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 4.6
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 · 10/27/26
Positions and magnitudes from the USGS catalogue; heights exaggerated. Base map: local NASA Blue Marble.
Catalogued earthquakes M ≥ 4.5
312,191
1900 → 2026-10-27
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/27/26
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 · 10/27/26
Current · provisional
Latest catalogued earthquake
M 4.6
2026-10-27 11:01 UTC · 5 km ENE of Tierra y Libertad, Mexico
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/27/26
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 · 10/27/26
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 · 10/27/26
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 · 10/27/26
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 · 10/27/26
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 · 10/27/26
| Date (UTC) | M | Place | Depth | Lat., lon. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004-05-06 23:26 | 6.3 mwc | 252 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia | 14 km | -21.99, 170.28 |
| 2004-05-03 02:36 | 6.6 mwb | 11 km N of Cañete, Chile | 21 km | -37.70, -73.41 |
| 2004-04-28 22:57 | 6.2 mwb | 49 km SW of La Cruz, Costa Rica | 10 km | 10.80, -86.00 |
| 2004-04-27 21:28 | 6.0 mwc | 59 km W of Port-Vila, Vanuatu | 10 km | -17.76, 167.76 |
| 2004-04-24 05:44 | 6.1 mwb | 64 km SSE of ‘Ohonua, Tonga | 8 km | -21.90, -174.82 |
| 2004-04-22 23:50 | 6.7 mwb | 105 km WNW of Naisano Dua, Indonesia | 66 km | -9.36, 122.84 |
| 2004-04-22 12:16 | 6.0 mwb | 153 km SSW of Lorengau, Papua New Guinea | 35 km | -3.36, 146.85 |
| 2004-04-22 08:11 | 6.0 mwc | 48 km WNW of Port-Vila, Vanuatu | 10 km | -17.59, 167.89 |
| 2004-04-16 19:57 | 6.0 mwb | southern Sumatra, Indonesia | 45 km | -5.21, 102.72 |
| 2004-04-16 14:58 | 6.0 mwb | south of Tonga | 10 km | -24.52, -175.88 |
| 2004-04-15 18:06 | 6.3 mwb | 41 km ENE of Isangel, Vanuatu | 10 km | -19.37, 169.63 |
| 2004-04-14 21:07 | 6.0 mwb | 38 km ENE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 12 km | 71.07, -7.75 |
| 2004-04-13 23:54 | 6.2 mwb | 112 km S of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia | 51 km | 55.23, 162.66 |
| 2004-04-13 23:33 | 6.0 mwc | 107 km NW of Neiafu, Tonga | 144 km | -17.85, -174.56 |
| 2004-04-11 16:06 | 6.1 mwb | 38 km E of Kushiro, Japan | 42 km | 42.92, 144.84 |
| 2004-04-11 05:37 | 6.2 mwc | 139 km SSW of Abepura, Indonesia | 20 km | -3.73, 140.08 |
| 2004-04-09 13:23 | 6.5 mwb | 86 km NNW of Sola, Vanuatu | 228 km | -13.17, 167.20 |
| 2004-04-08 02:57 | 6.4 mwc | West Chile Rise | 10 km | -36.26, -97.83 |
| 2004-04-05 19:24 | 6.6 mwb | Afghanistan-Tajikistan-Pakistan region | 187 km | 36.51, 71.03 |
| 2004-04-05 18:34 | 6.2 mwb | 81 km SSE of Pangai, Tonga | 8 km | -20.44, -173.94 |
| 2004-04-03 21:02 | 6.0 mwc | 37 km ESE of Hitachi, Japan | 31 km | 36.43, 141.01 |
| 2004-03-27 17:47 | 6.0 mwb | western Xizang | 8 km | 33.95, 89.18 |
| 2004-03-18 19:04 | 6.2 mwc | 289 km SSW of ‘Ohonua, Tonga | 10 km | -23.76, -176.00 |
| 2004-03-17 04:21 | 6.1 mwb | 74 km WSW of Kastrí, Greece | 25 km | 34.59, 23.33 |
| 2004-03-17 02:21 | 6.1 mwb | 38 km NNE of Tupiza, Bolivia | 290 km | -21.12, -65.59 |
| 2004-03-14 15:30 | 6.1 mwb | 214 km SE of Hihifo, Tonga | 12 km | -17.27, -172.32 |
| 2004-03-12 21:13 | 6.0 mwb | 145 km WNW of Hihifo, Tonga | 272 km | -15.58, -175.10 |
| 2004-03-09 21:56 | 6.2 mwc | south of the Kermadec Islands | 18 km | -32.26, -178.36 |
| 2004-03-08 22:39 | 6.0 mwb | northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge | 10 km | 10.48, -43.92 |
| 2004-03-07 10:08 | 6.0 mwb | south of the Kermadec Islands | 7 km | -32.38, -178.19 |
| 2004-03-02 02:47 | 6.2 mwc | 33 km SW of Masachapa, Nicaragua | 28 km | 11.61, -86.77 |
| 2004-02-26 21:58 | 6.0 mwb | Macquarie Island region | 10 km | -53.16, 159.65 |
| 2004-02-26 19:32 | 6.3 mwc | Mauritius - Reunion region | 10 km | -18.17, 66.42 |
| 2004-02-24 01:27 | 6.4 mwb | 11 km SSW of Tirhanimîne, Morocco | 0 km | 35.14, -4.00 |
| 2004-02-23 15:04 | 6.3 mwb | 171 km SSE of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna | 31 km | -14.74, -175.63 |
| 2004-02-22 05:46 | 6.0 mwb | 69 km SSE of Padang, Indonesia | 42 km | -1.56, 100.49 |
| 2004-02-21 01:34 | 6.6 mwb | east of the South Sandwich Islands | 10 km | -58.42, -14.96 |
| 2004-02-20 04:58 | 6.0 mwb | 120 km SE of Lata, Solomon Islands | 84 km | -11.61, 166.45 |
| 2004-02-08 07:58 | 6.7 mwc | 38 km SSW of Nabire, Indonesia | 26 km | -3.66, 135.34 |
| 2004-02-07 01:42 | 7.3 mwb | Near the south coast of Papua, Indonesia | 10 km | -4.00, 135.02 |
| 2004-02-05 20:05 | 7.0 mwc | 28 km S of Nabire, Indonesia | 17 km | -3.62, 135.54 |
| 2004-02-04 10:59 | 6.1 mwb | 2 km S of Finca Blanco, Panama | 29 km | 8.36, -82.88 |
| 2004-01-29 02:52 | 6.1 mwb | southern East Pacific Rise | 10 km | -50.21, -114.78 |
| 2004-01-28 21:15 | 6.7 mwb | 107 km NW of Ambon, Indonesia | 17 km | -3.12, 127.40 |
| 2004-01-25 10:43 | 6.7 mwb | 105 km SSW of Hihifo, Tonga | 130 km | -16.83, -174.20 |
| 2004-01-16 17:07 | 6.2 mwb | central Mid-Atlantic Ridge | 10 km | 7.64, -37.70 |
| 2004-01-15 06:26 | 6.2 mwb | 109 km SSE of Kavieng, Papua New Guinea | 10 km | -3.53, 151.06 |
| 2004-01-11 08:29 | 6.0 mwb | 280 km SE of Levuka, Fiji | 673 km | -20.14, -179.15 |
| 2004-01-11 03:32 | 6.2 mwb | South Indian Ocean | 5 km | -36.70, 53.35 |
| 2004-01-09 21:35 | 6.3 mwc | 22 km NW of Kandrian, Papua New Guinea | 58 km | -6.07, 149.40 |
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 27, 2026 · SHA-256 2a082d988a24… - 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…