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 · 11/5/26
Positions and magnitudes from the USGS catalogue; heights exaggerated. Base map: local NASA Blue Marble.
Catalogued earthquakes M ≥ 4.5
312,402
1900 → 2026-11-05
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 11/5/26
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 · 11/5/26
Current · provisional
Latest catalogued earthquake
M 4.8
2026-11-05 09:09 UTC · Sea of Okhotsk
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 11/5/26
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 · 11/5/26
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 · 11/5/26
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 · 11/5/26
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 · 11/5/26
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 · 11/5/26
| Date (UTC) | M | Place | Depth | Lat., lon. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920-12-25 11:33 | 7.0 mw | 139 km ENE of Baiyin, China | 15 km | 37.24, 105.47 |
| 1920-12-19 20:10 | 6.3 mw | 34 km ENE of Namie, Japan | 35 km | 37.59, 141.37 |
| 1920-12-17 19:00 | 6.7 mw | 26 km S of Nueve de Julio, Argentina | 15 km | -31.90, -68.41 |
| 1920-12-16 12:05 | 7.9 mw | 125 km E of Baiyin, China | 15 km | 36.36, 105.55 |
| 1920-12-13 03:43 | 6.4 mw | 277 km WSW of Gizo, Solomon Islands | 15 km | -9.07, 154.52 |
| 1920-12-10 04:25 | 7.3 mw | 50 km SSW of Carahue, Chile | 25 km | -39.10, -73.46 |
| 1920-12-05 10:01 | 6.5 mw | central Mid-Atlantic Ridge | 10 km | 0.01, -19.66 |
| 1920-12-04 05:51 | 6.4 mw | off the coast of South Africa | 10 km | -38.85, 23.07 |
| 1920-11-26 08:51 | 6.2 mw | 3 km SE of Tepelenë, Albania | 15 km | 40.27, 20.05 |
| 1920-11-16 08:31 | 6.4 mw | Beaufort Sea | 15 km | 72.74, -131.31 |
| 1920-11-12 05:42 | 6.4 mw | central Mid-Atlantic Ridge | 10 km | 0.70, -28.11 |
| 1920-10-28 07:23 | 6.3 mw | 200 km SW of Adak, Alaska | 15 km | 50.71, -178.82 |
| 1920-10-22 11:09 | 6.6 mw | 152 km WNW of Tocopilla, Chile | 15 km | -21.60, -71.58 |
| 1920-10-20 18:16 | 6.1 mw | 46 km WNW of Yonakuni, Japan | 35 km | 24.70, 122.62 |
| 1920-10-20 09:02 | 6.9 mw | 55 km SE of Yilan, Taiwan | 15 km | 24.36, 122.08 |
| 1920-10-18 07:11 | 7.1 mw | 147 km E of Kuril’sk, Russia | 60 km | 45.39, 149.74 |
| 1920-10-12 05:54 | 6.4 mw | 192 km SSE of Hotan, China | 20 km | 35.45, 80.56 |
| 1920-10-08 15:50 | 6.3 mw | 9 km S of El Zapotal, Mexico | 10 km | 16.66, -91.45 |
| 1920-10-07 19:54 | 6.5 mw | 57 km NNE of Salvación, Peru | 15 km | -12.39, -71.09 |
| 1920-09-24 20:55 | 6.3 mw | 192 km S of Burica, Panama | 15 km | 6.32, -82.59 |
| 1920-09-23 04:32 | 6.3 mw | 179 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 35 km | 49.17, 155.22 |
| 1920-09-21 16:42 | 6.4 mw | east of the Kuril Islands | 15 km | 44.85, 153.47 |
| 1920-09-20 22:35 | 6.0 mw | 251 km WSW of Altai, Mongolia | 10 km | 45.37, 93.35 |
| 1920-09-20 13:39 | 8.1 mw | 1920 Vanuatu Earthquake | 25 km | -19.98, 168.48 |
| 1920-09-09 17:56 | 6.5 mw | Fiji region | 15 km | -14.92, 173.11 |
| 1920-09-08 00:45 | 6.7 mw | south of the Fiji Islands | 35 km | -24.42, -176.35 |
| 1920-09-07 04:55 | 6.3 mw | 2 km SW of Molazzana, Italy | 15 km | 44.06, 10.40 |
| 1920-09-04 13:09 | 7.0 mw | Bouvet Island region | 10 km | -55.71, 0.96 |
| 1920-08-26 22:00 | 6.2 mw | 61 km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska | 35 km | 52.39, -169.04 |
| 1920-08-25 20:53 | 6.2 mw | 145 km E of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea | 35 km | -5.59, 151.45 |
| 1920-08-20 15:15 | 7.0 mw | 19 km SW of Angol, Chile | 15 km | -37.91, -72.89 |
| 1920-08-15 07:16 | 6.6 mw | 168 km SSE of Lata, Solomon Islands | 35 km | -12.12, 166.43 |
| 1920-08-13 01:02 | 6.1 mw | 40 km SSE of Vallegrande, Bolivia | 15 km | -18.81, -63.91 |
| 1920-08-03 18:57 | 7.0 mw | 32 km NW of Fiambalá, Argentina | 15 km | -27.48, -67.87 |
| 1920-08-03 02:01 | 6.3 mw | 196 km ESE of Pondaguitan, Philippines | 15 km | 5.90, 127.89 |
| 1920-07-19 23:21 | 6.2 mw | southern Pacific Ocean | 10 km | -64.58, -115.22 |
| 1920-07-07 17:41 | 6.1 mw | 109 km E of McCarthy, Alaska | 15 km | 61.26, -140.90 |
| 1920-07-06 02:00 | 6.3 mw | 53 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 15 km | -14.64, 166.79 |
| 1920-07-03 23:11 | 6.0 mw | north of Ascension Island | 10 km | -0.97, -15.24 |
| 1920-07-02 20:36 | 6.4 mw | 168 km SE of Amahai, Indonesia | 15 km | -4.37, 130.05 |
| 1920-06-09 10:30 | 7.0 mw | 188 km SSE of Amahai, Indonesia | 15 km | -4.88, 129.64 |
| 1920-06-05 03:21 | 8.2 mw | 1920 Hualien, Taiwan Earthquake | 20 km | 23.69, 121.95 |
| 1920-05-26 11:22 | 6.4 mw | 115 km NNE of Hihifo, Tonga | 35 km | -14.95, -173.50 |
| 1920-05-20 06:26 | 6.8 mw | 195 km NNW of Sola, Vanuatu | 80 km | -12.33, 166.68 |
| 1920-05-19 11:41 | 6.3 mw | Banda Sea | 35 km | -6.39, 125.16 |
| 1920-05-19 02:10 | 6.3 mw | 210 km ESE of Tarakan, Indonesia | 35 km | 2.51, 119.30 |
| 1920-05-13 00:48 | 7.0 mw | 42 km ESE of Wewak, Papua New Guinea | 25 km | -3.65, 144.00 |
| 1920-05-07 20:31 | 7.0 mw | 147 km SSW of Gizo, Solomon Islands | 15 km | -9.36, 156.41 |
| 1920-05-07 04:40 | 6.9 mw | 46 km SE of Tarragona, Philippines | 35 km | 6.80, 126.79 |
| 1920-05-02 07:28 | 6.3 mw | Southern Qinghai, China | 15 km | 35.92, 90.44 |
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 5, 2026 · SHA-256 e808ba4482a1… - 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…