Significant Earthquakes in History

74 major earthquakes documented with facts, tectonic causes, and historical context.

Mag Date Location Link
M9.5 May 22, 1960

Chile

Valdivia, Chile

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M9.2 Mar 28, 1964

Alaska, USA

Prince William Sound, Alaska

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M9.1 Dec 26, 2004

Indonesia / Indian Ocean

Sumatra-Andaman Islands, Indian Ocean

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M9.1 Mar 11, 2011

Japan

Tōhoku Region, Japan

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M9 Nov 4, 1952

Russia

Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia

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M8.8 Feb 27, 2010

Chile

Maule Region, Chile

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M8.6 Mar 28, 2005

Indonesia

Nias Island, Indonesia

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M8.6 Apr 11, 2012

Indian Ocean

Wharton Basin, Indian Ocean

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M8.4 Sep 12, 2007

Indonesia

Bengkulu, Sumatra, Indonesia

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M8.4 Mar 3, 1933

Japan

Sanriku, Japan

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M8.3 Sep 16, 2015

Chile

Illapel, Chile

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M8.3 May 24, 2013

Russia / Japan

Sea of Okhotsk

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M8.2 Jul 29, 2021

Alaska, USA

Chignik, Alaska

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M8.2 Sep 7, 2017

Tehuantepec, Mexico

Tehuantepec, Mexico

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M8.2 Apr 1, 2014

Chile

Iquique, Chile

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M8.2 Aug 19, 2018

Fiji

Fiji

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M8.1 Mar 4, 2021

New Zealand

Kermadec Islands, New Zealand

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M8.1 Aug 12, 2021

South Atlantic

South Sandwich Islands

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M8.1 Sep 29, 2009

Samoa / American Samoa

Samoa Islands

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M8.1 Apr 1, 2007

Solomon Islands

Solomon Islands

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M8 May 26, 2019

Peru

Peru

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M8 Feb 6, 2013

Vanuatu / Solomon Islands

Santa Cruz Islands, Vanuatu

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M8 Sep 19, 1985

Mexico

Michoacán, Mexico

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M7.9 Nov 3, 2002

Alaska, USA

Denali Fault, Alaska

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M7.9 May 12, 2008

Sichuan, China

Sichuan Province, China

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M7.9 Apr 18, 1906

California, USA

San Francisco, California, USA

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M7.9 May 12, 2008

Wenchuan, China

Wenchuan, Sichuan, China

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M7.8 Feb 6, 2023

Kahramanmaraş, Turkey

Kahramanmaraş, Turkey

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M7.8 Apr 25, 2015

Nepal

Gorkha District, Nepal

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M7.8 Jul 27, 1976

China

Tangshan, Hebei Province, China

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M7.8 Dec 27, 1939

Turkey

Erzincan, Turkey

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M7.8 Apr 16, 2016

Ecuador

Muisne, Ecuador

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M7.8 Nov 13, 2016

New Zealand

Kaikōura, New Zealand

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M7.7 Jan 26, 2001

India

Bhuj, Gujarat, India

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M7.7 Feb 6, 2023

Ekinözü / Hatay, Turkey

Ekinözü, Turkey

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M7.7 Oct 25, 2010

Indonesia

Mentawai Islands, Indonesia

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M7.7 Sep 24, 2013

Pakistan

Awaran, Balochistan, Pakistan

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M7.6 Aug 17, 1999

Turkey

İzmit (Kocaeli), Turkey

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M7.6 Oct 8, 2005

Pakistan / India

Kashmir, Pakistan

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M7.6 Sep 21, 1999

Taiwan

Chi-Chi, Nantou, Taiwan

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M7.6 Sep 30, 2009

Indonesia

Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia

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M7.6 Jan 1, 2024

Japan

Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa, Japan

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M7.5 Sep 28, 2018

Indonesia

Palu, Sulawesi, Indonesia

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M7.5 Jun 16, 1964

Japan

Niigata, Japan

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M7.4 Jun 20, 1990

Iran

Manjil-Rudbar, Gilan Province, Iran

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M7.3 Dec 17, 2024

Vanuatu / Pacific

Port Vila, Vanuatu

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M7.2 Jan 1, 1980

Portugal / Azores

Terceira, Azores, Portugal

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M7.1 May 27, 1995

Russia

Sakhalin Island, Russia

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M7.1 Sep 4, 2010

New Zealand

Canterbury, New Zealand

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M7.1 Oct 23, 2011

Turkey

Van, Eastern Turkey

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M7.1 Sep 19, 2017

Mexico City, Mexico

Puebla-Mexico City, Mexico

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M7 Jan 12, 2010

Haiti / Caribbean

Port-au-Prince, Haiti

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M7 Apr 16, 2016

Japan

Kumamoto, Kyushu, Japan

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M7 Oct 30, 2020

Turkey / Greece

Aegean Sea (Izmir, Turkey / Samos, Greece)

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M6.9 Jan 17, 1995

Kobe, Japan

Kobe, Japan

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M6.9 Oct 17, 1989

California, USA

Loma Prieta, Santa Cruz, California

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M6.9 Nov 23, 1980

Italy

Irpinia, Campania, Italy

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M6.9 Jan 17, 1995

Hanshin, Japan

Hanshin Region, Kobe, Japan

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M6.8 Dec 7, 1988

Armenia

Spitak, Armenia

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M6.8 Oct 23, 2004

Japan

Chūetsu, Niigata, Japan

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M6.8 Sep 8, 2023

Morocco

Al Haouz Province, Morocco

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M6.8 Aug 24, 2016

Myanmar

Chauk, Magway Region, Myanmar

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M6.8 Jan 24, 2020

Turkey

Sivrice, Elazığ, Turkey

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M6.7 Jan 17, 1994

Northridge, California

Northridge, Los Angeles, California

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M6.7 Jan 17, 1994

Northridge, Los Angeles

Northridge, Los Angeles, California

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M6.6 Dec 26, 2003

Iran

Bam, Kerman Province, Iran

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M6.6 Jul 16, 2007

Japan

Chūetsu-oki, Niigata, Japan

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M6.3 Apr 6, 2009

Italy

L'Aquila, Abruzzo, Italy

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M6.3 Feb 22, 2011

New Zealand

Christchurch, New Zealand

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M6.2 Aug 24, 2016

Italy

Amatrice, Lazio, Italy

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M6.1 May 20, 2012

Italy

Emilia-Romagna, Italy

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M6 Sep 7, 1999

Greece

Athens, Greece

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M6 Jun 5, 2015

Malaysia

Ranau, Sabah, Malaysia

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M5.6 Nov 21, 2022

Indonesia

Cianjur, West Java, Indonesia

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