Live World Earthquake Map
Earthquake Today
Was there an earthquake today? Know in seconds. The live earthquake map shows earthquakes around the world in real time, from magnitude 2.5 up.
- 46 Last 24 Hours
- 354 Last 7 Days
- 1,924 Last 30 Days
- M7.0 Largest This Week
Latest Earthquake Worldwide
Live · 9:25 AM UTC
218 km NNW of Bamboo Flat, India
Today, 8:49 AM UTC · 36 min ago
Recent Earthquakes
46 shown
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Largest Earthquakes This Week
| Date (UTC) | Magnitude | Location | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.0 | 191 km ENE of Nagqu, China | 18 km | |
| 6.9 | 197 km WNW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 10 km | |
| 6.5 | Bonin Islands, Japan region | 492 km | |
| 6.4 | southeast of Easter Island | 10 km | |
| 6.3 | 170 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 10 km | |
| 6.1 | 25 km ENE of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 116 km | |
| 6.0 | 214 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 10 km | |
| 5.9 | 218 km ENE of Nagqu, China | 7 km | |
| 5.9 | Bouvet Island region | 10 km | |
| 5.9 | 196 km NW of Port-Olry, Vanuatu | 10 km |
Most Active Countries in the Last 30 Days
- 1United States688
- 2Indonesia130
- 3Panama124
- 4Vanuatu107
- 5Russia89
- 6China51
- 7Japan51
- 8Puerto Rico47
- 9Papua New Guinea44
- 10Philippines38
Earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 and up, including those offshore within 300 km.
Live Maps by Country
Earthquake Maps by Country
Magnitude Explained
Earthquake Magnitude Scale: What Each Level Feels Like
A magnitude number measures energy, not shaking. Whether you feel an earthquake depends just as much on how deep it starts and how far away you are.
- 32×Energy Released per Whole-Number Step
- M2.5Typical Threshold for People to Notice
- M9.5Strongest Ever Measured: Chile, 1960
| Magnitude | Class | What You Might Notice |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2.5 | Micro | Recorded by instruments, rarely noticed by people |
| 2.5 to 2.9 | Micro | Occasionally noticed right near the epicenter |
| 3.0 to 3.9 | Minor | Often noticed nearby; damage is rare |
| 4.0 to 4.9 | Light | Rattles windows and dishes; little to no damage |
| 5.0 to 5.9 | Moderate | Can crack weak buildings, like unreinforced masonry or adobe |
| 6.0 to 6.9 | Strong | Can do serious damage where people live |
| 7.0 and Up | Major | Heavy damage across a wide region |
Earthquake Safety
What to Do During an Earthquake
Drop
Go down to your hands and knees right away, so the shaking can't throw you off your feet.
Cover
Shelter under a solid desk or table. With nothing to get under, protect your head and neck with your arms beside an inside wall, clear of glass.
Hold On
Grip your shelter until the motion ends, and if it slides, move along with it.
How to Prepare for an Earthquake
- Anchor Bookcases, Dressers and TVs to Wall Studs
- Brace or Strap Your Water Heater
- Keep Heavy and Fragile Things on Low Shelves
- Find Your Gas, Water and Power Shutoffs Now
- Agree on a Family Meeting Place and an Out-of-Area Contact
Where You Are When It Hits
- In Bed: Stay Put and Shield Your Head With a Pillow
- Behind the Wheel: Pull Over Clear of Bridges and Overpasses, Then Stop
- Outdoors: Get Clear of Buildings, Trees, Signs and Power Lines
- On the Coast: After Strong or Long Shaking, Go to High Ground
- Stay Inside Until It Ends: Running Out Is Riskier
What to Do After an Earthquake
- Be Ready for Aftershocks: Drop, Cover and Hold On Each Time
- Look for Injuries First, Then for Damage
- If You Smell Gas, Leave First and Phone From Outdoors
- Send Texts Rather Than Calls While Networks Are Busy
- See the Magnitude and Epicenter on the Live Map
Based on Ready.gov and Great ShakeOut guidance.
Emergency Supplies
Earthquake Kit Checklist
Stock supplies for at least three days at home, plus a smaller grab bag for the car and your workplace.
Checklist adapted from Ready.gov's basic disaster supplies kit.
- WaterAbout 4 liters (1 gallon) per person, per day
- FoodShelf-stable meals for several days and a hand-operated can opener
- First Aid KitPlus prescription medicine and spare glasses or contacts
- FlashlightAnd spare batteries, or a crank model
- RadioRuns on batteries or a hand crank, for news when the power is out
- Power BankFully charged, with the cables your phone needs
- WhistleThree blasts signal that you need help
- Dust MaskFilters dust from damaged buildings
- Wrench or PliersFor closing gas and water valves
- Cash and DocumentsSmall bills, ID copies and insurance policies in a waterproof bag
Earthquake Science
How Earthquakes Work
What Is a Fault Line?
A crack in the crust where two blocks of rock grind past each other. Stress builds over years until the fault snaps loose, and that sudden slip sends out the waves people feel as shaking.
What Is an Epicenter?
The spot on the map directly over the point where the rupture begins. That starting point, below ground, is called the hypocenter or focus. Each circle on our live earthquake map sits on an epicenter.
What Does an Earthquake Feel Like?
Small, close earthquakes arrive as a sharp bang or a brief rattle, much like a truck going by. Bigger ones bring rolling or swaying that goes on for several seconds and can knock things to the floor.
How Long Do Earthquakes Last?
Most are over in seconds. A moderate or large earthquake usually shakes hard for 10 to 30 seconds, and the very largest for several minutes; aftershocks may continue for weeks or months.
How Are Earthquakes Measured?
Networks of seismometers record how the ground moves, and those records are turned into a magnitude. Large events are now rated on the moment magnitude scale (Mw), which replaced the Richter scale; each whole number up means roughly 32 times more energy.
Can Earthquakes Be Predicted?
Not yet. Nobody can say when, where and how big the next one will be. Early warning systems detect an earthquake that has already begun and can give seconds of notice, while hazard maps give the odds over decades.
What Is an Aftershock?
A follow-up earthquake near the main one, caused as the surrounding rock settles into its new position. After a large event they can keep coming for months, sometimes years.
What Is an Earthquake Swarm?
A cluster of many earthquakes in the same area with no clear main shock. Swarms come and go over hours, days or months and are especially common around volcanoes.
What Is the Ring of Fire?
A horseshoe of plate boundaries and volcanoes circling the Pacific, through Chile, Alaska, Japan and New Zealand. Roughly four in five of the planet's biggest earthquakes happen along it.
What Causes a Tsunami?
Usually a large earthquake under the sea that suddenly lifts or drops the seafloor. If you are on the coast and the shaking is strong or lasts a long time, go to high ground right away; don't wait for an official warning.
What Is Liquefaction?
Saturated sand and silt can lose their strength during strong shaking and flow almost like a liquid. The ground may then crack, settle or slide, and buildings standing on it can tip.
Does Weather Cause Earthquakes?
No. Earthquakes begin kilometers below the surface, far beyond the reach of heat, rain or air pressure, and they strike in every season.
Based on USGS earthquake FAQs and NOAA tsunami guidance.
Earthquake History
Largest Earthquakes Since 1900
14,475 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or more since 1900, 1,717 of them magnitude 7 or more.
Source: USGS earthquake catalog.
| Date | Magnitude | Country or Area | Depth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.5 | Chile | 25 km | |
| 9.2 | United States | 25 km | |
| 9.1 | Indonesia | 30 km | |
| 9.1 | Japan | 29 km | |
| 9.0 | Russia | 22 km | |
| 8.8 | Ecuador | 20 km | |
| 8.8 | Chile | 23 km | |
| 8.8 | Russia | 35 km | |
| 8.7 | United States | 30 km | |
| 8.6 | United States | 15 km |
Earthquake Questions
Earthquake FAQ
Was There an Earthquake Today?
Where Was the Last Earthquake?
What Was the Biggest Earthquake This Week?
How Many Earthquakes Happen Every Day?
What Magnitude Earthquake Can You Feel?
Why Isn't the Earthquake I Felt on the Map?
Are Earthquakes Increasing?
What Is the Largest Earthquake Ever Recorded?
Near You
Find the Earthquakes Closest to You
Tap Near Me on the live map and the list reorders itself by distance from where you are. Your location stays on your device.
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