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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002-10-06 13:46 | 6.3 mwc | 39 km NNW of Dompu, Indonesia | 10 km | -8.20, 118.34 |
| 2002-10-04 17:05 | 6.3 mwc | Fiji region | 621 km | -20.99, -179.02 |
| 2002-10-03 17:05 | 6.0 mwc | 90 km NE of Singaraja, Indonesia | 316 km | -7.53, 115.66 |
| 2002-10-03 14:08 | 6.5 mwc | 111 km ESE of La Rivera, Mexico | 10 km | 23.32, -108.53 |
| 2002-09-24 21:01 | 6.3 mwc | 80 km WSW of Kirakira, Solomon Islands | 19 km | -10.65, 161.21 |
| 2002-09-24 20:54 | 6.3 mwc | 89 km W of Kirakira, Solomon Islands | 10 km | -10.56, 161.11 |
| 2002-09-24 02:13 | 6.1 mwc | 79 km W of Kirakira, Solomon Islands | 10 km | -10.54, 161.20 |
| 2002-09-24 01:57 | 6.3 mwc | 29 km SE of Calingasta, Argentina | 120 km | -31.52, -69.20 |
| 2002-09-20 13:43 | 6.4 mwc | 92 km SSE of Manokwari, Indonesia | 10 km | -1.68, 134.23 |
| 2002-09-20 11:33 | 6.0 mwc | 97 km S of Manokwari, Indonesia | 10 km | -1.74, 134.01 |
| 2002-09-17 09:20 | 6.0 mwc | 49 km ESE of Aitape, Papua New Guinea | 10 km | -3.28, 142.77 |
| 2002-09-16 11:23 | 6.3 mwb | 41 km ESE of Aitape, Papua New Guinea | 10 km | -3.31, 142.68 |
| 2002-09-15 06:39 | 6.4 mwc | 21 km ENE of Chaihe, China | 586 km | 44.83, 129.92 |
| 2002-09-13 20:28 | 6.5 mwc | 152 km NNE of Bamboo Flat, India | 21 km | 13.04, 93.07 |
| 2002-09-08 16:44 | 7.6 mwc | 68 km ESE of Aitape, Papua New Guinea | 13 km | -3.30, 142.94 |
| 2002-09-08 11:15 | 6.0 mwb | south of the Fiji Islands | 619 km | -22.84, 178.93 |
| 2002-09-07 06:14 | 6.0 mwc | 129 km NW of Nuku‘alofa, Tonga | 210 km | -20.28, -176.04 |
| 2002-09-05 23:21 | 6.0 mwc | 34 km NNE of Santa Flavia, Italy | 5 km | 38.38, 13.70 |
| 2002-09-01 15:14 | 6.0 mwc | 214 km S of Al Ghayz?ah, Yemen | 10 km | 14.28, 51.94 |
| 2002-08-24 16:40 | 6.1 mwc | 50 km ESE of Nemuro, Japan | 43 km | 43.11, 146.12 |
| 2002-08-20 08:59 | 6.3 mwb | Izu Islands, Japan region | 9 km | 30.99, 141.97 |
| 2002-08-19 09:23 | 6.1 mb | south of the Fiji Islands | 677 km | -23.90, 178.38 |
| 2002-08-19 09:08 | 7.7 mwc | south of the Fiji Islands | 675 km | -23.88, 178.50 |
| 2002-08-19 09:01 | 7.7 mwc | Fiji region | 580 km | -21.70, -179.51 |
| 2002-08-15 03:30 | 6.2 mwc | 68 km ENE of Poso, Indonesia | 10 km | -1.20, 121.33 |
| 2002-08-14 11:57 | 6.5 mwc | 114 km SSE of San Jose Village, Northern Mariana Islands | 30 km | 14.10, 146.20 |
| 2002-08-14 11:12 | 6.3 mwb | 231 km SW of Colonia, Micronesia | 10 km | 7.83, 136.88 |
| 2002-08-12 00:59 | 6.0 mwb | 26 km W of Isangel, Vanuatu | 112 km | -19.51, 169.04 |
| 2002-08-09 11:31 | 6.1 mwc | 257 km W of Hihifo, Tonga | 364 km | -16.31, -176.17 |
| 2002-08-07 21:59 | 6.0 mwb | 20 km S of Punta de Burica, Panama | 10 km | 7.85, -82.90 |
| 2002-08-04 13:16 | 6.0 mwb | southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge | 10 km | -35.46, -16.24 |
| 2002-08-02 21:11 | 6.3 mwb | Izu Islands, Japan region | 426 km | 29.28, 138.97 |
| 2002-07-30 22:16 | 6.5 mwc | 14 km SE of Punta de Burica, Panama | 10 km | 7.93, -82.79 |
| 2002-07-30 04:55 | 6.2 mwc | South Sandwich Islands region | 33 km | -57.89, -23.24 |
| 2002-07-19 04:43 | 6.1 mwc | Pacific-Antarctic Ridge | 10 km | -56.62, -140.69 |
| 2002-07-03 21:00 | 6.2 mwc | 173 km E of Madang, Papua New Guinea | 31 km | -5.03, 147.34 |
| 2002-06-30 19:29 | 6.5 mwb | south of the Fiji Islands | 620 km | -22.20, 179.25 |
| 2002-06-29 00:39 | 6.2 mwc | 197 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu | 33 km | -12.40, 166.52 |
| 2002-06-28 15:19 | 7.3 mwc | 50 km SW of Dongning, China | 566 km | 43.75, 130.67 |
| 2002-06-27 05:16 | 6.0 mwc | 85 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu | 187 km | -13.28, 167.05 |
| 2002-06-27 03:50 | 6.5 mwc | 193 km WSW of Labuan, Indonesia | 11 km | -6.96, 104.18 |
| 2002-06-22 00:58 | 6.5 mwc | 59 km SSW of Abhar, Iran | 10 km | 35.63, 49.05 |
| 2002-06-20 22:05 | 6.0 mwb | 135 km NE of Madang, Papua New Guinea | 33 km | -4.50, 146.77 |
| 2002-06-18 11:56 | 6.6 mwb | 20 km SW of Monte Patria, Chile | 54 km | -30.80, -71.12 |
| 2002-06-17 19:26 | 6.7 mwc | 190 km NW of Sola, Vanuatu | 33 km | -12.59, 166.38 |
| 2002-06-17 11:25 | 6.0 mwc | central East Pacific Rise | 10 km | -4.65, -105.38 |
| 2002-06-16 00:46 | 6.4 mwc | 55 km WSW of Ciudad Cortés, Costa Rica | 35 km | 8.78, -83.99 |
| 2002-06-12 23:27 | 6.6 mwc | southeast Indian Ridge | 10 km | -47.80, 99.75 |
| 2002-06-10 20:48 | 6.1 mwb | 136 km N of Fais, Micronesia | 33 km | 10.98, 140.69 |
| 2002-06-06 21:53 | 6.3 mwb | 173 km NE of Lorengau, Papua New Guinea | 10 km | -0.88, 148.33 |
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…