Earth · earthquakes
A year of strong earthquakes
Each spike is a magnitude 5.5+ earthquake of the last twelve months (USGS ComCat); its height follows the magnitude, its colour the depth. Rings mark the strongest. Earthquakes outline the plate boundaries.
- < 70 km (shallow)
- 70–300 km (intermediate)
- > 300 km (deep)
Latest catalogued earthquake
M 4.6
Strongest in the catalogue
M 9.5
Earthquakes M ≥ 7
1,622
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/29/26
Positions and magnitudes from the USGS catalogue; heights exaggerated. Base map: local NASA Blue Marble.
Catalogued earthquakes M ≥ 4.5
312,258
1900 → 2026-10-29
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/29/26
Current · provisional
Earthquakes M ≥ 7
1,622
including 100 M ≥ 8
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/29/26
Current · provisional
Latest catalogued earthquake
M 4.6
2026-10-29 10:38 UTC · Pulau Pulau Tanimbar, Indonesia
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/29/26
Strongest in the catalogue
M 9.5
1960-05-22 · 1960 Great Chilean Earthquake (Valdivia Earthquake)
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/29/26
Earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 in the last 30 days of the catalogue
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/29/26
Earthquakes M ≥ 7 and M ≥ 6 per year
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/29/26
Current · provisional
Show the data as a table
Earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 per year
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/29/26
Current · provisional
Show the data as a table
Ten strongest earthquakes in the USGS catalogue (since 1900)
| # | M | Date | Place | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9.5 mw | 1960-05-22 | 1960 Great Chilean Earthquake (Valdivia Earthquake) | 25 km |
| 2 | 9.2 mw | 1964-03-28 | The 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska Earthquake | 25 km |
| 3 | 9.1 mw | 2004-12-25 | 2004 Sumatra - Andaman Islands Earthquake | 30 km |
| 4 | 9.1 mww | 2011-03-11 | 2011 Great Tohoku Earthquake, Japan | 29 km |
| 5 | 9.0 mw | 1952-11-04 | 89 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 22 km |
| 6 | 8.8 mw | 1906-01-31 | 1906 Ecuador-Colombia Earthquake | 20 km |
| 7 | 8.8 mww | 2010-02-27 | 2010 Maule, Chile Earthquake | 23 km |
| 8 | 8.8 mww | 2025-07-29 | 2025 Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia Earthquake | 35 km |
| 9 | 8.7 mw | 1965-02-04 | 1965 Western Aleutian Islands (Hawadax/Rat Islands) Earthquake | 30 km |
| 10 | 8.6 mw | 1946-04-01 | The 1946 Unimak Island, Alaska Earthquake | 15 km |
Deadliest earthquakes (NCEI significant earthquake database)
NCEI/WDS Global Significant Earthquake Database · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite NCEI/WDS · 10/23/26
| # | Year | Place | M | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1556 | CHINA: SHAANXI PROVINCE | 8.0 | 830,000 |
| 2 | 2010 | HAITI: PORT-AU-PRINCE tsunami | 7.0 | 316,000 |
| 3 | 115 | TURKEY: ANTAKYA (ANTIOCH) tsunami | 7.5 | 260,000 |
| 4 | 525 | TURKEY: ANTAKYA (ANTIOCH), SAMANDAG | 7.0 | 250,000 |
| 5 | 1976 | CHINA: NE: TANGSHAN | 7.5 | 242,769 |
| 6 | 1920 | CHINA: GANSU PROVINCE, SHANXI PROVINCE tsunami | 8.3 | 235,502 |
| 7 | 1139 | AZERBAIJAN: GYZNDZHA | — | 230,000 |
| 8 | 2004 | INDONESIA: SUMATRA: ACEH: OFF WEST COAST tsunami | 9.1 | 227,899 |
| 9 | 856 | IRAN: DAMGHAN, QUMIS | 7.9 | 200,000 |
| 10 | 893 | ARMENIA: DVIN; IRAN: ARDABIL | — | 150,000 |
Filterable USGS catalogue
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/29/26
| Date (UTC) | M | Place | Depth | Lat., lon. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-03-25 11:22 | 7.3 mw | 7 km SSE of Puntarenas, Costa Rica | 22 km | 9.92, -84.81 |
| 1990-03-25 11:16 | 6.4 ms | 11 km E of Paquera, Costa Rica | 27 km | 9.81, -84.83 |
| 1990-03-21 15:46 | 6.6 mw | Kermadec Islands region | 145 km | -31.09, -179.09 |
| 1990-03-16 14:52 | 6.1 mw | 72 km SSW of El Huitusi, Mexico | 10 km | 24.90, -109.04 |
| 1990-03-15 03:56 | 6.5 mw | 20 km ESE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 132 km | -15.13, 167.24 |
| 1990-03-12 13:41 | 6.4 mw | 97 km SW of Atka, Alaska | 14 km | 51.48, -175.03 |
| 1990-03-05 19:47 | 6.2 mw | 62 km E of Khand?d, Afghanistan | 12 km | 36.91, 73.02 |
| 1990-03-05 15:38 | 7.1 mw | 69 km SSW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu | 21 km | -18.32, 168.06 |
| 1990-03-04 18:46 | 6.1 mw | 27 km WSW of Kalat, Pakistan | 10 km | 28.92, 66.33 |
| 1990-03-03 11:44 | 6.6 ms | southeast of the Loyalty Islands | 33 km | -22.40, 174.16 |
| 1990-03-03 11:34 | 6.2 ms | south of the Fiji Islands | 33 km | -21.56, 175.75 |
| 1990-03-03 11:16 | 7.6 mw | south of the Fiji Islands | 33 km | -22.12, 175.16 |
| 1990-02-26 18:06 | 6.1 mw | Easter Island region | 14 km | -26.65, -114.73 |
| 1990-02-24 18:13 | 6.2 mw | 161 km WNW of Hihifo, Tonga | 33 km | -15.52, -175.24 |
| 1990-02-20 05:53 | 6.4 mw | 28 km E of Shimoda, Japan | 14 km | 34.71, 139.25 |
| 1990-02-19 05:48 | 6.9 mw | 83 km W of Luganville, Vanuatu | 12 km | -15.46, 166.38 |
| 1990-02-19 04:34 | 6.3 mw | 41 km E of Palmerston North, New Zealand | 24 km | -40.35, 176.10 |
| 1990-02-17 01:28 | 6.1 mw | 80 km SSE of Koshima, Japan | 66 km | 29.53, 130.73 |
| 1990-02-10 02:27 | 6.0 mw | 90 km N of Amberley, New Zealand | 10 km | -42.34, 172.80 |
| 1990-02-08 06:46 | 6.6 mw | 6 km ESE of Bacong, Philippines | 30 km | 9.72, 124.62 |
| 1990-02-08 06:15 | 6.8 mw | 13 km E of Bacong, Philippines | 26 km | 9.76, 124.69 |
| 1990-02-05 04:16 | 6.3 mw | 42 km ENE of Jurm, Afghanistan | 110 km | 37.05, 71.25 |
| 1990-02-02 13:49 | 6.0 mw | 84 km SW of Nadi, Fiji | 10 km | -18.41, 176.92 |
| 1990-01-22 16:26 | 6.2 mw | 28 km S of Meulaboh, Indonesia | 46 km | 3.88, 96.10 |
| 1990-01-20 00:27 | 6.0 mw | 36 km E of Soleh Bon, Iran | 25 km | 35.83, 52.95 |
| 1990-01-18 11:45 | 6.0 mw | Kermadec Islands, New Zealand | 13 km | -30.14, -177.69 |
| 1990-01-14 20:04 | 6.1 mw | Kermadec Islands, New Zealand | 58 km | -29.71, -177.47 |
| 1990-01-14 02:03 | 6.0 mw | northern Qinghai, China | 12 km | 37.82, 91.97 |
| 1990-01-09 17:51 | 6.3 mw | 120 km E of W?ngjing, India | 119 km | 24.75, 95.24 |
| 1990-01-08 18:44 | 6.0 mw | 107 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska | 33 km | 52.04, -169.45 |
| 1990-01-06 20:44 | 6.0 mw | South Indian Ocean | 15 km | -10.68, 92.99 |
| 1990-01-05 17:27 | 6.0 mw | 189 km SW of La Cruz de Loreto, Mexico | 33 km | 18.86, -106.80 |
| 1990-01-04 04:32 | 6.5 mw | 118 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga | 54 km | -15.40, -172.85 |
| 1989-12-30 22:18 | 6.7 mw | 201 km N of Madang, Papua New Guinea | 38 km | -3.41, 145.97 |
| 1989-12-25 13:24 | 6.0 mw | 264 km SSE of Salluit, Canada | 5 km | 60.08, -73.44 |
| 1989-12-23 10:24 | 6.3 mw | 242 km N of Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands | 162 km | 17.40, 145.79 |
| 1989-12-21 15:49 | 6.0 mw | 175 km E of Kuril’sk, Russia | 43 km | 45.36, 150.11 |
| 1989-12-19 23:08 | 6.5 mw | 43 km ENE of Santa Maria, Philippines | 21 km | 8.09, 126.83 |
| 1989-12-15 17:53 | 6.0 mb | 16 km E of Hinatuan, Philippines | 33 km | 8.40, 126.48 |
| 1989-12-15 17:43 | 7.6 mw | 37 km ENE of Barcelona, Philippines | 24 km | 8.34, 126.73 |
| 1989-12-14 18:13 | 6.0 mw | 70 km W of Kirakira, Solomon Islands | 38 km | -10.44, 161.28 |
| 1989-12-12 07:33 | 6.1 mw | 237 km WNW of Tual, Indonesia | 74 km | -4.68, 130.83 |
| 1989-12-09 19:38 | 6.7 mw | 53 km SE of Gorontalo, Indonesia | 151 km | 0.14, 123.34 |
| 1989-12-08 09:23 | 6.2 mw | 50 km ENE of Pilar, Philippines | 44 km | 10.09, 126.50 |
| 1989-12-07 12:38 | 7.1 mw | 59 km ESE of Kainantu, Papua New Guinea | 104 km | -6.44, 146.38 |
| 1989-12-07 11:59 | 6.0 mw | 98 km SW of Fann?j, Iran | 16 km | 25.92, 58.97 |
| 1989-12-03 20:32 | 6.0 mw | west of Macquarie Island | 10 km | -57.66, 148.21 |
| 1989-12-03 13:16 | 6.6 mw | 69 km ESE of Contamana, Peru | 153 km | -7.63, -74.46 |
| 1989-11-29 04:48 | 6.1 mw | south of the Fiji Islands | 487 km | -25.37, 179.63 |
| 1989-11-29 00:00 | 6.3 mw | southern Peru | 71 km | -15.81, -73.24 |
Method and sources
The USGS ComCat (ANSS) catalogue is read through the FDSN web service, one request per calendar year since 1900 for magnitudes ≥ 4.5; the last two years are re-read on each update because solutions are revised. Magnitudes are those published (mb, Ms, Mw, ml…) and are not converted; depth is the hypocentre depth in km.
Yearly counts are computed on the server from imported events of type “earthquake” (explosions and other types are kept but excluded from counts). Historical earthquakes and their tolls come from the NCEI/WDS significant earthquake database, dated to the year when the day is unknown.
Reading these data
The global catalogue is homogeneous neither in time nor in magnitude: completeness at M 4.5 is only reached after 1973 and still improves afterwards. Magnitudes of different types are not comparable; the great historical earthquakes (e.g. Valdivia 1960, M 9.5) are re-evaluations. No link with solar activity or tides is established; see the Correspondences pages.
SOURCES OF THIS PAGE
- USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service)
-
U.S. Geological Survey, Earthquake Hazards Program (2017). Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) Comprehensive Catalog of Earthquake Events and Products. Accessed through the FDSN event web service.
· doi:10.5066/F7MS3QZH · source page ↗
Licence : U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · retrieved on Oct 29, 2026 · SHA-256 8dc4ba251068… - NCEI/WDS Global Significant Earthquake Database
-
National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): NCEI/WDS Global Significant Earthquake Database. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.
· doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K · source page ↗
Licence : U.S. Government work, public domain; cite NCEI/WDS · retrieved on Oct 23, 2026 · SHA-256 f99e14bcd8f1…