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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912-01-31 20:11 | 6.6 mw | Prince William Sound, Alaska | 25 km | 60.68, -147.05 |
| 1912-01-24 16:23 | 6.4 mw | 11 km W of Kyllíni, Greece | 15 km | 37.93, 21.01 |
| 1912-01-04 15:46 | 6.8 mw | 111 km SW of Adak, Alaska | 35 km | 51.27, -177.93 |
| 1911-12-31 06:07 | 6.8 mw | 25 km NNW of Jayapura, Indonesia | 15 km | -2.30, 140.67 |
| 1911-12-16 19:14 | 7.5 mw | 25 km S of Tetitlán, Mexico | 30 km | 16.93, -100.66 |
| 1911-11-22 23:05 | 7.3 mB | 97 km E of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 200 km | -15.10, 167.98 |
| 1911-11-13 16:13 | 6.8 mw | 129 km SSE of Attu Station, Alaska | 20 km | 51.74, 173.75 |
| 1911-11-08 14:11 | 6.6 mw | 53 km ESE of Hasaki, Japan | 15 km | 35.55, 141.38 |
| 1911-10-29 18:08 | 6.6 mw | Galapagos Triple Junction region | 10 km | 5.32, -102.72 |
| 1911-10-20 17:43 | 6.6 mw | 149 km SSE of Lata, Solomon Islands | 35 km | -12.02, 166.20 |
| 1911-10-14 23:24 | 6.6 mw | 88 km ENE of Josh?math, India | 20 km | 30.99, 80.34 |
| 1911-10-13 02:33 | 6.9 mw | 49 km E of Nemuro, Japan | 35 km | 43.39, 146.18 |
| 1911-10-06 10:16 | 6.7 mw | 82 km SE of Enriquillo, Dominican Republic | 35 km | 17.33, -70.74 |
| 1911-09-22 05:01 | 6.3 mw | 27 km ENE of Whittier, Alaska | 25 km | 60.89, -148.25 |
| 1911-09-17 03:26 | 6.9 mw | 216 km SSE of Adak, Alaska | 15 km | 50.12, -175.27 |
| 1911-09-15 13:09 | 6.9 mw | 119 km W of Iquique, Chile | 15 km | -20.18, -71.29 |
| 1911-09-13 03:04 | 6.1 mw | 132 km E of Chignik, Alaska | 35 km | 56.20, -156.27 |
| 1911-09-12 12:53 | 6.1 mw | southeast of the Loyalty Islands | 35 km | -23.38, 172.22 |
| 1911-09-08 22:44 | 6.5 mw | 57 km ENE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 80 km | 50.90, 156.86 |
| 1911-09-06 00:54 | 7.0 mB | 79 km S of Korsakov, Russia | 320 km | 45.92, 142.86 |
| 1911-08-27 10:59 | 6.2 mw | 1 km NE of Huazulco, Mexico | 55 km | 18.76, -98.77 |
| 1911-08-21 16:28 | 7.2 mB | 241 km WNW of Houma, Tonga | 230 km | -20.00, -177.26 |
| 1911-08-16 22:41 | 7.8 mw | State of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia | 15 km | 7.27, 137.02 |
| 1911-07-19 10:00 | 6.9 ms | Kermadec Islands, New Zealand | 195 km | -29.77, -178.26 |
| 1911-07-12 04:07 | 7.7 mw | 74 km ENE of Barcelona, Philippines | 15 km | 8.49, 127.03 |
| 1911-07-11 21:22 | 6.9 ms | 55 km SSW of Sola, Vanuatu | 175 km | -14.29, 167.27 |
| 1911-07-05 18:40 | 7.0 mB | 133 km NNE of Pototano, Indonesia | 305 km | -7.30, 117.93 |
| 1911-07-04 13:33 | 7.4 mB | 50 km SSW of Ashkāsham, Afghanistan | 100 km | 36.28, 71.26 |
| 1911-07-01 21:59 | 6.4 mw | Near Morgan Hill, California | 10 km | 37.11, -121.64 |
| 1911-06-15 14:25 | 7.9 mw | 108 km NW of Naze, Japan | 150 km | 29.14, 128.80 |
| 1911-06-07 11:02 | 7.6 mw | 19 km W of Arteaga, Mexico | 30 km | 18.36, -102.47 |
| 1911-05-04 23:36 | 7.4 mB | 95 km NNE of Ozernovskiy, Russia | 150 km | 52.22, 157.25 |
| 1911-04-28 18:35 | 6.5 mB | south of the Fiji Islands | 400 km | -26.56, 178.12 |
| 1911-04-28 09:52 | 7.4 mw | 128 km SSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 560 km | -9.21, -71.27 |
| 1911-04-18 18:14 | 6.5 mw | 30 km SSE of Rāvar, Iran | 15 km | 31.02, 56.95 |
| 1911-04-10 18:42 | 6.4 mw | 43 km E of El Bagre, Colombia | 70 km | 7.54, -74.42 |
| 1911-04-04 15:43 | 6.1 mw | 29 km ENE of Mesariá, Greece | 15 km | 36.52, 25.74 |
| 1911-03-24 03:18 | 6.1 mw | 23 km ENE of Puli, Taiwan | 15 km | 24.04, 121.19 |
| 1911-03-06 17:20 | 6.8 ms | 37 km E of Lamitan, Philippines | 100 km | 6.02, 126.04 |
| 1911-02-23 11:04 | 7.0 mw | 12 km SE of Ginowan, Japan | 35 km | 26.18, 127.85 |
| 1911-02-18 21:25 | 6.6 mw | 17 km NNW of Bilisht, Albania | 15 km | 40.76, 20.89 |
| 1911-02-18 18:31 | 7.2 mw | 120 km W of Murghob, Tajikistan | 15 km | 38.29, 72.60 |
| 1911-01-03 23:16 | 8.0 mw | The 1911 Kemin Earthquake, Kyrgyzstan | 20 km | 42.92, 76.81 |
| 1911-01-01 14:49 | 6.4 mw | 21 km WNW of Balkh, Afghanistan | 35 km | 36.82, 66.67 |
| 1911-01-01 10:08 | 6.8 mw | 40 km SW of Qarchī Gak, Afghanistan | 35 km | 36.82, 66.43 |
| 1910-12-18 02:35 | 6.5 mw | 62 km S of Sarangani, Philippines | 35 km | 4.84, 125.54 |
| 1910-12-16 14:35 | 7.6 mw | 101 km SE of Sarangani, Philippines | 15 km | 4.67, 126.02 |
| 1910-12-14 20:36 | 7.2 mB | 280 km WNW of Houma, Tonga | 440 km | -20.34, -177.85 |
| 1910-12-13 11:28 | 6.9 mw | 39 km WSW of Karema, Tanzania | 15 km | -7.02, 30.14 |
| 1910-12-10 09:17 | 7.5 mw | 47 km ESE of Kirakira, Solomon Islands | 35 km | -10.68, 162.29 |
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…