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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-05-26 05:41 | 8.0 mww | 78 km NE of Navarro, Peru | 123 km | -5.81, -75.27 |
| 2019-05-23 06:45 | 6.0 mww | 127 km WSW of Adak, Alaska | 30 km | 51.31, -178.24 |
| 2019-05-19 12:56 | 6.3 mww | 164 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia | 20 km | -21.61, 169.47 |
| 2019-05-19 12:27 | 6.0 mww | 176 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia | 16 km | -21.73, 169.58 |
| 2019-05-18 23:23 | 6.3 mww | 196 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia | 20 km | -21.66, 169.78 |
| 2019-05-14 10:58 | 7.6 mww | 48 km NE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea | 10 km | -4.05, 152.60 |
| 2019-05-12 17:24 | 6.0 mww | 1 km W of Breñón, Panama | 19 km | 8.62, -82.83 |
| 2019-05-09 21:48 | 6.2 mww | 43 km ESE of Miyazaki, Japan | 22 km | 31.78, 131.85 |
| 2019-05-06 19:19 | 7.1 mww | 32 km NW of Bulolo, Papua New Guinea | 146 km | -6.97, 146.45 |
| 2019-05-03 05:25 | 6.2 mww | 144 km NNE of Buala, Solomon Islands | 27 km | -6.95, 160.11 |
| 2019-04-29 12:19 | 6.3 mww | Carlsberg Ridge | 10 km | 10.86, 57.23 |
| 2019-04-23 12:20 | 6.0 mww | south of the Fiji Islands | 386 km | -24.71, -178.76 |
| 2019-04-23 03:37 | 6.4 mww | 17 km ESE of Tutubigan, Philippines | 56 km | 11.75, 125.20 |
| 2019-04-22 12:49 | 6.0 mww | South Sandwich Islands region | 79 km | -56.26, -27.35 |
| 2019-04-22 07:11 | 6.1 mww | 3 km WSW of San Francisco, Philippines | 22 km | 14.95, 120.51 |
| 2019-04-18 12:46 | 6.3 mww | western Indian-Antarctic Ridge | 10 km | -51.13, 139.32 |
| 2019-04-18 03:01 | 6.1 mww | 8 km NE of Hualien City, Taiwan | 20 km | 24.04, 121.65 |
| 2019-04-12 12:51 | 6.0 mww | 94 km WSW of Kandrian, Papua New Guinea | 30 km | -6.49, 148.74 |
| 2019-04-12 10:23 | 6.0 mww | 121 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga | 15 km | -15.41, -172.82 |
| 2019-04-12 09:40 | 6.8 mww | Sulawesi, Indonesia | 15 km | -1.81, 122.58 |
| 2019-04-11 06:18 | 6.0 mww | 143 km NE of Miyako, Japan | 18 km | 40.41, 143.30 |
| 2019-04-09 15:53 | 6.5 mww | South Sandwich Islands region | 38 km | -58.63, -25.30 |
| 2019-04-06 19:55 | 6.3 mww | 197 km N of Likisá, Timor Leste | 539 km | -6.83, 125.04 |
| 2019-04-05 14:14 | 6.4 mww | South Sandwich Islands region | 57 km | -55.93, -27.85 |
| 2019-04-02 19:35 | 6.4 mww | Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska | 8 km | 52.17, 178.07 |
| 2019-04-01 16:39 | 6.0 mww | 262 km NE of Port Mathurin, Mauritius | 10 km | -18.21, 65.37 |
| 2019-03-31 05:04 | 6.2 mww | 31 km N of Santa Elena, Ecuador | 18 km | -1.94, -80.81 |
| 2019-03-30 10:20 | 6.2 mww | 108 km E of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea | 41 km | -5.70, 151.11 |
| 2019-03-28 21:06 | 6.2 mww | 266 km ESE of Ozernovskiy, Russia | 9 km | 50.50, 159.94 |
| 2019-03-24 03:37 | 6.1 mww | 146 km NW of Ternate, Indonesia | 45 km | 1.66, 126.40 |
| 2019-03-23 18:21 | 6.1 mww | 3 km WSW of Versalles, Colombia | 122 km | 4.56, -76.22 |
| 2019-03-20 14:23 | 6.3 mww | 53 km E of Luganville, Vanuatu | 119 km | -15.60, 167.66 |
| 2019-03-15 04:03 | 6.3 mww | 31 km SSE of Tarata, Bolivia | 359 km | -17.87, -65.91 |
| 2019-03-10 11:48 | 6.0 mww | 162 km ENE of Samarai, Papua New Guinea | 9 km | -10.13, 152.06 |
| 2019-03-10 07:12 | 6.2 mww | 221 km E of Levuka, Fiji | 578 km | -17.89, -178.60 |
| 2019-03-08 14:06 | 6.0 mww | 40 km N of Santa Monica, Philippines | 30 km | 10.38, 126.01 |
| 2019-03-06 14:46 | 6.4 mww | south of the Kermadec Islands | 29 km | -32.02, -177.88 |
| 2019-03-01 07:50 | 7.0 mww | 22 km NNE of Azángaro, Peru | 267 km | -14.71, -70.15 |
| 2019-02-22 09:17 | 7.5 mww | 115 km ESE of Palora, Ecuador | 145 km | -2.19, -77.05 |
| 2019-02-17 13:35 | 6.4 mww | 95 km N of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea | 368 km | -3.34, 152.13 |
| 2019-02-14 18:57 | 6.2 mww | northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge | 10 km | 35.43, -36.04 |
| 2019-02-12 11:34 | 6.0 mww | Maug Islands region, Northern Mariana Islands | 144 km | 19.02, 145.80 |
| 2019-02-02 08:27 | 6.0 mww | 170 km WSW of Sungai Penuh, Indonesia | 20 km | -2.85, 100.07 |
| 2019-02-01 15:14 | 6.7 mww | 5 km SW of Puerto Madero, Mexico | 66 km | 14.68, -92.45 |
| 2019-01-26 18:56 | 6.2 mww | Fiji region | 588 km | -21.05, -178.96 |
| 2019-01-26 02:51 | 6.2 mww | 116 km SE of Kieta, Papua New Guinea | 355 km | -7.01, 156.32 |
| 2019-01-22 18:01 | 6.7 mww | Prince Edward Islands region | 13 km | -43.12, 42.36 |
| 2019-01-22 04:10 | 6.3 mww | 160 km WSW of Waingapu, Indonesia | 24 km | -10.41, 119.02 |
| 2019-01-21 22:59 | 6.0 mww | 142 km WSW of Waingapu, Indonesia | 26 km | -10.33, 119.15 |
| 2019-01-20 00:32 | 6.7 mww | 10 km SSW of Coquimbo, Chile | 63 km | -30.04, -71.38 |
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…