, 6 of them were in Indonesia. Most of the earthquake deaths in 2004 were caused by the magnitude 9.1–9.3 earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra in December. Most of the deaths were caused by a devastating tsunami that spread across the Indian Ocean. There were several other deadly and destructive earthquakes, including Morocco's largest earthquake until 2023, which caused 628 deaths. Japan was hit by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake, which caused 68 deaths and $28 billion in damage, making it the sixth costliest earthquake in history.
| Rank | Magnitude | Death toll | Location | MMI | Depth (km) | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9.1 | 227,898 | Indonesia, Sumatra offshore | 30.0 | |||
| 2 | 6.4 | 631 | 12.2 | ||||
| 3 | 6.6 | 68 | Japan, Chūbu | 13.0 | |||
| 4 | 7.0 | 37 | Indonesia, Papua | VIII (Severe) | 16.6 | ||
| 5 | 6.3 | 35 | 20.0 | ||||
| 6 | 7.1 | 32 | Indonesia, Papua | VIII (Severe) | 24.0 | ||
| 7 | 5.5 | 24 | Pakistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | 11.0 | |||
| 8 | 7.5 | 23 | 10.0 | ||||
| 9 | 5.1 | 18 | 5.0 |
| Rank | Magnitude | Death toll | Location | Depth (km) | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 9.1 | 227,898 | Indonesia, Sumatra offshore | 30.0 | ||
| 2. | 8.1 | 0 | Australia, north of Macquarie Island | 10.0 | ||
| 3. | 7.5 | 23 | Indonesia, Kepulauan Alor | 10.0 | ||
| 4. | 7.4 | 0 | Japan, off the coast of Honshu | 10.0 | ||
| 5. | 7.3 | 0 | Indonesia, southern Sumatra | 582.1 | ||
| 5. | 7.3 | 0 | Indonesia, near the coast of West Papua | 10.0 | ||
| 7. | 7.2 | 0 | Colombia, near the coast of Chocó | 15.0 | ||
| 7. | 7.2 | 0 | India, near the coast of the Nicobar Islands | 39.2 | ||
| 9. | 7.1 | 0 | Japan, near the coast of Honshu | 14.0 | ||
| 9. | 7.1 | 32 | Indonesia, Papua | 10.0 | ||
| 9. | 7.1 | 0 | New Zealand, off the coast of the South Island | 10.0 | ||
| 9. | 7.1 | 0 | Fiji, off the eastern coast of Levuka | 565.5 | ||
| 9. | 7.1 | 0 | New Caledonia, Southeast of the Loyalty Islands | 22.0 | ||
| 14. | 7.0 | 0 | Japan, off the eastern coast of Hokkaido | 39.0 | ||
| 14. | 7.0 | 0 | Nicaragua, off the coast of Managua | 35.0 | ||
| 14. | 7.0 | 37 | Indonesia, Papua | 16.6 |
| Month: | January |
| 8.0–8.9: | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9: | 1 |
| 6.0–6.9: | 13 |
| Largest: | 7.1 Mw  New Caledonia |
| Deadliest: | 5.8 Mw  Indonesia1 death |
| Fatalities: | 1 |
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Bali, Indonesia on January 1 at a depth of 44.5km (27.7miles). One person died and 29 were injured, with 6,000 buildings damaged throughout Bali and Lombok.[2]
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Guerrero, Mexico on January 1 at a depth of 29.4km (18.3miles). Minor damage was caused in Guerrero and power outages occurred in Mexico City.[3] A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Southeast of the Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia on January 9 at a depth of 22km (14miles).[4]
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck the island of New Britain on January 9 at the depth of 57.7km (35.9miles).[5]
A magnitude 2.2 earthquake struck Banska-Bystrica, Slovakia on January 10 at a depth of 5.0 km (3.1 mi). Minor damage was caused in Slovenská Ľupča.[6]
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake offshore Algiers, Algeria on January 10 at a depth of 10.0 km (6.2 mi). Three people were injured and additional damage was caused to buildings previously weakened by the 2003 Boumerdès earthquake.[7]
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Levuka, Fiji on January 11 at a depth of 673.1km (418.2miles).[8] A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Kavieng, Papua New Guinea on January 15 at a depth of 10.0 km (6.2 mi).
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Hihifo, Tonga on January 25 at a depth of 129.8km (80.7miles). A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Ambon Island, Indonesia at a depth of 17.4km (10.8miles).| Month: | February |
| 8.0–8.9: | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9: | 2 |
| 6.0–6.9: | 9 |
| Largest: | 7.3 Mw Indonesia |
| Deadliest: | 6.3 Mw 631 deaths |
| Fatalities: | 671 |
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Finca Blanco, Panama on February 4 at a depth of 29.2km (18.1miles), 4 People were injured. A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Papua, Indonesia on February 5 at a depth of 16.6km (10.3miles), 37 people were killed and 682 were injured. A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Papua, Indonesia on February 7 at a depth of 10km (10miles) A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Nabire, Indonesia on February 8 at a depth of 25.7km (16miles).
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Madaba Governorate, Jordan on February 11 at the depth of 26.7km (16.6miles). Four people were injured and a landslide occurred at Ma'in.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan at the depth of 11km (07miles). 24 people were killed and around 40 people were injured.
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Lata, Solomon Islands on February 20 at a depth of 84km (52miles).
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck the South Sandwich Islands on February 21 at a depth of 10km (10miles). A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Padang, Indonesia on February 22 at a depth of 42km (26miles).
A magnitude 6.3 Earthquake struck Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna at a depth of 31km (19miles).
A magnitude 4.7 earthquake Burundi on February 24 at a depth of 10.0 km (6.2 mi). Three people were killed and 24 houses were destroyed in Ruyaga.[9]
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Al Hoceima at the depth of 12.2km (07.6miles). Between 628 and 631 people were killed and 926 were injured.
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck the Mauritius-Réunion region on February 26 at the depth of 10km (10miles).| Month: | March |
| 8.0–8.9: | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9: | 0 |
| 6.0–6.9: | 10 |
| Largest: | 2 events reached 6.2 Mw |
| Deadliest: | 3.8 Mw Turkey 6 deaths |
| Fatalities: | 16 |
A magnitude 3.8 earthquake struck Adiyaman Province, Turkey on March 1 at a depth of 5km (03miles). 6 people were killed and 2 people were injured.[10]
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Managua, Nicaragua on March 2 at a depth of 28km (17miles).
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck Kastrí, Greece on March 17 at a depth of 24.5km (15.2miles).| Month: | April |
| 8.0–8.9: | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9: | 0 |
| 6.0–6.9: | 19 |
| Largest: | 6.7 Mw Indonesia |
| Deadliest: | 6.6 Mw  Afghanistan3 deaths |
| Fatalities: | 3 |
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Iwaki, Japan on April 3 at a depth of 31km (19miles) A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck the Hindu Kush Region on April 5 at the depth of 187.1km (116.3miles). At least three people died and five were injured.[12]
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Near Sola, Vanuatu at a depth of 228.4km (141.9miles). A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck Bolu Province, Turkey on April 13 at depth of 5.0 km (3.1 mi). Four people were injured in Bolu.[13]
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck Svalbard, Norway on April 14 at a depth of 12.2km (07.6miles). A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck the Savu Sea on April 23 at the depth of 65.8km (40.9miles).
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck La Cruz, Costa Rica on April 27 at a depth of 10.0 km (6.2 mi)| Month: | May |
| 8.0–8.9: | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9: | 0 |
| 6.0–6.9: | 7 |
| Largest: | 6.6 Mw  Chile |
| Deadliest: | 6.3 Mw Iran 35 deaths |
| Fatalities: | 38 |
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck the Bio-Bio Region, Chile on May 3 at the depth of 21km (13miles).
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Qinghai, China on May 4 at a depth of 13.5 km (8.4 mi). More than 3,100 houses were damaged and thousands of people were left homeless in Delingha.[14] A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck Balochistan, Pakistan on May 8 at a depth of 10.0 km (6.2 mi). One person was killed, thirty injured and minor damage was caused in Quetta.[15] A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Kavieng, Papua New Guinea on May 13 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 mi).| Month: | June |
| 8.0–8.9: | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9: | 0 |
| 6.0–6.9: | 8 |
| Largest: | 6.9 Mw, |
| Fatalities: | 0 |
| Month: | July |
| 8.0–8.9: | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9: | 2 |
| 6.0–6.9: | 8 |
| Largest: | 7.3 Mw Indonesia |
| Deadliest: | 5.1 Mw Turkey 18 deaths |
| Fatalities: | 23 |
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Doğubayazıt, Turkey on July 2 at a depth of 5km (03miles). Eighteen people were killed.[19] [20]
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Jumla, Nepal on July 11 at a depth of 13km (08miles).
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Kobarid, Slovenia on July 12 at the depth of 7.7km (04.8miles). One person died and five others were injured by a rockslide at Bovec. A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck Herat Province, Afghanistan on July 18 at a depth of 10.0 km (6.2 mi). 150 houses were damaged in the western part of the province.[21] A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck the Fiji Islands on July 15 at the depth of 565.5km (351.4miles).
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Kawerau, New Zealand on July 18 at a depth of 5km (03miles). One person died, two people were injured and five houses were severely damaged at Lake Rotoma. A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Paktia Province, Afghanistan on July 18 at a depth of 10.0 km (6.2 mi). Two people were killed, forty were injured and hundreds of houses were destroyed in Paktia.[22]
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Vernon, Canada on July 19 at a depth of 23.7km (14.7miles). A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Sumatra, Indonesia on July 27 at a depth of 582.1km (361.7miles).[23] A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Mugla Province, Turkey on August 4 at a depth of 10.0 km (6.2 mi). Fifteen people were injured in Bodrum.[25] A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan on August 10 at a depth of 207km (129miles). Two people were injured in Mansehra, Pakistan.[26] A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Yunnan, China on August 10 at a depth of 6.3km (03.9miles). Four people died, nearly 600 were injured and 84,157 homes were damaged or destroyed.[27] A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Elazığ Province, Turkey on August 11 at a depth of 7.4km (04.6miles). One person was killed, eleven were injured and some damage was caused.[28] A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Teno, Chile on August 28 at a depth of 5km (03miles).| Month: | September |
| 8.0–8.9: | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9: | 2 |
| 6.0–6.9: | 12 |
| Largest: | 7.4 Mw, Japan |
| Deadliest: | 6.4 Mw, 1 death |
| Fatalities: | 1 |
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck off the southern coast of Honshu, Japan on September 5 at a depth of 14km (09miles). Four people were injured in Kyoto. This was a foreshock of the 7.4 earthquake several hours later.[29] A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off the southern coast of Honshu, Japan on September 5 at the depth of 10km (10miles) and a Modified Mercalli Intensity of V (Moderate). Forty people were injured in Kyoto and a tsunami of around one metre (3 feet) was observed.[30]
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Catamarca Province, Argentina on September 7 at the depth of 22.3km (13.9miles), One person died and several others were injured and some damage to buildings was caused in Catamarca.[31] A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Gansu Province, China on September 7 at a depth of 10.0 km (6.2 mi). Nineteen people were injured, 600 houses were destroyed and 3,800 damaged in Gansu.[32]
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck off Luzon, Philippines on September 15 at a depth of 115.4km (71.7miles). Power outages occurred in parts of Central Luzon.[33]| Month: | October |
| 8.0–8.9: | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9: | 2 |
| 6.0–6.9: | 12 |
| Largest: | 7.0 Mw 7.0 |
| Deadliest: | 6.8 Mw Japan 68 deaths |
| Fatalities: | 68 |
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Tokyo, Japan on October 6 at a depth of 64km (40miles). One person was injured and two houses were damaged in Tokyo.[37] A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Kirakira, Solomon Islands on October 8 at a depth of 36km (22miles) A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck off the coast of Nicaragua on October 9 at the depth of 35km (22miles). A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck Yunnan, China on October 18 at a depth of 30.2km (18.8miles). Twelve people were injured and 20,000 buildings were damaged.[39] A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck the Niigata Prefecture on October 23 at the depth of 13km (08miles). 68 people were killed and 4,805 were injured. A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck the Niigata Prefecture on October 23 at the depth of 10.5km (06.5miles). It was an aftershock of the 6.6 earthquake only 7 minutes prior. A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck the South Sandwich Islands at the depth of 10km (10miles). A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Hokkaido, Japan on October 29 at a depth of 39km (24miles).| Month: | November |
| 8.0–8.9: | 0 |
| 7.0–7.9: | 5 |
| 6.0–6.9: | 9 |
| Largest: | 7.5 Mw, Indonesia |
| Deadliest: | 7.1 Mw, Indonesia 32 deaths |
| Fatalities: | 64 |
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck the Vancouver Island on November 2 at the depth of 10km (10miles) A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck off the coast of the island of Makira on November 9 at the depth of 13km (08miles). A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Alor Island, Indonesia on November 11, at a depth of only 10km (10miles). 23 people were killed. A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck the Fiji region on November 17 at the depth of 622.6km (386.9miles). A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck West Papua, Indonesia on November 26, at a depth of 10km (10miles) 32 people were killed, and over 200 were injured.
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck just off the western coast of Colombia on November 15, at the depth of 15km (09miles). Ten people were injured. A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Puntarenas on November 20 at the depth of 16km (10miles). Eight people Were killed and 500 homes were destroyed.[40] [41]
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Dominica on November 21, at a depth of 13km (08miles). One person was killed and thirteen were injured. A small tsunami was generated.[42] A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck off the Southwestern coast of the South Island of New Zealand on November 22 at the depth of 10km (10miles).
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck Lombardy, Italy on November 24 at a depth of 17.2km (10.7miles). Nine people were injured and minor damage occurred in Brescia.[43] A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Hokkaido, Japan on November 28 at a depth of 39km (24miles). 24 people were injured and moderate damage occurred in Nemuro.[44]| Month: | December |
| 8.0–8.9: | 2 |
| 7.0–7.9: | 1 |
| 6.0–6.9: | 21 |
| Largest: | 9.1 Mw, Indonesia |
| Deadliest: | 9.1 Mw, Indonesia |
| Fatalities: | 227,898 |
A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck Boumerdes on December 5 at the depth of 10 km (6.2 mi). 46 people were injured in Zemmouri.[45] A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck Hokkaido on December 14 at the depth of 10km (10miles). 2 people were injured in Obira and another was injured in Haboro. Some buildings, roads and water lines were damaged at Tomamae.[46]
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck off the southern coast of the Cayman Islands on December 14 at the depth of 10 km (6.2 mi). 29.4km (18.3miles).[47] A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck Muğla Province, Turkey on December 20 at the depth of 5km (03miles). 3 people were injured and several buildings were damaged and rockslides occurred at Marmaris.[48]
A magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck near Macquarie Island on December 23, at a depth of 10 km (6.2 mi.), and a Modified Mercalli Intensity of V (Moderate). A magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck Sumatra, Indonesia on December 26, at a depth of 30km (20miles) and a Modified Mercalli Intensity of IX (Violent), causing a destructive tsunami which killed at least 227,898 people, making it the deadliest tsunami ever recorded. The waves reached as far as Africa.
A magnitude 7.2 Earthquake struck The Nicobar islands on December 26, at a depth of 39.2km (24.4miles) and a Modified Mercalli Intensity of VI (Strong). It is an aftershock of the magnitude 9.1 earthquake 3 hours prior.[49]