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. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001-03-15 00:22 | 6.0 mwc | Nicobar Islands, India region | 33 km | 8.66, 94.01 |
| 2001-03-14 17:56 | 6.0 mwb | 130 km W of Gorontalo, Indonesia | 109 km | 0.45, 121.89 |
| 2001-03-07 17:10 | 6.0 mwc | 206 km NE of Georgetown, Saint Helena | 10 km | -6.81, -12.91 |
| 2001-03-06 08:17 | 6.4 mwb | Macquarie Island region | 10 km | -54.59, 157.27 |
| 2001-02-28 17:54 | 6.8 md | The 2001 Nisqually, Washington Earthquake | 52 km | 47.15, -122.73 |
| 2001-02-28 17:50 | 6.1 mwb | 24 km S of Zacatecoluca, El Salvador | 65 km | 13.28, -88.83 |
| 2001-02-28 12:05 | 6.3 mwc | 235 km ESE of Tadine, New Caledonia | 10 km | -22.00, 170.11 |
| 2001-02-28 11:30 | 6.7 mwc | 245 km E of Tadine, New Caledonia | 10 km | -21.99, 170.21 |
| 2001-02-26 04:58 | 6.1 mwc | 135 km E of Korsakov, Russia | 392 km | 46.82, 144.52 |
| 2001-02-25 01:21 | 6.2 mwb | 49 km S of Jurm, Afghanistan | 203 km | 36.42, 70.88 |
| 2001-02-24 15:33 | 6.2 mwc | 135 km NW of Ternate, Indonesia | 33 km | 1.56, 126.43 |
| 2001-02-24 06:23 | 7.1 mwc | 137 km WNW of Ternate, Indonesia | 35 km | 1.27, 126.25 |
| 2001-02-18 12:04 | 6.0 mwc | Prince Edward Islands region | 10 km | -47.46, 32.39 |
| 2001-02-17 19:11 | 6.2 mwc | 151 km SSW of Hydaburg, Alaska | 20 km | 53.92, -133.61 |
| 2001-02-16 04:59 | 6.1 mwc | 138 km N of Pototano, Indonesia | 521 km | -7.16, 117.49 |
| 2001-02-14 13:16 | 6.2 mwc | 204 km SSW of Suva, Fiji | 10 km | -19.69, 177.39 |
| 2001-02-14 13:04 | 6.1 mwc | 187 km S of Nadi, Fiji | 10 km | -19.49, 177.33 |
| 2001-02-13 18:28 | 7.4 mwc | 102 km SSE of Bengkulu, Indonesia | 36 km | -4.68, 102.56 |
| 2001-02-13 13:22 | 6.6 mwc | 5 km S of Cojutepeque, El Salvador | 10 km | 13.67, -88.94 |
| 2001-02-01 17:19 | 6.0 mwc | 94 km WSW of Adak, Alaska | 33 km | 51.44, -177.80 |
| 2001-01-29 22:21 | 6.2 mwc | 83 km WNW of Manokwari, Indonesia | 33 km | -0.68, 133.33 |
| 2001-01-26 02:16 | 7.7 mwc | 17 km NW of Bhach?u, India | 16 km | 23.42, 70.23 |
| 2001-01-19 08:04 | 6.0 mwc | east of the South Sandwich Islands | 33 km | -58.16, -9.47 |
| 2001-01-19 07:10 | 6.3 mwc | 121 km SSE of Lata, Solomon Islands | 50 km | -11.66, 166.38 |
| 2001-01-19 00:12 | 6.0 mwc | 6 km NNE of Hidalgo, Mexico | 93 km | 15.40, -92.72 |
| 2001-01-16 12:25 | 6.9 mwb | 59 km WSW of Bengkulu, Indonesia | 28 km | -4.02, 101.78 |
| 2001-01-16 12:25 | 6.0 mb | 60 km WSW of Bengkulu, Indonesia | 33 km | -3.96, 101.75 |
| 2001-01-15 04:52 | 6.4 mwc | Mid-Indian Ridge | 10 km | -40.34, 78.36 |
| 2001-01-13 16:33 | 7.7 mwc | 28 km SSW of Puerto El Triunfo, El Salvador | 60 km | 13.05, -88.66 |
| 2001-01-10 23:04 | 6.0 mwc | 247 km SW of Port McNeill, Canada | 10 km | 48.89, -129.31 |
| 2001-01-10 15:02 | 6.9 mw | 47 km S of Old Harbor, Alaska | 36 km | 56.77, -153.28 |
| 2001-01-09 15:49 | 7.1 mwb | 16 km NE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 103 km | -14.93, 167.17 |
| 2001-01-02 22:17 | 6.0 mwc | 96 km SE of Kirakira, Solomon Islands | 33 km | -11.16, 162.44 |
| 2001-01-02 06:30 | 6.4 mwc | 51 km SE of Lukatan, Philippines | 33 km | 6.75, 126.81 |
| 2001-01-01 07:54 | 6.8 mwc | Mindanao, Philippines | 33 km | 6.63, 126.90 |
| 2001-01-01 05:57 | 7.5 mwc | 21 km SE of Lukatan, Philippines | 33 km | 6.90, 126.58 |
| 2000-12-28 03:34 | 6.2 mwc | 23 km NE of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea | 33 km | -4.05, 152.31 |
| 2000-12-23 06:13 | 6.0 mwc | Kepulauan Aru region, Indonesia | 62 km | -7.87, 135.82 |
| 2000-12-22 09:13 | 6.2 mwb | 72 km SW of Kuril’sk, Russia | 140 km | 44.79, 147.20 |
| 2000-12-21 01:41 | 6.0 mwc | 183 km NW of Panguna, Papua New Guinea | 387 km | -5.35, 154.13 |
| 2000-12-21 00:01 | 6.4 mwb | 110 km E of Kimbe, Papua New Guinea | 33 km | -5.71, 151.12 |
| 2000-12-20 15:49 | 6.6 mwc | D'Entrecasteaux Islands region | 33 km | -9.23, 154.35 |
| 2000-12-20 10:23 | 6.5 mwc | 134 km WSW of Carahue, Chile | 11 km | -39.01, -74.66 |
| 2000-12-19 12:11 | 6.2 mwc | 166 km S of Merizo Village, Guam | 33 km | 11.76, 144.76 |
| 2000-12-18 00:19 | 6.6 mwc | Fiji region | 628 km | -21.18, -179.12 |
| 2000-12-15 15:44 | 6.0 mwc | 12 km NNW of Ak?ehir, Turkey | 10 km | 38.46, 31.35 |
| 2000-12-12 04:26 | 6.1 mwc | 224 km S of Punta de Burica, Panama | 10 km | 6.02, -82.68 |
| 2000-12-06 21:57 | 6.5 mwc | 52 km ENE of Kokopo, Papua New Guinea | 31 km | -4.22, 152.72 |
| 2000-12-06 16:11 | 7.0 mwc | 37 km E of Balkanabat, Turkmenistan | 30 km | 39.57, 54.80 |
| 2000-12-04 03:43 | 6.1 mwb | 104 km SW of El Palmarcito, Mexico | 33 km | 14.88, -93.94 |
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…