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 4.8
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 · 11/1/26
Positions and magnitudes from the USGS catalogue; heights exaggerated. Base map: local NASA Blue Marble.
Catalogued earthquakes M ≥ 4.5
312,324
1900 → 2026-11-01
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 11/1/26
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 · 11/1/26
Current · provisional
Latest catalogued earthquake
M 4.8
2026-11-01 11:08 UTC · 203 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 11/1/26
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 · 11/1/26
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 · 11/1/26
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 · 11/1/26
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 · 11/1/26
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 · 11/1/26
| Date (UTC) | M | Place | Depth | Lat., lon. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954-07-30 07:46 | 6.6 mw | West Chile Rise | 10 km | -36.22, -97.36 |
| 1954-07-29 02:34 | 6.2 mw | east of the Kuril Islands | 15 km | 49.56, 158.08 |
| 1954-07-26 19:15 | 6.3 mw | 9 km NNE of Puerto Varas, Chile | 55 km | -41.23, -72.96 |
| 1954-07-23 03:33 | 6.1 mw | 36 km NW of Ovalle, Chile | 38 km | -30.42, -71.51 |
| 1954-07-18 08:07 | 6.3 mw | 12 km SSE of Hasaki, Japan | 55 km | 35.64, 140.90 |
| 1954-07-14 23:03 | 6.1 mw | 182 km WNW of Hihifo, Tonga | 15 km | -15.23, -175.32 |
| 1954-07-13 07:04 | 6.2 mw | New Ireland region, Papua New Guinea | 15 km | -3.24, 150.46 |
| 1954-07-09 17:28 | 6.1 mw | 136 km WNW of Noshiro, Japan | 263 km | 40.81, 138.62 |
| 1954-07-06 10:13 | 6.2 mw | The 1954 Rainbow Mountain, Nevada Earthquake | 10 km | 39.42, -118.57 |
| 1954-07-06 07:04 | 6.5 mw | Kuril Islands | 19 km | 46.46, 153.38 |
| 1954-07-06 03:00 | 6.1 mw | 140 km SE of Lorengau, Papua New Guinea | 15 km | -2.92, 148.18 |
| 1954-07-03 21:31 | 6.8 mw | 50 km WSW of Labuan, Indonesia | 60 km | -6.62, 105.45 |
| 1954-07-02 01:45 | 6.6 mw | 5 km SSE of Santa Cruz, Philippines | 15 km | 12.84, 124.08 |
| 1954-06-30 12:26 | 6.0 mw | 24 km W of G?dol?, Ethiopia | 15 km | 5.69, 37.14 |
| 1954-06-28 03:57 | 6.2 mw | Pacific-Antarctic Ridge | 15 km | -58.57, -142.45 |
| 1954-06-17 00:42 | 6.0 mw | Kodiak Island region, Alaska | 25 km | 56.03, -154.25 |
| 1954-06-06 15:50 | 6.9 mw | 35 km SSE of Nabire, Indonesia | 10 km | -3.64, 135.66 |
| 1954-06-04 05:50 | 6.3 mw | Galapagos Islands, Ecuador | 15 km | -0.88, -91.86 |
| 1954-05-19 22:07 | 6.2 mw | 96 km S of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea | 35 km | -5.22, 152.22 |
| 1954-05-13 13:46 | 6.3 mw | 6 km ESE of San Pedro Quiatoni, Mexico | 62 km | 16.77, -95.97 |
| 1954-05-05 12:09 | 6.4 mw | 45 km NNE of Santa Rosalía, Mexico | 10 km | 27.71, -112.07 |
| 1954-05-03 14:29 | 6.4 mw | 154 km SE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia | 30 km | 51.81, 159.73 |
| 1954-04-30 22:04 | 6.4 mw | central Mid-Atlantic Ridge | 15 km | -0.24, -18.67 |
| 1954-04-30 12:02 | 6.7 mw | 7 km NE of Anávra, Greece | 10 km | 39.23, 22.16 |
| 1954-04-29 10:34 | 7.2 mw | 94 km SSW of La Libertad, Mexico | 10 km | 29.11, -113.02 |
| 1954-04-29 09:49 | 6.6 mw | 90 km WNW of Bahía de Kino, Mexico | 10 km | 29.04, -112.83 |
| 1954-04-27 20:21 | 6.4 mw | west of Macquarie Island | 10 km | -56.05, 147.50 |
| 1954-04-27 09:06 | 6.4 mw | 261 km S of Burica, Panama | 35 km | 5.68, -82.61 |
| 1954-04-26 19:24 | 6.3 mw | 97 km S of Vilyuchinsk, Russia | 65 km | 52.06, 158.22 |
| 1954-04-24 23:27 | 6.2 mw | north of Ascension Island | 15 km | -1.57, -15.20 |
| 1954-04-17 19:10 | 6.6 mw | 193 km WSW of Adak, Alaska | 25 km | 51.51, -179.37 |
| 1954-04-11 09:25 | 6.2 mw | Carlsberg Ridge | 15 km | 10.68, 57.17 |
| 1954-04-11 02:03 | 6.2 mw | 113 km SSE of Panguna, Papua New Guinea | 35 km | -7.24, 155.94 |
| 1954-04-08 15:40 | 6.3 mw | southern East Pacific Rise | 15 km | -23.06, -115.25 |
| 1954-04-04 22:14 | 6.0 mw | 69 km SE of Shizunai-furukawach?, Japan | 56 km | 41.83, 142.86 |
| 1954-04-01 17:18 | 6.2 mw | Kuril Islands | 17 km | 46.53, 153.66 |
| 1954-03-31 17:25 | 7.1 mw | Owen Fracture Zone region | 15 km | 12.18, 58.00 |
| 1954-03-30 17:41 | 6.1 mw | 12 km S of Volcano, Hawaii | 15 km | 19.33, -155.24 |
| 1954-03-29 05:17 | 7.8 mw | Strait of Gibraltar | 626 km | 36.99, -3.61 |
| 1954-03-29 03:01 | 6.1 mw | 110 km SW of Basco, Philippines | 25 km | 19.65, 121.34 |
| 1954-03-28 19:36 | 6.3 mw | 239 km SE of Attu Station, Alaska | 35 km | 51.36, 175.71 |
| 1954-03-19 08:54 | 6.4 mw | The 1954 San Jacinto Fault, California Earthquake | 6 km | 33.30, -116.08 |
| 1954-03-14 07:52 | 6.2 mw | 161 km ENE of Labasa, Fiji | 15 km | -15.66, -179.35 |
| 1954-03-09 04:39 | 6.3 mw | 118 km SE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 28 km | 50.00, 157.42 |
| 1954-03-09 01:21 | 6.2 mw | central Mid-Atlantic Ridge | 15 km | 0.50, -30.02 |
| 1954-03-03 05:03 | 6.8 mw | 32 km WNW of Tari, Papua New Guinea | 15 km | -5.70, 142.69 |
| 1954-02-27 23:55 | 6.5 mw | 176 km SE of Naze, Japan | 20 km | 27.18, 130.67 |
| 1954-02-23 05:40 | 6.2 mw | 12 km ENE of Trashi Yangtse, Bhutan | 15 km | 27.67, 91.60 |
| 1954-02-20 20:28 | 6.1 mw | Kermadec Islands region | 15 km | -30.35, -176.66 |
| 1954-02-19 20:34 | 6.8 mw | 33 km W of Masachapa, Nicaragua | 35 km | 11.78, -86.82 |
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 Nov 1, 2026 · SHA-256 f37622130d7b… - 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…