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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-12-21 06:24 | 6.3 mwc | 171 km WSW of Adak, Alaska | 25 km | 51.37, -178.98 |
| 2007-12-20 06:55 | 6.6 mwc | 46 km SSE of Gisborne, New Zealand | 20 km | -39.01, 178.29 |
| 2007-12-19 08:30 | 7.2 mwc | 207 km WSW of Adak, Alaska | 34 km | 51.36, -179.51 |
| 2007-12-16 07:09 | 6.7 mwb | 80 km NNE of Antofagasta, Chile | 45 km | -22.95, -70.18 |
| 2007-12-15 08:39 | 6.4 mwc | 214 km WSW of Tual, Indonesia | 57 km | -6.62, 131.09 |
| 2007-12-15 07:03 | 6.0 mwc | 121 km NNE of Lospalos, Timor Leste | 176 km | -7.53, 127.47 |
| 2007-12-13 14:51 | 6.2 mwc | 147 km SSW of Lotofag?, Samoa | 17 km | -15.21, -172.37 |
| 2007-12-13 06:23 | 6.2 mwc | 52 km NNW of Antofagasta, Chile | 16 km | -23.20, -70.55 |
| 2007-12-13 04:20 | 6.0 mwc | 55 km N of Antofagasta, Chile | 15 km | -23.16, -70.48 |
| 2007-12-09 06:28 | 7.8 mwc | south of the Fiji Islands | 153 km | -26.00, -177.51 |
| 2007-11-29 18:00 | 7.4 mwb | 18 km WNW of Basse-Pointe, Martinique | 156 km | 14.94, -61.27 |
| 2007-11-29 02:26 | 6.3 mwc | West Chile Rise | 10 km | -36.76, -97.40 |
| 2007-11-27 10:49 | 6.6 mwc | 60 km SSE of Kirakira, Solomon Islands | 16 km | -10.95, 162.15 |
| 2007-11-25 18:53 | 6.5 mwc | 34 km N of Dompu, Indonesia | 18 km | -8.22, 118.47 |
| 2007-11-25 16:41 | 6.0 mwb | 110 km W of Sungai Penuh, Indonesia | 35 km | -2.24, 100.41 |
| 2007-11-25 15:02 | 6.5 mwc | 28 km NNW of Dompu, Indonesia | 20 km | -8.29, 118.37 |
| 2007-11-22 07:48 | 6.8 mwc | 107 km N of Lae, Papua New Guinea | 53 km | -5.76, 147.10 |
| 2007-11-20 16:55 | 6.1 mwc | 81 km N of Antofagasta, Chile | 15 km | -22.92, -70.48 |
| 2007-11-20 11:52 | 6.0 mwb | 68 km SSE of Panguna, Papua New Guinea | 53 km | -6.91, 155.67 |
| 2007-11-19 14:20 | 6.0 mwc | Vanuatu region | 10 km | -21.97, 173.49 |
| 2007-11-18 23:52 | 6.3 mwb | Fiji region | 558 km | -21.18, -178.75 |
| 2007-11-18 04:40 | 6.0 mwb | Jujuy, Argentina | 246 km | -22.64, -66.32 |
| 2007-11-16 02:13 | 6.8 mwc | 30 km E of Macas, Ecuador | 123 km | -2.31, -77.84 |
| 2007-11-15 14:05 | 6.8 mwc | 82 km NNE of Antofagasta, Chile | 26 km | -22.92, -70.24 |
| 2007-11-15 14:03 | 6.3 mwc | 86 km N of Antofagasta, Chile | 27 km | -22.87, -70.41 |
| 2007-11-14 14:40 | 7.7 mwc | 36 km ESE of Tocopilla, Chile | 40 km | -22.25, -69.89 |
| 2007-11-10 00:13 | 6.6 mwc | north of Macquarie Island | 10 km | -51.78, 161.32 |
| 2007-11-02 21:31 | 6.1 mwb | Pacific-Antarctic Ridge | 10 km | -55.47, -128.97 |
| 2007-10-31 12:44 | 6.0 mwc | 131 km WSW of Adak, Alaska | 28 km | 51.42, -178.38 |
| 2007-10-31 02:30 | 7.2 mwb | Pagan region, Northern Mariana Islands | 207 km | 18.90, 145.39 |
| 2007-10-25 11:50 | 6.1 mwc | east of the Kuril Islands | 20 km | 46.01, 154.23 |
| 2007-10-24 19:02 | 6.8 mwc | 138 km W of Bengkulu, Indonesia | 21 km | -3.90, 101.02 |
| 2007-10-21 08:24 | 6.0 mwb | 79 km W of Panguna, Papua New Guinea | 46 km | -6.31, 154.77 |
| 2007-10-16 19:05 | 6.6 mwc | south of the Fiji Islands | 509 km | -25.78, 179.53 |
| 2007-10-15 19:28 | 6.1 mwc | 72 km NNW of Te Anau, New Zealand | 19 km | -44.79, 167.46 |
| 2007-10-15 10:29 | 6.8 mwc | 70 km N of Te Anau, New Zealand | 18 km | -44.80, 167.55 |
| 2007-10-13 15:45 | 6.1 mwb | 140 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia | 37 km | -21.23, 169.20 |
| 2007-10-09 13:03 | 6.0 mwb | 86 km SE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea | 39 km | -4.81, 152.89 |
| 2007-10-06 10:38 | 6.1 mwc | Mariana Islands region | 20 km | 18.73, 147.15 |
| 2007-10-05 05:17 | 6.5 mwc | south of the Fiji Islands | 509 km | -25.19, 179.46 |
| 2007-10-04 10:40 | 6.2 mwb | off the west coast of northern Sumatra | 35 km | 2.54, 92.90 |
| 2007-10-02 16:00 | 6.3 mwc | 72 km SSE of King Cove, Alaska | 32 km | 54.51, -161.71 |
| 2007-09-30 07:47 | 6.6 mwc | Auckland Islands, New Zealand region | 18 km | -49.14, 164.11 |
| 2007-09-30 03:23 | 7.4 mwc | Auckland Islands, New Zealand region | 10 km | -49.27, 164.12 |
| 2007-09-30 00:08 | 6.9 mwb | south of the Mariana Islands | 14 km | 10.45, 145.72 |
| 2007-09-29 03:37 | 6.0 mwc | 106 km WNW of Sinabang, Indonesia | 35 km | 2.90, 95.52 |
| 2007-09-28 11:38 | 7.5 mwc | Volcano Islands, Japan region | 260 km | 22.01, 142.67 |
| 2007-09-27 23:35 | 6.5 mwb | 161 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia | 10 km | -21.13, 169.37 |
| 2007-09-27 23:01 | 6.3 mwc | 158 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia | 12 km | -21.21, 169.36 |
| 2007-09-27 17:57 | 6.1 mwb | 153 km ENE of Tadine, New Caledonia | 9 km | -21.10, 169.28 |
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…