List of earthquakes in 2003
Approximate epicenters of the earthquakes in 2003
| |||
| Strongest magnitude | 8.3 Mw Japan | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadliest | 6.6 Mw Iran 34,000 deaths | ||
| Total fatalities | 36,841 | ||
| Number by magnitude | |||
| 9.0+ | 0 | ||
| 8.0–8.9 | 1 | ||
| 7.0–7.9 | 14 | ||
| 6.0–6.9 | 139 | ||
| 5.0–5.9 | 1,212 | ||
| 4.0–4.9 | 8,455 | ||
← 2002 2004 → | |||
This is a list of earthquakes in 2003. Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in significant damage and/or casualties. All dates are listed according to UTC time. The maximum intensities are based on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale. Earthquake magnitudes are based on data from the United States Geological Survey. The year 2003 was a relatively active and extremely deadly year for seismicity, with 15 major earthquakes and nearly 37,000 fatalities; about 34,000 deaths were attributed to a Mw 6.6 event in Iran, which occurred near the end of the year. The largest event of the year was the Mw 8.3 Tokachi earthquake in Japan, which caused relatively moderate damage and few fatalities despite its great intensity. Other notable events also struck Algeria, China, Turkey, Mexico, Kazakhstan and Myanmar.