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 5.0
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 · 10/28/26
Positions and magnitudes from the USGS catalogue; heights exaggerated. Base map: local NASA Blue Marble.
Catalogued earthquakes M ≥ 4.5
312,222
1900 → 2026-10-28
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/28/26
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 · 10/28/26
Current · provisional
Latest catalogued earthquake
M 5.0
2026-10-28 11:47 UTC · Reykjanes Ridge
USGS ComCat earthquakes M ≥ 4.5 (FDSN event service) · U.S. Government work, public domain; cite USGS ANSS ComCat · 10/28/26
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 · 10/28/26
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 · 10/28/26
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 · 10/28/26
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 · 10/28/26
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 · 10/28/26
| Date (UTC) | M | Place | Depth | Lat., lon. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994-09-27 22:04 | 6.2 mw | 206 km WSW of Bahía Solano, Colombia | 33 km | 5.68, -79.18 |
| 1994-09-23 05:59 | 6.1 mw | 204 km SE of Lorengau, Papua New Guinea | 33 km | -3.38, 148.54 |
| 1994-09-16 04:20 | 6.8 mwb | 145 km SW of Magong, Taiwan | 13 km | 22.53, 118.71 |
| 1994-09-15 21:47 | 6.0 mw | east of the South Sandwich Islands | 10 km | -57.80, -8.77 |
| 1994-09-13 08:01 | 6.1 mw | 17 km ENE of Murindó, Colombia | 14 km | 7.05, -76.68 |
| 1994-09-13 02:28 | 6.1 mwb | 110 km NNE of Naze, Japan | 34 km | 29.29, 129.91 |
| 1994-09-12 20:43 | 6.0 mw | 102 km ENE of Hihifo, Tonga | 15 km | -15.46, -172.99 |
| 1994-09-12 10:23 | 6.1 mwb | 4 km S of Carter Springs, Nevada | 14 km | 38.82, -119.65 |
| 1994-09-12 04:29 | 6.0 mwb | 73 km SW of Ovalle, Chile | 40 km | -31.10, -71.71 |
| 1994-09-03 15:46 | 6.3 mwb | Vanuatu region | 33 km | -21.21, 173.64 |
| 1994-09-01 13:15 | 7.1 mwb | 121 km W of Ferndale, California | 10 km | 40.40, -125.68 |
| 1994-08-31 07:07 | 6.2 mw | 36 km SSE of Yuzhno-Kurilsk, Russia | 76 km | 43.72, 146.01 |
| 1994-08-30 17:42 | 6.2 mw | 218 km NNW of Maubara, Timor Leste | 596 km | -6.96, 124.11 |
| 1994-08-28 16:37 | 6.6 mw | 179 km ESE of Kuril’sk, Russia | 19 km | 44.78, 150.06 |
| 1994-08-22 15:26 | 6.2 mw | 112 km SE of Lata, Solomon Islands | 142 km | -11.51, 166.45 |
| 1994-08-21 13:55 | 6.0 mw | 25 km WSW of Novaya Chara, Russia | 12 km | 56.76, 117.90 |
| 1994-08-20 02:38 | 6.2 mw | 120 km ESE of Kuril’sk, Russia | 24 km | 44.66, 149.18 |
| 1994-08-19 08:02 | 6.5 mw | 46 km NNW of El Hoyo, Argentina | 564 km | -26.64, -63.42 |
| 1994-08-18 02:42 | 6.6 mw | 186 km ESE of Kuril’sk, Russia | 15 km | 44.77, 150.16 |
| 1994-08-13 23:31 | 6.3 mwb | 178 km ESE of Kuril’sk, Russia | 19 km | 44.69, 150.01 |
| 1994-08-13 22:46 | 6.0 mw | 184 km ESE of Kuril’sk, Russia | 17 km | 44.71, 150.10 |
| 1994-08-08 19:08 | 6.1 mw | 115 km E of W?ngjing, India | 122 km | 24.72, 95.20 |
| 1994-08-05 17:41 | 6.2 mw | Pacific-Antarctic Ridge | 10 km | -55.37, -128.15 |
| 1994-08-04 20:15 | 6.2 mw | 152 km WSW of Tual, Indonesia | 33 km | -6.34, 131.58 |
| 1994-07-25 20:00 | 6.6 mwb | South Sandwich Islands region | 81 km | -56.36, -27.36 |
| 1994-07-24 15:55 | 6.4 mw | 97 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu | 21 km | -16.97, 167.57 |
| 1994-07-22 14:57 | 6.0 mw | 135 km WNW of Buala, Solomon Islands | 19 km | -7.78, 158.42 |
| 1994-07-21 16:36 | 7.3 mw | 46 km SSW of Vrangel’, Russia | 471 km | 42.34, 132.86 |
| 1994-07-13 09:45 | 6.5 mw | 138 km NE of Lospalos, Timor Leste | 159 km | -7.53, 127.77 |
| 1994-07-13 01:13 | 6.7 mw | 80 km SSW of Lakatoro, Vanuatu | 33 km | -16.81, 167.25 |
| 1994-07-13 00:35 | 7.2 mw | 58 km S of Lakatoro, Vanuatu | 33 km | -16.62, 167.52 |
| 1994-07-04 19:36 | 6.5 mw | 108 km SSW of La Barra de Colotepec, Mexico | 15 km | 14.89, -97.32 |
| 1994-06-30 07:23 | 6.3 mwb | Afghanistan-Tajikistan-Pakistan region | 227 km | 36.33, 71.13 |
| 1994-06-27 02:10 | 6.1 mw | southeast of Easter Island | 10 km | -36.24, -98.19 |
| 1994-06-19 11:43 | 6.0 mwb | 40 km N of Methven, New Zealand | 10 km | -43.27, 171.61 |
| 1994-06-18 01:25 | 6.8 mw | 56 km NW of Oxford, New Zealand | 14 km | -42.96, 171.66 |
| 1994-06-16 16:41 | 6.0 mwb | 5 km WSW of Nicasio, Peru | 200 km | -15.25, -70.29 |
| 1994-06-15 08:28 | 6.1 mw | 201 km SSW of Gambiran Satu, Indonesia | 29 km | -10.17, 113.75 |
| 1994-06-15 07:22 | 6.2 mwb | 221 km SSW of Gambiran Satu, Indonesia | 20 km | -10.34, 113.66 |
| 1994-06-13 19:15 | 6.2 mw | New Britain region, Papua New Guinea | 18 km | -5.47, 151.84 |
| 1994-06-09 14:22 | 6.2 mw | 18 km ENE of Rapu-Rapu, Philippines | 76 km | 13.26, 124.28 |
| 1994-06-08 23:15 | 6.1 mb | 92 km E of Sina, Peru | 650 km | -14.36, -68.44 |
| 1994-06-08 22:33 | 8.2 mw | 55 km NNW of Reyes, Bolivia | 631 km | -13.84, -67.55 |
| 1994-06-06 18:47 | 6.8 mw | 23 km E of Toribío, Colombia | 12 km | 2.92, -76.06 |
| 1994-06-04 23:45 | 6.1 mw | 228 km S of Kencong, Indonesia | 26 km | -10.35, 113.40 |
| 1994-06-04 23:09 | 6.4 mwb | 31 km SSE of Yilan, Taiwan | 11 km | 24.51, 121.90 |
| 1994-06-03 22:57 | 6.5 mw | 275 km S of Kencong, Indonesia | 11 km | -10.78, 113.37 |
| 1994-06-03 19:06 | 6.6 mw | 235 km SSW of Kencong, Indonesia | 26 km | -10.36, 112.89 |
| 1994-06-02 16:17 | 7.8 mw | 249 km SSW of Kencong, Indonesia | 18 km | -10.48, 112.84 |
| 1994-05-31 15:41 | 6.0 mw | 44 km SSE of San Cristóbal, Venezuela | 12 km | 7.41, -72.03 |
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 28, 2026 · SHA-256 5570a63d6fc4… - 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…