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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-11-25 22:45 | 6.2 mww | 20 km WSW of Falam, Myanmar | 43 km | 22.82, 93.51 |
| 2021-11-25 11:04 | 6.1 mww | 77 km E of Lata, Solomon Islands | 10 km | -10.75, 166.51 |
| 2021-11-18 13:08 | 6.2 mww | 192 km SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea | 34 km | -5.31, 153.71 |
| 2021-11-15 03:23 | 6.0 mww | South Indian Ocean | 10 km | -37.51, 51.26 |
| 2021-11-14 11:08 | 6.4 mwb | 63 km NNW of Bandar Abbas, Iran | 10 km | 27.73, 56.07 |
| 2021-11-14 11:07 | 6.0 mwb | 62 km NNW of Bandar Abbas, Iran | 9 km | 27.72, 56.07 |
| 2021-11-10 16:46 | 6.0 mww | 181 km SW of Nabire, Indonesia | 10 km | -4.32, 134.18 |
| 2021-11-10 14:45 | 6.6 mww | 177 km SE of Hirara, Japan | 12 km | 23.59, 126.45 |
| 2021-11-09 05:25 | 6.3 mww | 62 km S of Masachapa, Nicaragua | 20 km | 11.22, -86.53 |
| 2021-11-06 13:37 | 6.0 mww | 150 km ESE of Gorontalo, Indonesia | 34 km | -0.05, 124.28 |
| 2021-11-01 16:04 | 6.0 mww | 253 km S of Sinabang, Indonesia | 8 km | 0.21, 96.71 |
| 2021-10-31 23:02 | 6.0 mww | South Sandwich Islands region | 22 km | -58.03, -25.27 |
| 2021-10-24 03:11 | 6.2 mww | 28 km SSE of Yilan, Taiwan | 69 km | 24.51, 121.83 |
| 2021-10-21 06:10 | 6.1 mww | south of the Fiji Islands | 487 km | -25.32, 179.60 |
| 2021-10-18 05:26 | 6.2 mww | 59 km WNW of Sola, Vanuatu | 93 km | -13.69, 167.04 |
| 2021-10-15 00:44 | 6.4 mww | 148 km WSW of Buala, Solomon Islands | 33 km | -8.88, 158.46 |
| 2021-10-12 07:24 | 6.4 mww | 4 km SW of Palekastro, Greece | 20 km | 35.17, 26.22 |
| 2021-10-11 07:10 | 6.9 mww | 112 km E of Chignik, Alaska | 52 km | 56.30, -156.58 |
| 2021-10-10 19:48 | 6.2 ml | 27 km SSE of Naalehu, Hawaii | 35 km | 18.82, -155.53 |
| 2021-10-09 08:58 | 6.9 mww | Vanuatu region | 535 km | -21.19, 174.52 |
| 2021-10-04 01:54 | 6.2 mww | South Sandwich Islands region | 10 km | -60.42, -27.52 |
| 2021-10-02 18:43 | 6.0 mww | Mid-Indian Ridge | 10 km | -9.18, 67.26 |
| 2021-10-02 04:29 | 7.3 mww | Vanuatu region | 527 km | -21.13, 174.90 |
| 2021-09-29 06:37 | 6.1 mww | 243 km NNW of Nanao, Japan | 364 km | 38.89, 135.45 |
| 2021-09-27 04:17 | 6.0 mww | 6 km N of Thrapsanón, Greece | 6 km | 35.24, 25.27 |
| 2021-09-24 09:52 | 6.1 mww | 187 km WSW of Adak, Alaska | 18 km | 51.08, -179.02 |
| 2021-09-22 07:57 | 6.5 mww | 80 km SW of Jiquilillo, Nicaragua | 21 km | 12.14, -87.86 |
| 2021-09-21 11:14 | 6.4 mww | 73 km W of Talcahuano, Chile | 19 km | -36.78, -73.93 |
| 2021-09-20 18:25 | 6.1 mww | Kuril Islands | 35 km | 46.39, 152.49 |
| 2021-09-13 03:18 | 6.2 mww | 86 km NW of San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina | 205 km | -23.76, -67.01 |
| 2021-09-07 23:47 | 7.0 mww | Acapulco, Mexico | 20 km | 16.95, -99.75 |
| 2021-09-07 07:49 | 6.0 mww | 185 km WNW of Pangai, Tonga | 10 km | -19.39, -176.07 |
| 2021-08-31 00:52 | 6.4 mww | Kermadec Islands, New Zealand | 16 km | -29.92, -177.38 |
| 2021-08-24 03:37 | 6.0 mww | 219 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 35 km | 48.86, 154.91 |
| 2021-08-22 19:33 | 7.1 mww | South Sandwich Islands region | 6 km | -60.28, -24.87 |
| 2021-08-21 22:45 | 6.6 mww | South Sandwich Islands region | 7 km | -60.14, -24.22 |
| 2021-08-18 19:49 | 6.0 mww | South Sandwich Islands region | 28 km | -59.63, -26.35 |
| 2021-08-18 08:10 | 6.9 mww | 17 km N of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 93 km | -14.88, 167.06 |
| 2021-08-17 15:53 | 6.1 mww | South Sandwich Islands region | 33 km | -58.03, -25.42 |
| 2021-08-16 09:10 | 6.9 mww | South Sandwich Islands region | 17 km | -58.37, -23.36 |
| 2021-08-14 10:29 | 7.2 mww | Nippes, Haiti | 10 km | 18.43, -73.48 |
| 2021-08-14 09:57 | 6.9 mww | 125 km SE of Perryville, Alaska | 21 km | 55.18, -157.64 |
| 2021-08-13 08:34 | 6.1 mww | South Sandwich Islands region | 10 km | -60.54, -27.25 |
| 2021-08-12 17:43 | 6.0 mb | South Sandwich Islands region | 35 km | -59.84, -26.45 |
| 2021-08-12 16:41 | 6.1 mb | South Sandwich Islands region | 35 km | -60.36, -26.76 |
| 2021-08-12 16:36 | 6.7 mb | South Sandwich Islands region | 35 km | -59.98, -26.43 |
| 2021-08-12 16:35 | 8.1 mww | 2021 South Sandwich Islands Earthquake | 23 km | -58.38, -25.26 |
| 2021-08-12 16:32 | 7.5 mww | South Sandwich Islands region | 47 km | -57.57, -25.03 |
| 2021-08-11 15:46 | 7.1 mww | 60 km ENE of Pondaguitan, Philippines | 55 km | 6.47, 126.72 |
| 2021-08-03 01:42 | 6.1 mww | Nicobar Islands, India region | 10 km | 8.88, 94.02 |
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…