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 5.2
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 · 10/26/26
Positions and magnitudes from the USGS catalogue; heights exaggerated. Base map: local NASA Blue Marble.
Catalogued earthquakes M ≥ 4.5
312,154
1900 → 2026-10-26
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/26/26
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 · 10/26/26
Current · provisional
Latest catalogued earthquake
M 5.2
2026-10-26 11:13 UTC · 205 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/26/26
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 · 10/26/26
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 · 10/26/26
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 · 10/26/26
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 · 10/26/26
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 · 10/23/26
| # | 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 · 10/26/26
| Date (UTC) | M | Place | Depth | Lat., lon. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007-07-17 07:39 | 6.1 mwc | south of the Fiji Islands | 10 km | -26.21, -177.74 |
| 2007-07-16 12:17 | 6.8 mwb | 133 km WNW of Mikuni, Japan | 350 km | 36.81, 134.85 |
| 2007-07-15 23:13 | 6.6 mwc | 20 km NNW of Kashiwazaki, Japan | 12 km | 37.54, 138.45 |
| 2007-07-15 11:08 | 6.1 mwc | 74 km SE of Nikolski, Alaska | 15 km | 52.49, -168.04 |
| 2007-07-15 07:27 | 6.1 mwc | 149 km ENE of Norsup, Vanuatu | 8 km | -15.38, 168.60 |
| 2007-07-13 19:54 | 6.0 mwc | 24 km E of Adak, Alaska | 35 km | 51.84, -176.28 |
| 2007-07-12 03:23 | 6.1 mwc | 52 km NNE of Pucallpa, Peru | 152 km | -7.93, -74.38 |
| 2007-07-05 23:09 | 6.1 mwc | 6 km N of Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico | 113 km | 16.35, -93.99 |
| 2007-07-03 06:26 | 6.3 mwc | central Mid-Atlantic Ridge | 10 km | 0.72, -30.27 |
| 2007-06-28 00:52 | 6.7 mwb | 206 km SSW of Panguna, Papua New Guinea | 18 km | -7.98, 154.64 |
| 2007-06-26 20:23 | 6.0 mwc | south of Java, Indonesia | 10 km | -10.49, 108.15 |
| 2007-06-23 22:25 | 6.5 mwc | southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge | 10 km | -55.64, -2.63 |
| 2007-06-18 04:18 | 6.3 mwc | 109 km S of Kavieng, Papua New Guinea | 9 km | -3.55, 150.96 |
| 2007-06-13 17:29 | 6.7 mwc | 43 km SSE of Iztapa, Guatemala | 23 km | 13.55, -90.62 |
| 2007-06-06 22:40 | 6.2 mwb | 152 km SSW of Lorengau, Papua New Guinea | 5 km | -3.32, 146.76 |
| 2007-06-02 19:34 | 6.1 mwb | 119 km NNE of Jinghong, China | 5 km | 23.03, 101.05 |
| 2007-05-30 18:22 | 6.4 mwb | 89 km NE of Ozernovskiy, Russia | 116 km | 52.14, 157.29 |
| 2007-05-29 07:36 | 6.1 mwc | 200 km S of Sofifi, Indonesia | 24 km | -1.06, 127.34 |
| 2007-05-28 23:03 | 6.1 mwb | 54 km WSW of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea | 133 km | -4.59, 151.84 |
| 2007-05-17 17:29 | 6.0 mwc | Kermadec Islands, New Zealand | 41 km | -30.66, -178.20 |
| 2007-05-16 06:56 | 6.3 mwc | 40 km NE of Ban Houakhoua, Laos | 9 km | 20.50, 100.73 |
| 2007-05-07 09:15 | 6.1 mwb | Off the coast of Aisen, Chile | 10 km | -44.85, -80.45 |
| 2007-05-06 20:01 | 6.1 mwb | 206 km SE of Levuka, Fiji | 688 km | -19.41, -179.32 |
| 2007-05-06 19:11 | 6.5 mwc | 203 km SE of Levuka, Fiji | 676 km | -19.40, -179.35 |
| 2007-05-05 06:51 | 6.1 mwc | western Xizang | 9 km | 34.25, 81.97 |
| 2007-05-04 10:06 | 6.2 mwb | north of Ascension Island | 7 km | -1.41, -14.92 |
| 2007-04-29 10:41 | 6.2 mwb | 230 km W of Adak, Alaska | 117 km | 52.01, -179.97 |
| 2007-04-28 12:02 | 6.1 mwc | east of the South Sandwich Islands | 10 km | -60.79, -20.21 |
| 2007-04-25 11:34 | 6.4 mwc | 86 km NNW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 55 km | -14.28, 166.86 |
| 2007-04-21 15:53 | 6.2 mwb | 18 km N of Puerto Aysén, Chile | 37 km | -45.24, -72.65 |
| 2007-04-21 15:20 | 6.1 mwc | 76 km W of Sola, Vanuatu | 41 km | -13.84, 166.84 |
| 2007-04-21 05:12 | 6.1 mwb | 119 km SSE of Kavieng, Papua New Guinea | 407 km | -3.55, 151.27 |
| 2007-04-20 00:23 | 6.0 mwc | 94 km NNW of Hirara, Japan | 11 km | 25.62, 125.04 |
| 2007-04-19 23:45 | 6.3 mwc | 102 km N of Hirara, Japan | 9 km | 25.71, 125.11 |
| 2007-04-19 22:26 | 6.1 mwc | 103 km NNW of Hirara, Japan | 10 km | 25.72, 125.09 |
| 2007-04-16 11:20 | 6.4 mwc | west of Macquarie Island | 10 km | -58.02, 147.96 |
| 2007-04-13 16:24 | 6.1 mwb | southern East Pacific Rise | 10 km | -35.05, -108.84 |
| 2007-04-13 03:42 | 6.0 mwb | 5 km SE of El Paraíso, Mexico | 34 km | 17.30, -100.20 |
| 2007-04-12 16:24 | 6.0 mwb | Balleny Islands region | 10 km | -61.83, 160.96 |
| 2007-04-07 07:51 | 6.1 mwc | 89 km WNW of Sinabang, Indonesia | 30 km | 2.92, 95.70 |
| 2007-04-07 05:09 | 6.1 mwc | 82 km SE of Senhora do Rosário, Portugal | 8 km | 37.31, -24.49 |
| 2007-04-05 01:56 | 6.3 mwc | 74 km SE of Povoação, Portugal | 14 km | 37.31, -24.62 |
| 2007-04-04 09:02 | 6.5 mwc | 129 km S of Isangel, Vanuatu | 10 km | -20.69, 169.06 |
| 2007-04-04 09:00 | 6.2 mwc | 134 km NE of Tadine, New Caledonia | 13 km | -20.72, 168.83 |
| 2007-04-04 04:34 | 6.4 mwc | 54 km NW of Gizo, Solomon Islands | 17 km | -7.76, 156.49 |
| 2007-04-03 22:39 | 6.0 mwb | 110 km SE of Panguna, Papua New Guinea | 10 km | -7.14, 156.05 |
| 2007-04-03 18:26 | 6.2 mwc | 124 km SSW of Isangel, Vanuatu | 12 km | -20.63, 168.99 |
| 2007-04-03 10:04 | 6.1 mwc | 117 km WNW of Gizo, Solomon Islands | 8 km | -7.86, 155.80 |
| 2007-04-03 01:35 | 6.2 mwb | 47 km SSW of Jurm, Afghanistan | 222 km | 36.45, 70.69 |
| 2007-04-02 21:20 | 6.2 mwb | 82 km SE of Gizo, Solomon Islands | 18 km | -8.62, 157.39 |
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 26, 2026 · SHA-256 54eb2b59eac4… - 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…