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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953-04-30 05:26 | 6.6 mw | 146 km SSE of Isangel, Vanuatu | 45 km | -20.80, 169.70 |
| 1953-04-29 02:31 | 6.2 mw | 16 km WNW of Malango, Solomon Islands | 19 km | -9.64, 159.58 |
| 1953-04-23 15:24 | 7.4 mw | 67 km E of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea | 35 km | -4.45, 152.87 |
| 1953-04-23 02:53 | 6.0 mw | 30 km WSW of Qamdo, China | 10 km | 31.05, 96.87 |
| 1953-04-16 23:02 | 6.1 mw | 52 km WSW of Barranca, Peru | 15 km | -5.01, -77.12 |
| 1953-04-07 22:58 | 6.0 mw | 177 km NNW of Tobelo, Indonesia | 35 km | 3.12, 127.20 |
| 1953-04-05 23:36 | 6.3 mw | 155 km SSW of Tual, Indonesia | 63 km | -6.84, 132.04 |
| 1953-04-04 04:52 | 6.3 mw | 64 km ENE of Hasaki, Japan | 28 km | 35.94, 141.50 |
| 1953-04-03 03:17 | 6.0 mw | 127 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga | 15 km | -20.85, -173.82 |
| 1953-04-02 02:56 | 6.2 mw | 119 km SW of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea | 55 km | -5.22, 151.64 |
| 1953-04-01 10:21 | 6.2 mw | 40 km NW of Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador | 20 km | -0.34, -80.68 |
| 1953-04-01 09:49 | 6.1 mw | 56 km NW of Bahía de Caráquez, Ecuador | 10 km | -0.25, -80.80 |
| 1953-03-19 07:27 | 7.3 mw | 18 km WSW of Soufrière, Saint Lucia | 129 km | 13.81, -61.22 |
| 1953-03-18 18:06 | 7.3 mw | 7 km N of Gönen, Turkey | 10 km | 40.18, 27.65 |
| 1953-03-14 16:00 | 6.3 mw | 3 km NW of Lais, Philippines | 35 km | 6.35, 125.62 |
| 1953-03-10 21:01 | 6.2 mw | southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge | 15 km | -36.46, -16.68 |
| 1953-03-09 09:03 | 6.2 mw | 148 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea | 59 km | -4.92, 153.48 |
| 1953-03-05 20:21 | 6.4 mw | 164 km S of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 30 km | 49.20, 156.08 |
| 1953-03-05 20:01 | 6.3 mw | 102 km E of Ozernovskiy, Russia | 52 km | 51.65, 157.96 |
| 1953-03-03 10:27 | 6.6 mw | 140 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu | 35 km | -20.81, 169.30 |
| 1953-02-26 10:42 | 6.8 mw | 173 km W of Lata, Solomon Islands | 25 km | -10.95, 164.23 |
| 1953-02-25 20:16 | 6.3 mw | 112 km E of Chignik, Alaska | 48 km | 56.19, -156.61 |
| 1953-02-19 14:17 | 6.4 mw | north of Ascension Island | 15 km | -0.15, -17.99 |
| 1953-02-12 07:15 | 6.6 mw | 104 km SSE of D?mgh?n, Iran | 15 km | 35.38, 54.98 |
| 1953-02-10 06:58 | 6.2 mw | 91 km SW of Nikolski, Alaska | 35 km | 52.27, -169.65 |
| 1953-02-07 17:23 | 6.3 mw | 174 km S of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 31 km | 49.10, 156.05 |
| 1953-02-06 12:13 | 6.6 mw | 99 km SSW of Kushiro, Japan | 45 km | 42.11, 144.08 |
| 1953-02-02 08:30 | 6.0 mw | 160 km S of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 35 km | 49.23, 156.23 |
| 1953-01-31 20:52 | 6.1 mw | southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge | 15 km | -15.97, -13.05 |
| 1953-01-27 02:25 | 6.4 mw | 131 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea | 60 km | -4.73, 153.38 |
| 1953-01-27 02:13 | 6.4 mw | 136 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 33 km | 52.39, 160.31 |
| 1953-01-25 18:48 | 6.1 mw | Haiti region | 35 km | 18.39, -73.36 |
| 1953-01-21 00:43 | 6.1 mw | 60 km SSE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 44 km | 50.16, 156.42 |
| 1953-01-19 03:57 | 6.1 mw | 120 km SE of Shizunai-furukawach?, Japan | 44 km | 41.71, 143.56 |
| 1953-01-12 16:23 | 6.6 mw | 63 km SSE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 54 km | 50.14, 156.43 |
| 1953-01-11 21:53 | 6.3 mw | 250 km SSE of Fort McPherson, Canada | 15 km | 65.28, -133.36 |
| 1953-01-07 13:08 | 6.4 mw | 140 km SW of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea | 55 km | -5.37, 151.52 |
| 1953-01-07 04:49 | 6.0 mw | 239 km ENE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 25 km | 53.72, 162.06 |
| 1953-01-05 09:06 | 6.8 mw | 171 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 49 km | 49.20, 155.40 |
| 1953-01-05 06:48 | 7.0 mw | 171 km WNW of Attu Station, Alaska | 21 km | 53.63, 170.97 |
| 1953-01-03 16:46 | 6.0 mw | 147 km SSW of Lorengau, Papua New Guinea | 15 km | -3.30, 146.84 |
| 1952-12-29 01:09 | 6.2 mw | 235 km SE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 12 km | 49.19, 158.48 |
| 1952-12-28 14:01 | 6.5 mw | 85 km E of Pondaguitan, Philippines | 35 km | 6.24, 126.94 |
| 1952-12-27 00:25 | 6.1 mw | 184 km SSE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia | 33 km | 51.42, 159.51 |
| 1952-12-25 21:22 | 6.2 mw | 42 km WNW of Rajanpur, Pakistan | 10 km | 29.25, 69.93 |
| 1952-12-25 02:19 | 6.2 mw | 134 km E of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea | 45 km | -5.54, 151.35 |
| 1952-12-25 01:28 | 6.2 mw | 152 km SSW of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea | 35 km | -5.60, 151.72 |
| 1952-12-24 20:37 | 6.4 mw | 134 km SSW of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea | 35 km | -5.53, 151.99 |
| 1952-12-24 17:39 | 6.8 mw | 125 km SSW of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea | 21 km | -5.42, 151.92 |
| 1952-12-24 07:33 | 6.1 mw | 127 km E of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea | 45 km | -5.35, 151.27 |
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…