List of earthquakes in 1996

!Rank

!Death toll

!Magnitude

!Location

!MMI

!Depth (km)

!Date

|322

|6.6

|{{flagicon|China}} China, Yunnan

| {{MMI-ts|desc=1|X}}

|11.0

|{{dts|February 3}}

|108

|8.1

|{{flagicon|Indonesia}} Indonesia, Biak Island

| {{MMI-ts|desc=1|IX}}

|20.0

|{{dts|February 17}}

|26

|6.4

|{{flagicon|China}} China, Inner Mongolia

| {{MMI-ts|desc=1|VIII}}

|26.0

|{{dts|May 3}}

|14

|7.7

|{{flagicon|Peru}} Peru, Nazca

| {{MMI-ts|desc=1|VIII}}

|33.0

|{{dts|November 12}}

|12

|7.4

|{{flagicon|Peru}} Peru, Chimbote

| {{MMI-ts|desc=1|IV}}

|10.0

|{{dts|February 21}}

|8.2

|166

|{{Flag|Indonesia}}, Biak Region offshore

|VIII (Severe)

|33.0

|{{dts|February 17}}

|7.9

|0

|{{Flag|United States}}, Alaska, Aleutian Islands offshore

|VII (Very Strong)

|33.0

|{{dts|June 10}}

|7.9

|9

|{{Flag|Indonesia}}, Sulawesi offshore

|X (Extreme)

|24.0

|{{dts|January 1}}

|7.9

|0

|{{Flag|Indonesia}}, Flores Sea offshore

|IV (Light)

|587.3

|{{dts|June 17}}

|7.7

|14

|{{Flag|Peru}}, Nazca offshore

|VIII (Severe)

|33.0

|{{dts|November 12}}

|7.4

|0

|{{Flag|Fiji}} Region offshore

|II (Weak)

|550.2

|{{dts|August 5}}

|7.3

|0

|{{Flag|United States}}, Alaska, Aleutian Islands offshore

|VII (Very Strong)

|26.3

|{{dts|June 10}}

|7.2

|0

|{{Flag|Russia}}, Kuril Islands offshore

|VI (Strong)

|42.6

|{{dts|February 7}}

|7.2

|0

|{{Flag|Fiji}} Region offshore

|I (Not Felt)

|110.9

|{{dts|April 16}}

|7.2

|1

|{{Flag|Papua New Guinea}}, Bougainville Island offshore

|VIII (Severe)

|44.0

|{{dts|April 29}}

|7.1

|0

|{{Flag|Philippines|1986}}, Eastern Visayas offshore

|VI (Strong)

|33.0

|{{dts|June 11}}

|7.1

|0

|{{Flag|Mexico}}, Oaxaca offshore

|VII (Very Strong)

|21.1

|{{dts|February 25}}

|7.0

|0

|Mid-Atlantic Ridge

|I (Not Felt)

|10.0

|{{dts|June 2}}

|7.0

|0

|{{Flag|Indonesia}}, Sulawesi offshore

|VIII (Severe)

|33.0

|{{dts|July 22}}

|+

! rowspan="2" |Date

! rowspan="2" style="width: 260px" |Country and location

! rowspan="2" |M_w

! rowspan="2" |Depth (km)

! rowspan="2" |MMI

! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" |Notes

! colspan="2" |Casualties

|Tonga offshore, 65 km S of Pangai

|6.0

|33.0

|I

| -

| -

| -

|{{Flag|Indonesia}} offshore, 181 km North of Palu

|7.9

|24.0

|X

|The 1996 Sulawesi earthquake damaged 350 buildings and created a tsunami up to {{Convert|4|m|abbr=on}}, 9 people were Killed and 67 people were injured.

|9

|67

|{{Flag|Russia}}, 106 km Northeast of Yelizovo

|6.6

|33.0

|VII

| -

| -

| -

|{{Flag|Russia}}, Sakhalinskaya Oblast

|5.6

|7.8

|VII

|Fourteen houses were damaged at Okha.

| -

| -

|{{Flag|Indonesia}}, Papua Region

|6.1

|109.1

|V

| -

| -

| -

|South Sandwich Islands region

|6.2

|10.1

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Philippines, Surigao del Sur

|6.0

|33.0

|V

| -

| -

| -

|{{Flag|New Zealand}}, Kermadec Islands offshore

|6.1

|14.2

|I

| -

| -

| -

|{{Flag|New Zealand}}, Kermadec Islands offshore

|6.4

|33.0

|IV

| -

| -

| -

|Russia, Kuril Islands

|6.0

|20.6

|III

| -

| -

| -

|+

! rowspan="2" |Date

! rowspan="2" style="width: 260px" |Country and location

! rowspan="2" |M_w

! rowspan="2" |Depth (km)

! rowspan="2" |MMI

! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" |Notes

! colspan="2" |Casualties

|{{Flag|Russia}}, offshore, 93 km Northeast of Otrada

|6.2

|170.0

|V

| -

| -

| -

|{{Flag|China}}, 47 km North of Lijiang

|6.6

|11.1

|X

|The 1996 Lijiang earthquake left over 1 million buildings damaged or destroyed, this left 322 people dead and 16,925 injured, about 3,000 of them seriously.

|322

|16,925

|Indonesia, Central Sulawesi

|6.1

|13.8

|VI

| -

| -

| -

|{{Flag|Russia}}, Offshore, 158 km east of Kamchatka

|7.2

|42.6

|VI

|Some damage was reported.

| -

| -

|Russia, Offshore, 176 km SE of Kuril’sk

|6.0

|33.0

|II

| -

| -

| -

|Papua New Guinea, 89 km NNW of Lae

|6.1

|68.5

|V

| -

| -

| -

|Indonesia, offshore, 232 km SW of Waingapu

|6.1

|8.0

|I

| -

| -

| -

|North of Ascension Island

|6.6

|10.6

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Tonga, offshore, 96 km NE of Hihifo

|6.0

|33.0

|I

| -

| -

| -

|{{Flag|Japan|1870}}, offshore, 123 km East of Namie

|6.7

|40.8

|VI

|At least 4 people were Injured.

| -

|4

|{{Flag|Indonesia}}, offshore, 101 km Northeast of Biak

|8.1

|33.0

|IX

|The 1996 Biak earthquake caused severe damage mostly by a 7-meter (23 ft) high tsunami, 166 people were Killed and 423 people were injured.

|166

|423

|{{Flag|Peru}}, Ancash offshore

|7.5

|10.0

|VI

|7 people were killed and 2 more people were injured due to a tsunami off the coast after the 1996 Chimbote earthquake.

|7

|2

|{{Flag|Mexico}}, Oaxaca offshore

|7.1

|21.1

|VII

| -

| -

| -

! rowspan="2" |Date

! rowspan="2" style="width: 220px" |Country and location

! rowspan="2" |M_w

! rowspan="2" |Depth (km)

! rowspan="2" |MMI

! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" |Notes

! colspan="2" |Casualties

|rowspan="2"|{{Flag|Nicaragua}}, Managua offshore

|6.6

|33.0

|VI

|rowspan="2"|Doublet earthquake, some buildings were damaged in Managua.

| -

| -

|6.7

|33.0

|VII

| -

| -

|{{Flag|Vanuatu}}, Port-Olry offshore

|6.7

|164.4

|V

| -

| -

| -

|{{Flag|China}}, Xinjiang

|6.3

|28.2

|VI

| At least 24 people were killed, 128 were injured and more than 15,314 houses were damaged or destroyed in Artux.

|24

|128

|{{Flag|United States}}, Alaska, Rat Islands offshore

|6.8

|20.4

|I

| -

| -

| -

|{{Flag|Ecuador|1900}}, Cotopaxi

|6.0

|33.0

|VI

|At least 27 people were killed, about 100 were injured, several thousand were left homeless and considerable damage and destruction to homes occurred.

|27

|100

! rowspan="2" |Date

! rowspan="2" style="width: 220px" |Country and location

! rowspan="2" |M_w

! rowspan="2" |Depth (km)

! rowspan="2" |MMI

! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" |Notes

! colspan="2" |Casualties

|{{Flagicon|Fiji}} Fiji Islands offshore

|7.2

|110.9

|I

| -

| -

| -

|{{Flag|Chile}}, Antofagasta

|6.6

|49.5

|VII

| -

| -

| -

|{{Flag|Papua New Guinea}}, Bougainville Island

|7.2

|44.0

|VIII

|One person was killed and several dozen houses collapsed in Bougainville.

|1

| -

! rowspan="2" |Date

! rowspan="2" style="width: 220px" |Country and location

! rowspan="2" |M_w

! rowspan="2" |Depth (km)

! rowspan="2" |MMI

! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" |Notes

! colspan="2" |Casualties

|{{Flag|Papua New Guinea}}, Bougainville Island offshore

|6.6

|500.0

|III

| -

| -

| -

|{{Flag|China}}, Inner Mongolia

|6.0

|26.0

|VII

| At least 26 people were killed, 453 were injured and extensive damage caused by the 1996 Baotou earthquake

|26

|453

|{{Flag|United States}}, Washington

|5.4

|3.8

|VIII

|Two people were injured and slight damage occurred in the epicentral area.

| -

|2

! rowspan="2" |Date

! rowspan="2" style="width: 220px" |Country and location

! rowspan="2" |M_w

! rowspan="2" |Depth (km)

! rowspan="2" |MMI

! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" |Notes

! colspan="2" |Casualties

|{{Flag|China}}, Inner Mongolia

|5.2

|10.0

|V

|Some houses were damaged in Tianzhu county.

| -

| -

|Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge

|7.0

|10.0

|I

| -

| -

| -

|{{Flag|Vanuatu}}, Ureparapara offshore

|6.7

|200.1

|IV

| -

| -

| -

|rowspan="2"|{{Flag|United States}}, Alaska, Aleutian Islands offshore

|7.9

|33.0

|VIII

|A tsunami was observed with heights up to {{Convert|1.02|m|ft|abbr=on}} in Adak Island.

| -

| -

|

|7.3

|26.3

|VII

|It was an aftershock of the 7.9 earthquake that same day.

| -

| -

|{{Flag|Philippines|1986}}, Eastern Visayas offshore

|7.1

|33.0

|VI

| -

| -

| -

|{{Flag|Indonesia}}, Molucca Sea

|7.9

|587.3

|IV

|Some damage occurred at Kupang.

| -

| -

|{{Flag|Russia}}, Kamchatka offshore

|6.7

|20.0

|IV

| -

| -

| -

! rowspan="2" |Date

! rowspan="2" style="width: 220px" |Country and location

! rowspan="2" |M_w

! rowspan="2" |Depth (km)

! rowspan="2" |MMI

! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" |Notes

! colspan="2" |Casualties

|Mariana Islands region

|6.2

|241.1

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Northern Mariana Islands, Pagan region

|6.3

|176.5

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Mexico, Guerrero

|6.8

|18.3

|VI

|Felt strongly in Acapulco and Mexico City.

| -

| -

|Russia, Kamchatka Peninsula

|6.5

|33.0

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Indonesia, Palu, Central Sulawesi

|6.6

|33.0

|VI

|Some damage in Tolitoli.

| -

| -

|Greece, Dodecanese Islands

|6.2

|33.0

|V

| -

| -

| -

|Indonesia, Palu, Central Sulawesi

|7.0

|33.0

|VI

|Some damage in Tolitoli.

| -

| -

|South of the Fiji Islands

|6.5

|33.0

|I

| -

| -

| -

|South of the Fiji Islands

|6.2

|33.0

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Southern East Pacific Rise

|6.1

|10.0

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Indonesia, Palu, Central Sulawesi

|6.0

|33.0

|V

| -

| -

| -

|Philippines, Sabang

|6.1

|33.0

|V

|Some damage in Palawan.

| -

| -

! rowspan="2" |Date

! rowspan="2" style="width: 220px" |Country and location

! rowspan="2" |M_w

! rowspan="2" |Depth (km)

! rowspan="2" |MMI

! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" |Notes

! colspan="2" |Casualties

|Solomon Islands, Kirakira

|6.9

|33.0

|VI

| -

| -

| -

|Tonga, 104 km NE of Hihifo

|6.7

|41.2

|III

| -

| -

| -

|Ecuador, Salinas

|6.3

|33.0

|VI

|Felt in Guayas and Manabi Provinces.

| -

| -

|Fiji

|7.4

|550.2

|II

| -

| -

| -

|Papua New Guinea, Kokopo

|6.2

|33.0

|VI

| -

| -

| -

|Japan, Akite Prefecture

|6.0

|10.0

|VI

|Six people injured in northeastern Yamagata Prefecture. Four people injured and fifteen houses damaged in Miyagi Prefecture.

| -

|10

|Vanuatu, 107 km WNW of Sola

|6.1

|99.8

|V

| -

| -

| -

|Molucca Sea

|6.0

|42.3

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Vanuatu, 99 km NW of Sola

|6.2

|33.0

|V

| -

| -

| -

|Alaska, Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Islands

|6.0

|33.0

|III

| -

| -

| -

|South Indian Ocean

|6.1

|10.0

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Flores Sea

|6.0

|595.7

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Mid-Indian Ridge

|6.0

|10.0

|I

|

|

|

! rowspan="2" |Date

! rowspan="2" style="width: 220px" |Country and location

! rowspan="2" |M_w

! rowspan="2" |Depth (km)

! rowspan="2" |MMI

! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" |Notes

! colspan="2" |Casualties

|Costa Rica, Quepos

|6.2

|32.5

|VI

| -

| -

| -

|Easter Island region

|6.9

|10.0

|I

|Local tsunami generated with maximum recorded wave heights (peak-to-trough) of 18 cm on Easter Island.

| -

| -

|Easter Island region

|6.2

|10.0

|I

|Aftershock from the 6.9 the hour prior

| -

| -

|Croatia, Ston–Slano

|6.0

|10.0

|VII

|Several people injured, 2,000 left homeless and extensive damage (VIII) in the Ston-Slano area, Croatia.

| -

|2

|Taiwan, Lan Yun

|6.8

|20.0

|VI

| -

| -

| -

|Solomon Sea

|6.2

|33.0

|V

| -

| -

| -

|Chile, Coquimbo Region

|6.0

|39.0

|VI

|Some adobe houses damaged in the epicentral area.

| -

| -

|Japan, Chiba Prefecture

|6.2

|55.0

|VI

| -

| -

| -

|Solomon Islands, Lata

|6.4

|72.7

|VI

| -

| -

| -

|Philippines, Surigao del Sur

|6.4

|33.0

|VI

|Foreshock to the 6.6 three hours later.

| -

| -

|Philippines, Surigao del Sur

|6.6

|33.0

|VI

| -

| -

| -

|Philippines, Surigao del Sur

|6.1

|33.0

|V

|An aftershock to the 6.6 earlier in the day.

| -

| -

|Philippines, Surigao del Norte

|6.3

|234.8

|IV

| -

| -

| -

! rowspan="2" |Date

! rowspan="2" style="width: 220px" |Country and location

! rowspan="2" |M_w

! rowspan="2" |Depth (km)

! rowspan="2" |MMI

! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" |Notes

! colspan="2" |Casualties

|Owen Fracture Zone

|6.4

|10.0

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Eastern Samar

|6.4

|33.0

|VI

| -

| -

| -

|Russia, Kuril Islands

|6.0

|33.0

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Canada, Vancouver

|6.2

|10.0

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Southeast Indian Ocean Ridge

|6.1

|10.0

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Cyprus

|6.8

|33.0

|VI

|One person died of a heart attack and twenty others injured on Cyprus. One person killed in Egypt. Felt in Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.

|2

|20

|Indonesia, North Sumatra

|6.3

|33.0

|VI

|Felt as far away as Malaysia.

| -

| -

|Papua New Guinea, Bouganville

|6.1

|33.0

|VI

|Foreshock to the 6.8 two days later.

| -

| -

|Papua New Guinea, Bouganville

|6.8

|24.0

|VI

| -

| -

| -

|Philippines, Davao Occidental

|6.0

|116.8

|IV

| -

| -

| -

|Japan, Kagoshima Prefecture

|6.6

|10.0

|VII

|Local tsunami generated with wave heights up to 17 cm recorded on Tanega-shima.

| -

| -

|Japan, Miyazaki Prefecture

|6.7

|22.0

|VII

|Tsunami generated with recorded wave heights of 110 cm at Miyazaki, 40 cm at Nichinan and 14 cm on Tanega-shima. Minor tsunami also observed on Shikoku.

| -

| -

|Fiji region

|6.9

|590.8

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Russia, Chukotka Autonomous Okrug

|6.1

|19.9

|VII

| -

| -

| -

! rowspan="2" |Date

! rowspan="2" style="width: 220px" |Country and location

! rowspan="2" |M_w

! rowspan="2" |Depth (km)

! rowspan="2" |MMI

! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" |Notes

! colspan="2" |Casualties

|Colombia, Choco

|6.3

|14.0

|VII

| -

| -

| -

|New Zealand, Kermadec Island Region

|6.8

|369.4

|V

| -

| -

| -

|Philippines, Surigao del Nortel

|6.0

|33.0

|V

| -

| -

| -

|Japan, Bonin Islands

|6.6

|9.0

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Philippines, Surigao del Nortel

|6.1

|33.0

|V

| -

| -

| -

|New Zealand, Kermadec Island Region

|6.2

|33.0

|I

|Aftershock from the 6.8 six days prior.

| -

| -

|Myanmar, Magway

|6.0

|80.0

|V

| -

| -

| -

|Peru, Ica

|7.7

|33.0

|VII

|At least 14 people killed, 560 injured and 12,000 homeless from Chincha Alta to Acari. Over 4,000 houses damaged or destroyed at Nazca. Tsunami generated with maximum recorded wave heights (peak-to-trough) of 25 cm at Callao, Peru; 35 cm at Arica and 21 cm at Caldera, Chile.

|14

|560

|Peru, Ica

|6.1

|33.0

|VI

|An aftershock of the 7.7 the day prior.

| -

| -

|Peru, Ica

|6.0

|33.0

|V

|An aftershock of the 7.7 the day prior.

| -

| -

|Solomon Islands

|6.0

|109.2

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Tonga region

|6.2

|191.6

|I

| -

| -

| -

|France, Wallis and Futuna

|6.0

|33.0

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Nicaragua, Rivas

|6.0

|33.0

|V

| -

| -

| -

|Fiji region

|6.1

|591.6

|I

| -

| -

| -

|India, Ladakh

|6.9

|33.0

|VII

| -

| -

| -

|Japan, Izu Islands

|6.1

|33.0

|III

|Felt in Tokyo.

| -

| -

|Central Mid-Atlantic Ridge

|6.3

|10.0

|I

| -

| -

| -

! rowspan="2" |Date

! rowspan="2" style="width: 220px" |Country and location

! rowspan="2" |M_w

! rowspan="2" |Depth (km)

! rowspan="2" |MMI

! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" |Notes

! colspan="2" |Casualties

|New Zealand, Kermadec Island Region

|6.2

|355.8

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Japan, Miyazaki Prefecture

|6.7

|49.2

|VI

|Local tsunami observed with maximum recorded wave heights (peak-to-trough) of 21 cm in the Nichinan-Aburatsu area and 4 cm in the Hyuga-Hososhima area.

| -

| -

|Tonga region

|6.2

|32.7

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Indonesia, West Java

|6.1

|50.9

|V

| -

| -

| -

|Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge

|6.0

|10.0

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Central Mid-Atlantic Ridge

|6.7

|10.0

|I

| -

| -

| -

|Japan, Hokkaido

|6.5

|226.5

|IV

| -

| -

| -

|Indonesia, Papua

|6.3

|33.0

|VI

| -

| -

| -

|Indonesia, Maluku

|6.0

|33.0

|V

| -

| -

| -

|Mexico, Chiapas

|6.4

|99.5

|VI

|Felt as far as Mexico City.

| -

| -

!Date

!Time

!Place

!Lat.

!Long.

!Deaths

!Magnitude

!Comments

!Sources

!Main article

|19:14 local time

|Lijiang, Yunnan, China

|27.30

|100.29

| align="right" |322

| align="center" |6.6

|M_w

| align="right" |USGS

|1996 Lijiang earthquake

|05:59

|Near Biak Island, Indonesia

|−0.891

|136.952

| align="right" |108

| align="center" |8.1

|M_w

| align="right" |{{cite web|publisher=United States Geological Survey|date=January 5, 2010|title=Significant Earthquakes of the World 1996|url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/significant/sig_1996.php|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100901132316/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/significant/sig_1996.php|archive-date=September 1, 2010|access-date=September 1, 2010}}

|1996 Biak earthquake

|03:32 UTC

|Near Baotou, China

|40.774

|109.661

| align="right" |26

| align="center" |6.4

|M_s

| align="right" |{{cite web|title=国家地震科学数据共享中心|url=http://www.csi.ac.cn/manage/html/4028861611c5c2ba0111c5c558b00001/zhenli/zeren/html/zhenli158.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054526/http://www.csi.ac.cn/manage/html/4028861611c5c2ba0111c5c558b00001/zhenli/zeren/html/zhenli158.htm|archive-date=March 4, 2016|access-date=April 13, 2016}}

|1996 Baotou earthquake

|16:59 UTC

|Near Nazca, Peru

|−14.993

|75.675

| align="right" |14

| align="center" |7.5

|M_w

| align="right" |USGS

|1996 Nazca earthquake