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 4.7
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 · 10/24/26
Positions and magnitudes from the USGS catalogue; heights exaggerated. Base map: local NASA Blue Marble.
Catalogued earthquakes M ≥ 4.5
312,089
1900 → 2026-10-24
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/24/26
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 · 10/24/26
Latest catalogued earthquake
M 4.7
2026-10-24 09:48 UTC · 72 km S of Basco, Philippines
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/24/26
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 · 10/24/26
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 · 10/24/26
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 · 10/24/26
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/24/26
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 · 10/24/26
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 · 10/24/26
| Date (UTC) | M | Place | Depth | Lat., lon. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009-08-01 11:33 | 6.1 mwc | southern East Pacific Rise | 10 km | -56.23, -124.30 |
| 2009-07-15 18:10 | 6.1 mwc | 94 km SSW of Kavieng, Papua New Guinea | 13 km | -3.38, 150.51 |
| 2009-07-15 07:22 | 7.8 mwc | 97 km WSW of Te Anau, New Zealand | 12 km | -45.76, 166.56 |
| 2009-07-13 16:05 | 6.3 mwc | 61 km E of Hualien City, Taiwan | 17 km | 24.06, 122.20 |
| 2009-07-12 04:12 | 6.1 mwb | 10 km SSW of Tirapata, Peru | 199 km | -15.04, -70.44 |
| 2009-07-08 17:23 | 6.0 mwc | southeast of Easter Island | 12 km | -36.00, -102.69 |
| 2009-07-07 17:11 | 6.1 mwc | Baffin Bay | 19 km | 75.35, -72.45 |
| 2009-07-06 12:53 | 6.1 mwc | Rat Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska | 22 km | 50.44, 176.99 |
| 2009-07-04 04:49 | 6.1 mwc | 4 km NNW of El Porvenir, Panama | 38 km | 9.59, -78.97 |
| 2009-07-03 09:00 | 6.0 mwc | 82 km SSW of Campo Pesquero el Colorado, Mexico | 10 km | 25.13, -109.75 |
| 2009-07-01 07:30 | 6.4 mwc | 95 km S of Néa Anatolí, Greece | 19 km | 34.16, 25.47 |
| 2009-06-23 12:19 | 6.7 mwc | 190 km ESE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea | 64 km | -5.16, 153.78 |
| 2009-06-16 18:05 | 6.1 mwc | Bouvet Island region | 10 km | -54.37, 5.87 |
| 2009-06-14 03:58 | 6.1 mwc | 107 km SE of Caburan, Philippines | 35 km | 5.36, 126.44 |
| 2009-06-12 07:44 | 6.0 mwc | 55 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu | 15 km | -17.61, 167.81 |
| 2009-06-06 18:33 | 6.0 mwc | northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge | 14 km | 23.86, -46.10 |
| 2009-06-05 01:30 | 6.4 mwc | 105 km ESE of Shizunai-furukawach?, Japan | 29 km | 41.82, 143.44 |
| 2009-06-04 15:25 | 6.0 mwc | Prince Edward Islands region | 16 km | -45.83, 35.14 |
| 2009-06-02 00:17 | 6.3 mwc | 38 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu | 15 km | -17.76, 167.95 |
| 2009-05-28 06:24 | 7.3 mwc | 46 km NW of Guanaja, Honduras | 19 km | 16.73, -86.22 |
| 2009-05-23 22:58 | 6.0 mwb | Kermadec Islands region | 4 km | -31.48, -177.68 |
| 2009-05-15 22:53 | 6.5 mwc | Kermadec Islands region | 43 km | -31.55, -178.83 |
| 2009-05-11 23:26 | 6.1 mwc | 60 km N of Kandrian, Papua New Guinea | 89 km | -5.66, 149.54 |
| 2009-05-09 23:16 | 6.1 mwc | off the coast of Ecuador | 6 km | 1.39, -85.17 |
| 2009-05-03 14:21 | 6.3 mwc | 5 km S of San Lucas Tolimán, Guatemala | 108 km | 14.55, -91.14 |
| 2009-04-25 22:06 | 6.1 mwb | Kermadec Islands, New Zealand | 132 km | -30.30, -178.58 |
| 2009-04-21 03:26 | 6.2 mwb | 80 km WNW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 152 km | 50.83, 155.01 |
| 2009-04-19 03:23 | 6.1 mwc | 194 km SE of Sarangani, Philippines | 25 km | 4.14, 126.68 |
| 2009-04-18 17:17 | 6.6 mwc | 290 km ENE of Kuril’sk, Russia | 35 km | 46.02, 151.43 |
| 2009-04-17 00:08 | 6.1 mwc | 77 km NNW of Iquique, Chile | 25 km | -19.58, -70.48 |
| 2009-04-16 12:57 | 6.7 mwc | South Sandwich Islands region | 20 km | -60.20, -26.86 |
| 2009-04-15 18:01 | 6.3 mwc | 155 km SW of Sungai Penuh, Indonesia | 22 km | -3.12, 100.47 |
| 2009-04-07 02:23 | 6.9 mwc | Kuril Islands | 31 km | 46.05, 151.55 |
| 2009-04-05 23:32 | 6.3 mwc | 3 km SE of Sassa, Italy | 9 km | 42.33, 13.33 |
| 2009-04-04 03:31 | 6.3 mwc | Philippine Islands region | 48 km | 5.15, 127.20 |
| 2009-04-01 01:54 | 6.4 mwc | 52 km E of Wewak, Papua New Guinea | 10 km | -3.52, 144.10 |
| 2009-03-28 16:59 | 6.0 mwc | 127 km WSW of Abepura, Indonesia | 93 km | -2.95, 139.54 |
| 2009-03-19 17:17 | 7.6 mwc | 191 km S of ‘Ohonua, Tonga | 31 km | -23.04, -174.66 |
| 2009-03-16 13:15 | 6.3 mwc | 213 km SE of Sarangani, Philippines | 35 km | 3.81, 126.55 |
| 2009-03-12 22:23 | 6.3 mwc | 259 km S of Punta de Burica, Panama | 9 km | 5.69, -82.77 |
| 2009-03-06 09:50 | 6.5 mwc | north of Svalbard | 9 km | 80.32, -1.85 |
| 2009-02-28 13:33 | 6.3 mwc | South Sandwich Islands region | 15 km | -60.52, -24.80 |
| 2009-02-22 16:45 | 6.0 mwc | 226 km SSE of Sarangani, Philippines | 32 km | 3.68, 126.56 |
| 2009-02-18 20:53 | 7.0 mwc | Kermadec Islands region | 25 km | -27.42, -176.33 |
| 2009-02-17 02:30 | 6.0 mwc | Kermadec Islands, New Zealand | 13 km | -30.72, -178.62 |
| 2009-02-15 09:04 | 6.1 mwc | near the coast of northern Peru | 21 km | -5.85, -80.89 |
| 2009-02-12 12:15 | 6.3 mwc | 193 km SE of Sarangani, Philippines | 27 km | 4.04, 126.55 |
| 2009-02-12 07:30 | 6.0 mwc | 211 km SE of Sarangani, Philippines | 35 km | 3.97, 126.72 |
| 2009-02-12 02:49 | 6.0 mwc | 192 km SSE of Sarangani, Philippines | 26 km | 3.95, 126.41 |
| 2009-02-11 17:25 | 6.0 mwc | 211 km SE of Sarangani, Philippines | 35 km | 4.03, 126.78 |
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 24, 2026 · SHA-256 10108b8ff56e… - 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…