Earthquakes

Seismic Destruction

Photograph by Mosanori Kobayashi

Earthquakes, also called temblors, can be so tremendously destructive, it’s hard to imagine they occur by the thousands every day around the world, usually in the form of small tremors.
Some 80 percent of all the planet's earthquakes occur along the rim of the Pacific Ocean, called the "Ring of Fire" because of the preponderance of volcanic activity there as well. Most earthquakes occur at fault zones, where tectonic plates—giant rock slabs that make up the Earth's upper layer—collide or slide against each other. These impacts are usually gradual and unnoticeable on the surface; however, immense stress can build up between plates. When this stress is released quickly, it sends massive vibrations, called seismic waves, often hundreds of miles through the rock and up to the surface. Other quakes can occur far from faults zones when plates are stretched or squeezed.
Scientists assign a magnitude rating to earthquakes based on the strength and duration of their seismic waves. A quake measuring 3 to 5 is considered minor or light; 5 to 7 is moderate to strong; 7 to 8 is major; and 8 or more is great.
On average, a magnitude 8 quake strikes somewhere every year and some 10,000 people die in earthquakes annually. Collapsing buildings claim by far the majority of lives, but the destruction is often compounded by mud slides, fires, floods, or tsunamis. Smaller temblors that usually occur in the days following a large earthquake can complicate rescue efforts and cause further death and destruction.
Loss of life can be avoided through emergency planning, education, and the construction of buildings that sway rather than break under the stress of an earthquake.

 

DATE/TIME		REGION	MAGNITUDE		DEPTH (in km)	SOURCE	DETAIL
Tuesday May 12 2015, 15:28:21 UTC	22 minutes ago	Central Iran		3.8	8.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 15:28:10 UTC	22 minutes ago	Syria		3.1	36.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 14:42:13 UTC	68 minutes ago	Sicily, Italy		2.3	234.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 14:39:33 UTC	71 minutes ago	Dodecanese Is.-turkey Border Reg		2.4	8.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 13:43:56 UTC	2 hours ago	Dodecanese Is.-turkey Border Reg		2.1	8.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 13:43:17 UTC	2 hours ago	Nepal		4.4	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 13:39:01 UTC	2 hours ago	Nevada		2.4	8.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 13:24:25 UTC	2 hours ago	Iran-iraq Border Region		3.6	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 13:05:20 UTC	2 hours ago	Central California		2.6	8.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 12:28:22 UTC	3 hours ago	Nepal		4.3	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 12:13:43 UTC	3 hours ago	France		3.2	1.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 11:58:09 UTC	3 hours ago	Nepal		4.2	2.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 11:55:15 UTC	3 hours ago	Fyr Of Macedonia		2.4	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 11:53:54 UTC	3 hours ago	Antofagasta, Chile		3.1	126.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 11:53:15 UTC	3 hours ago	Offshore Washington		2.7	6.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 11:53:15 UTC	3 hours ago	Offshore Washington		2.7	6.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 11:46:35 UTC	4 hours ago	Canada		2.5	37.0	Natural Resources Canada Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 11:46:35 UTC	4 hours ago	Canada		2.5	37.0	Natural Resources Canada Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 11:45:21 UTC	4 hours ago	Arkansas		2.3	1.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 11:21:29 UTC	4 hours ago	Nepal		4.3	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 10:52:15 UTC	4 hours ago	Azerbaijan		3.4	8.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 10:35:40 UTC	5 hours ago	Nepal		4.5	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 10:17:27 UTC	5 hours ago	Crete, Greece		3.9	2.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 10:15:06 UTC	5 hours ago	Nepal		4.4	2.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 10:06:11 UTC	5 hours ago	Crete, Greece		2.9	12.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 10:03:25 UTC	5 hours ago	Tonga Islands.		5.0	35.0	GeoScience Australia	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 10:03:22 UTC	5 hours ago	Tonga		5.0	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 09:21:26 UTC	6 hours ago	Offshore Coquimbo, Chile		3.5	37.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 09:15:34 UTC	6 hours ago	Hindu Kush Region, Afghanistan		4.7	40.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 09:02:10 UTC	6 hours ago	Nepal		4.5	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 08:59:39 UTC	6 hours ago	Nepal		4.7	2.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 08:54:25 UTC	6 hours ago	Strait Of Gibraltar		2.9	41.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 08:53:19 UTC	6 hours ago	Greece		2.3	13.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 08:41:37 UTC	7 hours ago	France		1.7	5.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 08:30:15 UTC	7 hours ago	Central Turkey		2.0	7.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 08:21:10 UTC	7 hours ago	Nepal		5.3	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 08:18:23 UTC	7 hours ago	Western Turkey		2.4	12.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 08:13:54 UTC	7 hours ago	Nepal		5.2	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 08:11:08 UTC	7 hours ago	Cyprus Region		2.7	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 08:07:33 UTC	7 hours ago	Greece		3.0	8.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 08:06:07 UTC	7 hours ago	Nepal		5.1	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 07:55:42 UTC	7 hours ago	Island Of Hawaii, Hawaii		2.3	2.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 07:48:49 UTC	8 hours ago	Nepal		5.0	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 07:37:02 UTC	8 hours ago	Salta, Argentina		4.5	167.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 07:36:54 UTC	8 hours ago	Nepal.		6.3	15.0	GeoScience Australia	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 07:36:53 UTC	8 hours ago	Nepal		6.2	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 07:34:24 UTC	8 hours ago	Nepal		5.5	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 07:22:04 UTC	8 hours ago	Kepulauan Babar, Indonesia		5.4	149.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 07:22:01 UTC	8 hours ago	Banda Sea.		5.6	107.0	GeoScience Australia	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 07:17:23 UTC	8 hours ago	Nepal		5.6	20.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 07:06:12 UTC	8 hours ago	France		2.6	2.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 07:05:20 UTC	8 hours ago	80km east of Kathmandu, Nepal.		7.4	14.0	GeoScience Australia	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 07:05:19 UTC	8 hours ago	Nepal		7.3	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 06:27:06 UTC	9 hours ago	South Of Java, Indonesia		5.1	30.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 06:27:03 UTC	9 hours ago	South of Java, Indonesia.		5.0	3.0	GeoScience Australia	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 06:11:01 UTC	9 hours ago	Hindu Kush Region, Afghanistan		4.6	30.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 05:58:15 UTC	9 hours ago	Azores-cape St. Vincent Ridge		2.4	31.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 05:50:13 UTC	10 hours ago	Offshore Antofagasta, Chile		2.9	38.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 05:05:03 UTC	10 hours ago	Cyprus Region		2.0	7.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 04:51:22 UTC	10 hours ago	Cyprus Region		2.0	2.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 03:50:38 UTC	12 hours ago	Fiji Region		4.8	30.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 03:49:47 UTC	12 hours ago	Western Turkey		2.3	8.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 03:31:59 UTC	12 hours ago	Greece		2.4	17.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 03:29:30 UTC	12 hours ago	Crete, Greece		2.8	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 03:28:16 UTC	12 hours ago	Canada		1.9	37.0	Natural Resources Canada Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 02:55:07 UTC	12 hours ago	Antofagasta, Chile		2.7	89.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 02:43:32 UTC	13 hours ago	Near The Coast Of Western Turkey		2.4	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 02:35:52 UTC	13 hours ago	Eastern Turkey		2.0	16.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 02:31:24 UTC	13 hours ago	Hokkaido, Japan Region		4.6	70.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 02:16:51 UTC	13 hours ago	Greece		2.1	13.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 02:02:49 UTC	13 hours ago	Northern Italy		3.5	2.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 02:02:19 UTC	13 hours ago	Western Turkey		2.3	15.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 01:54:45 UTC	13 hours ago	Antofagasta, Chile		3.0	116.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 01:52:19 UTC	13 hours ago	Island Of Hawaii, Hawaii		2.4	2.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 01:40:41 UTC	14 hours ago	Island Of Hawaii, Hawaii		3.1	3.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 01:35:24 UTC	14 hours ago	Island Of Hawaii, Hawaii		2.3	2.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 01:15:44 UTC	14 hours ago	Tarapaca, Chile		2.9	52.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 01:07:20 UTC	14 hours ago	Virgin Islands region		1.7	9.0	USGS Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 00:49:38 UTC	15 hours ago	Sicily, Italy		2.0	9.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Tuesday May 12 2015, 00:36:11 UTC	15 hours ago	Region Metropolitana, Chile		4.0	106.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 23:52:58 UTC	15 hours ago	Cyprus Region		2.0	22.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 23:43:15 UTC	16 hours ago	Taiwan		4.6	21.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 23:40:52 UTC	16 hours ago	Central Turkey		4.0	19.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 23:25:43 UTC	16 hours ago	Virgin Islands Region		2.7	26.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 23:25:43 UTC	16 hours ago	Virgin Islands region		2.7	26.0	USGS Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 23:20:04 UTC	16 hours ago	Offshore Antofagasta, Chile		2.5	41.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 23:09:08 UTC	16 hours ago	Virgin Islands Region		2.6	44.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 23:09:08 UTC	16 hours ago	Virgin Islands region		2.6	44.0	USGS Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 22:43:11 UTC	17 hours ago	Hindu Kush Region, Afghanistan		4.1	207.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 22:06:25 UTC	17 hours ago	Antofagasta, Chile		2.9	115.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 21:35:16 UTC	18 hours ago	Island Of Hawaii, Hawaii		2.4	2.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 21:35:02 UTC	18 hours ago	Fiji Region		4.5	551.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 21:08:54 UTC	18 hours ago	Atacama, Chile		3.8	51.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 21:02:04 UTC	18 hours ago	Canada		1.5	32.0	Natural Resources Canada Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 21:02:04 UTC	18 hours ago	Canada		1.5	33.0	Natural Resources Canada Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 20:27:57 UTC	19 hours ago	Germany		2.6	3.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 20:23:00 UTC	19 hours ago	Nepal		4.1	10.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 20:16:19 UTC	19 hours ago	Southern California		2.4	9.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 19:06:44 UTC	20 hours ago	Crete, Greece		3.1	2.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed	Detail
Monday May 11 2015, 18:41:35 UTC	21 hours ago	Southwestern Siberia, Russia		3.6	2.0	CSEM-EMSC Feed

Estimated Deaths from Earthquakes, 2014

The following table gives the number of people who died in major earthquakes in 2014. The magnitude of each earthquake is also shown. Magnitudes listed are moment magnitudes, the newest, most uniformly applicable magnitude scale.

Date	Region	Magnitude	Number killed
April 1	Iquique, Chile	8.2	7
Oct. 14	Nicaragua	7.3	1
April 11	Papua New Guinea	7.1	1
Aug. 3	Ludian County, China	6.1	617

Estimated Deaths from Earthquakes, 2013

The following table gives the number of people who died in major earthquakes in 2013. The magnitude of each earthquake is also shown. Magnitudes listed are moment magnitudes, the newest, most uniformly applicable magnitude scale.

Date	Region	Magnitude	Number killed
Feb. 6	Santa Cruz Islands	8.0	18
April 9	Bushehr Province, Iran	6.3	37
April 16	Baluchestan Province, Iran	7.7	35
April 20	Lushan County, China	6.6	193
April 24	Mehtar Lam, Afghanistan	5.6	18
July 2	Aceh, Indonesia	6.1	35
July 22	Gansu, China	5.9	95
Sept. 24	Balochistan, Pakistan	7.7	825
Sept. 28	Balochistan, Pakistan	6.8	22
Oct. 15	Bohol Island, Philippines	7.2	222

 

Estimated Deaths from Earthquakes, 2012

The following table gives the number of people who died in major earthquakes in 2012. The magnitude of each earthquake is also shown. Magnitudes listed are moment magnitudes, the newest, most uniformly applicable magnitude scale.

Date	Region	Magnitude	Number killed
Feb. 6	Visayas, Philippines	6.7	113
April 11	Near Coast of Aceh Province, Indonesia	8.6	10
May 20	Emilia-Romagna, Italy	6.1	27
June 11	Baghlan province, Afghanistan	5.7	75
Aug. 11	East Azerbaijan Province, Iran	6.4	306
Sept. 7	Yunnan Province, China	5.6	81
Nov. 7	Mexico and Guatemala	7.4	139
Nov. 11	Shwebo, Myanmar	6.8	38

 

Estimated Deaths from Earthquakes, 2011

The following table gives the number of people who died in major earthquakes in 2011. The magnitude of each earthquake is also shown. Magnitudes listed are moment magnitudes, the newest, most uniformly applicable magnitude scale.

Date	Region	Magnitude	Number killed
Feb. 21	South Island of New Zealand	6.1	181
March 31	Near East Coast of Honshu, Japan	9.0	20,896
March 24	Myanmar	6.19	74
Sept. 8	Sikkim, India	6.9	111
Oct. 23	Eastern Turkey	7.1	604

 1990–1999

Magnitude	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999
8.0–9.9	0	0	0	1	2	3	1	0	2	0
7.0–7.9	12	11	23	15	13	22	21	20	14	23
6.0–6.9	115	105	104	141	161	185	160	125	113	123
5.0–5.9	1,635	1,469	1,541	1,449	1,542	1,327	1,223	1,118	979	1,106
4.0–4.9	4,493	4,372	5,196	5,034	4,544	8,140	8,794	7,938	7,303	7,042
3.0–3.9	2,457	2,952	4,643	4,263	5,000	5,002	4,869	4,467	5,945	5,521
2.0–2.9	2,364	2,927	3,068	5,390	5,369	3,838	2,388	2,397	4,091	4,201
1.0–1.9	474	801	887	1,177	779	645	295	388	805	715
0.1–0.9	0	1	2	9	17	19	1	4	10	5
No magnitude	5,062	3,878	4,084	3,997	1,944	1,826	2,186	3,415	2,426	2,096
Total	16,612	16,516	19,548	21,476	19,371	21,007	19,938	19,872	21,688	20,832
Estimated deaths	51,916	2,326	3,814	10,036	1,038	7,949	419	2,907	8,928	22,711

2000–2010

Magnitude	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
8.0–9.9	1	1	0	1	2	1	1	4	0	1	1
7.0–7.9	14	15	13	14	14	10	10	14	12	16	22
6.0–6.9	158	126	130	140	141	140	142	172	166	144	150
5.0–5.9	1,345	1,243	1,218	1,203	1,515	1,693	1,712	1,885	1,537	1,896	1,983
4.0–4.9	8,045	8,084	8,584	8,462	10,888	13,917	12,838	12,275	11,943	6,805	10,383
3.0–3.9	4,784	6,151	7,005	7,624	7,932	9,191	9,990	9,876	11,138	2,905	4,321
2.0–2.9	3,758	4,162	6,419	7,727	6,316	4,636	4,027	3,593	3,542	3,014	4,623
1.0–1.9	1,026	944	1,137	2,506	1,344	26	18	43	16	26	39
0.1–0.9	5	1	10	134	103	0	2	2	0	1	0
No magnitude	No magnitude	3,120	2,938	2,937	3,608	2,939	864	828	1,829	17	24
Total	22,256	23,534	27,454	31,419	31,194	30,478	29,568	29,671	30,183	14,825	21,546
Estimated deaths	231	21,357	1,685	33,819	284,010	82,364	6,605	712	88,011	1,790	320,129