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 4.7
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 · 10/30/26
Positions and magnitudes from the USGS catalogue; heights exaggerated. Base map: local NASA Blue Marble.
Catalogued earthquakes M ≥ 4.5
312,287
1900 → 2026-10-30
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/30/26
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 · 10/30/26
Current · provisional
Latest catalogued earthquake
M 4.7
2026-10-30 09:45 UTC · 42 km SE of Sykiá, Greece
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/30/26
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 · 10/30/26
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 · 10/30/26
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 · 10/30/26
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 · 10/30/26
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 · 10/30/26
| # | 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 · 10/30/26
| Date (UTC) | M | Place | Depth | Lat., lon. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981-11-16 12:53 | 6.2 ms | 180 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia | 33 km | -22.14, 169.50 |
| 1981-11-15 19:18 | 6.0 ms | Balleny Islands region | 10 km | -65.64, 179.90 |
| 1981-11-07 08:42 | 6.0 ms | Mauritius - Reunion region | 10 km | -17.09, 66.69 |
| 1981-11-07 02:29 | 6.8 ms | 29 km NNW of La Ligua, Chile | 65 km | -32.20, -71.34 |
| 1981-11-06 15:47 | 6.9 ms | 17 km E of Wewak, Papua New Guinea | 33 km | -3.56, 143.79 |
| 1981-11-04 13:38 | 6.3 mb | 26 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga | 33 km | -20.05, -174.28 |
| 1981-11-03 12:47 | 6.2 ms | off the coast of Oregon | 10 km | 43.54, -127.71 |
| 1981-10-28 03:34 | 6.2 ms | Easter Island region | 10 km | -31.27, -110.65 |
| 1981-10-25 02:22 | 7.3 ms | 7 km NNE of Petacalco, Mexico | 33 km | 18.05, -102.08 |
| 1981-10-18 02:57 | 6.0 mb | 100 km SSE of Kurchatov, Kazakhstan | 0 km | 49.89, 78.90 |
| 1981-10-17 13:35 | 6.0 ms | southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge | 10 km | -45.51, -15.18 |
| 1981-10-17 05:44 | 6.1 mb | 268 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste | 179 km | -7.10, 128.97 |
| 1981-10-16 02:25 | 7.2 ms | 135 km W of Valparaíso, Chile | 33 km | -33.13, -73.07 |
| 1981-10-15 00:47 | 6.0 mb | 71 km NNE of Miyako, Japan | 47 km | 40.23, 142.29 |
| 1981-10-09 11:19 | 6.4 ms | 54 km NNE of Kirakira, Solomon Islands | 50 km | -9.98, 162.05 |
| 1981-10-07 12:19 | 6.0 mb | Mid-Indian Ridge | 10 km | -11.44, 66.28 |
| 1981-10-03 23:01 | 6.3 ms | 81 km NNE of Madang, Papua New Guinea | 33 km | -4.57, 146.12 |
| 1981-09-28 16:56 | 6.0 mb | Kermadec Islands region | 323 km | -29.34, -179.04 |
| 1981-09-25 13:01 | 6.1 ms | 140 km ESE of ?funato, Japan | 25 km | 38.50, 143.16 |
| 1981-09-21 12:24 | 6.0 ms | 278 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia | 33 km | -22.18, 170.49 |
| 1981-09-17 06:23 | 6.6 ms | 291 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia | 30 km | -22.52, 170.51 |
| 1981-09-13 00:17 | 6.0 mb | 100 km SSE of Kurchatov, Kazakhstan | 0 km | 49.90, 78.98 |
| 1981-09-12 05:15 | 6.2 mb | 69 km WSW of Gilgit, Pakistan | 33 km | 35.69, 73.59 |
| 1981-09-06 09:02 | 6.2 ms | 178 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia | 31 km | -21.49, 169.60 |
| 1981-09-04 09:15 | 6.0 mb | 1 km ENE of Clarin, Philippines | 645 km | 9.96, 124.04 |
| 1981-09-03 03:35 | 6.6 ms | 31 km SE of Shikotan, Russia | 45 km | 43.62, 147.03 |
| 1981-09-01 07:29 | 7.7 ms | 133 km NE of Hihifo, Tonga | 25 km | -14.96, -173.08 |
| 1981-08-23 10:00 | 6.0 mb | 235 km SSE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 40 km | 48.72, 157.39 |
| 1981-07-28 23:11 | 6.2 ms | 181 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia | 40 km | -21.62, 169.63 |
| 1981-07-28 15:22 | 7.1 ms | 75 km ESE of Kerman, Iran | 33 km | 30.01, 57.79 |
| 1981-07-15 05:59 | 7.0 ms | 92 km NW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu | 30 km | -17.26, 167.60 |
| 1981-07-14 15:18 | 6.1 ms | Mid-Indian Ridge | 10 km | -36.82, 78.49 |
| 1981-07-07 19:10 | 6.4 ms | central Mid-Atlantic Ridge | 10 km | -0.17, -18.84 |
| 1981-07-06 01:08 | 7.0 ms | southeast of the Loyalty Islands | 33 km | -22.29, 171.74 |
| 1981-06-25 17:51 | 6.0 ms | Mid-Indian Ridge | 10 km | -41.70, 79.93 |
| 1981-06-12 23:26 | 6.0 ms | west of Macquarie Island | 10 km | -60.17, 154.71 |
| 1981-06-11 05:24 | 6.7 ms | 73 km SE of Kerman, Iran | 33 km | 29.91, 57.72 |
| 1981-06-09 20:08 | 6.0 ms | Southern Qinghai, China | 10 km | 34.50, 91.44 |
| 1981-06-03 03:47 | 6.4 ms | southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge | 10 km | -35.56, -17.04 |
| 1981-06-01 13:12 | 6.0 ms | 217 km SW of La Cruz de Loreto, Mexico | 33 km | 18.73, -107.03 |
| 1981-06-01 12:07 | 6.0 ms | 31 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga | 33 km | -16.13, -173.56 |
| 1981-05-28 20:18 | 6.0 mb | 141 km E of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea | 71 km | -5.68, 151.41 |
| 1981-05-25 03:25 | 7.6 ms | off the west coast of the South Island of New Zealand | 33 km | -48.79, 164.36 |
| 1981-05-12 23:39 | 6.0 mb | 109 km ESE of Pondaguitan, Philippines | 145 km | 5.83, 127.01 |
| 1981-05-08 21:34 | 6.0 mb | 118 km WSW of Iwanai, Japan | 200 km | 42.66, 139.13 |
| 1981-05-06 19:36 | 6.4 ms | 37 km NNE of Salinas, Ecuador | 33 km | -1.89, -80.88 |
| 1981-05-02 14:04 | 6.3 mb | 54 km SW of Ashk?sham, Afghanistan | 229 km | 36.36, 71.08 |
| 1981-04-30 12:41 | 6.1 ms | 289 km ESE of Shikotan, Russia | 49 km | 43.23, 150.22 |
| 1981-04-28 19:14 | 6.0 mb | south of the Fiji Islands | 540 km | -23.72, 179.98 |
| 1981-04-27 16:17 | 6.5 ms | west of Macquarie Island | 10 km | -57.59, 148.08 |
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 30, 2026 · SHA-256 cc1f6109be1e… - 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 30, 2026 · SHA-256 d5b49c593d3a…