Largest Earthquakes of the 21st Century and Beyond

Major earthquakes occur predominantly along the Pacific Ring of Fire — including Japan, Indonesia, Chile, and the western US — consistent with long-term seismic patterns. Subduction zones continue to produce the largest events. Collision zones in Turkey, Iran, Nepal, and China also generate frequent destructive earthquakes.

Earthquake Globe shows all M1.0+ events in real time on a 3D globe. You can filter by magnitude to see only M6.0+ or M7.0+ events. Push notifications will alert you immediately for any event above your chosen threshold, anywhere in the world.

Seismologists define major earthquakes as M7.0 and above. Events of M8.0+ are classified as "great" earthquakes and typically cause widespread destruction and can generate tsunamis. Events above M9.0 are extremely rare, occurring roughly once every 20–50 years.

The global rate of major earthquakes is relatively constant over long time periods. Apparent increases in earthquake news coverage are largely due to improved detection networks, faster reporting, and social media amplification rather than actual increases in seismicity.

A megathrust earthquake occurs at a subduction zone where one tectonic plate dives beneath another. They are the most powerful class of earthquakes, capable of exceeding M9.0. The three largest recorded earthquakes — Valdivia 1960 (M9.5), Prince William Sound 1964 (M9.2), and Sumatra 2004 (M9.1) — were all megathrust events.