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 5.7
Strongest in the catalogue
M 9.5
Earthquakes M ≥ 7
1,620
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/23/26
Positions and magnitudes from the USGS catalogue; heights exaggerated. Base map: local NASA Blue Marble.
Catalogued earthquakes M ≥ 4.5
312,027
1900 → 2026-10-23
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/23/26
Earthquakes M ≥ 7
1,620
including 100 M ≥ 8
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/23/26
Latest catalogued earthquake
M 5.7
2026-10-23 08:19 UTC · 61 km WNW of Leni, Italy
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/23/26
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 · 10/23/26
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 · 10/23/26
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 · 10/23/26
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/23/26
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 · 10/23/26
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 · 10/23/26
| Date (UTC) | M | Place | Depth | Lat., lon. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-09-02 20:39 | 6.1 mww | 110 km WNW of Kandrian, Papua New Guinea | 125 km | -5.65, 148.71 |
| 2022-08-30 07:09 | 6.3 mww | Pacific-Antarctic Ridge | 10 km | -54.65, -136.15 |
| 2022-08-29 01:29 | 6.2 mww | 173 km WSW of Pariaman, Indonesia | 17 km | -0.99, 98.60 |
| 2022-08-23 12:31 | 6.2 mww | 119 km S of Pagar Alam, Indonesia | 45 km | -5.09, 103.08 |
| 2022-08-14 19:04 | 6.4 mww | southeast of the Loyalty Islands | 78 km | -22.08, 170.97 |
| 2022-08-14 11:44 | 6.6 mww | south of the Kermadec Islands | 30 km | -32.74, -179.01 |
| 2022-07-28 02:15 | 6.1 mww | 22 km NW of Tocopilla, Chile | 54 km | -21.93, -70.34 |
| 2022-07-27 16:58 | 6.2 mww | Antofagasta, Chile | 112 km | -22.19, -68.58 |
| 2022-07-26 22:43 | 7.0 mww | 11 km NE of Bantay, Philippines | 34 km | 17.52, 120.82 |
| 2022-07-15 17:37 | 6.4 mww | Off the coast of Aisen, Chile | 24 km | -44.62, -79.65 |
| 2022-07-12 17:16 | 6.8 mww | Easter Island region | 10 km | -22.59, -114.26 |
| 2022-07-11 19:10 | 6.0 mww | 82 km ESE of Port-Vila, Vanuatu | 10 km | -18.14, 168.97 |
| 2022-07-01 21:25 | 6.0 mwb | 57 km NE of Bandar-e Lengeh, Iran | 9 km | 26.89, 55.32 |
| 2022-07-01 19:32 | 6.0 mww | 52 km NE of Bandar-e Lengeh, Iran | 16 km | 26.91, 55.24 |
| 2022-06-30 16:40 | 6.0 mww | 49 km NNE of Namuac, Philippines | 30 km | 19.02, 121.34 |
| 2022-06-21 18:54 | 6.0 mww | 55 km SW of Kh?st, Afghanistan | 4 km | 33.02, 69.46 |
| 2022-06-07 22:55 | 6.5 mww | 107 km SSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 623 km | -9.05, -71.18 |
| 2022-06-04 21:38 | 6.3 mww | Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska | 105 km | 52.05, 178.27 |
| 2022-06-04 11:17 | 6.4 mww | west of Macquarie Island | 10 km | -57.72, 148.68 |
| 2022-06-04 11:07 | 6.3 mww | 129 km NW of Neiafu, Tonga | 237 km | -17.96, -174.97 |
| 2022-05-27 00:36 | 6.2 mww | 37 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste | 49 km | -8.26, 127.21 |
| 2022-05-26 16:10 | 6.2 mww | southern East Pacific Rise | 10 km | -49.77, -114.97 |
| 2022-05-26 13:37 | 6.6 mww | southeast of the Loyalty Islands | 15 km | -22.83, 172.13 |
| 2022-05-26 10:02 | 7.2 mww | 10 km W of Azángaro, Peru | 236 km | -14.91, -70.29 |
| 2022-05-22 13:17 | 6.0 mww | 235 km SSE of Katsuura, Japan | 12 km | 33.23, 141.41 |
| 2022-05-22 05:06 | 6.3 mww | south of the Fiji Islands | 604 km | -26.21, 178.45 |
| 2022-05-21 19:50 | 6.1 mww | 1 km S of Lian, Philippines | 129 km | 14.02, 120.65 |
| 2022-05-19 08:13 | 6.9 mww | Macquarie Island region | 10 km | -54.13, 159.05 |
| 2022-05-10 21:06 | 6.8 mww | 86 km NNW of San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina | 220 km | -23.50, -66.65 |
| 2022-05-09 20:33 | 6.3 mww | 178 km SW of Lorengau, Papua New Guinea | 10 km | -3.36, 146.35 |
| 2022-05-09 04:23 | 6.2 mww | 70 km SW of Yonakuni, Japan | 21 km | 24.04, 122.49 |
| 2022-05-05 06:21 | 6.0 mww | 94 km SE of Lukatan, Philippines | 18 km | 6.53, 127.13 |
| 2022-04-28 11:21 | 6.1 mww | 175 km NE of Madang, Papua New Guinea | 10 km | -3.91, 146.69 |
| 2022-04-21 05:42 | 6.6 mww | 55 km WSW of Masachapa, Nicaragua | 27 km | 11.55, -86.96 |
| 2022-04-20 19:57 | 6.0 mww | 50 km ESE of Manay, Philippines | 19 km | 6.97, 126.92 |
| 2022-04-18 23:23 | 6.1 mww | 41 km E of Santiago, Philippines | 19 km | 7.29, 126.95 |
| 2022-04-17 05:46 | 6.1 mww | Vanuatu | 196 km | -15.70, 167.85 |
| 2022-04-13 01:00 | 6.1 mww | 28 km WSW of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea | 149 km | -4.43, 152.02 |
| 2022-04-09 18:52 | 6.3 mww | 63 km WSW of Norsup, Vanuatu | 17 km | -16.31, 166.86 |
| 2022-04-04 14:06 | 6.0 mww | 56 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu | 31 km | -17.47, 167.86 |
| 2022-03-31 17:50 | 6.4 mww | southeast of the Loyalty Islands | 20 km | -22.66, 170.81 |
| 2022-03-31 03:44 | 7.0 mww | southeast of the Loyalty Islands | 10 km | -22.59, 170.37 |
| 2022-03-30 18:56 | 6.9 mww | 284 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia | 10 km | -22.67, 170.37 |
| 2022-03-23 20:57 | 6.0 mww | Vanuatu | 115 km | -15.07, 167.45 |
| 2022-03-22 16:41 | 6.7 mww | 65 km S of Hualien City, Taiwan | 24 km | 23.38, 121.61 |
| 2022-03-22 15:35 | 6.7 mww | northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge | 10 km | 10.74, -43.38 |
| 2022-03-20 17:10 | 6.0 mww | Kermadec Islands region | 44 km | -28.66, -177.35 |
| 2022-03-19 20:24 | 6.3 mww | south of the Fiji Islands | 21 km | -25.30, -176.30 |
| 2022-03-16 13:36 | 7.3 mww | 57 km ENE of Namie, Japan | 41 km | 37.71, 141.58 |
| 2022-03-16 13:34 | 6.0 mwb | 62 km ENE of Namie, Japan | 57 km | 37.65, 141.67 |
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 23, 2026 · SHA-256 c1e3c08c2c8f… - 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…