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Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda ranks 76th of 215 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity. Below: the full M6+ event history, magnitude and depth profile, and yearly trend, straight from USGS data.

129
M4+ events (since 2005)
7
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M7.5
Strongest
~6
M4+ per year

The verdict

Antigua and Barbuda has logged 129 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 and 7 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.5.

#76
of 215 countries by M4+ activity
129
catalogued M4+ events (2005–present)
M7.5
strongest earthquake on record
7
major M6+ events since 1900

Average catalogued magnitude is 4.5 - most events are moderate M4–5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage.

Major (M6+) earthquakes in Antigua and Barbuda by year

Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year

Value

What this shows Antigua and Barbuda's most active year for major earthquakes was 1925 (2 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.

Source USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) As of 2025

Magnitude distribution of major events

Breakdown of the 7 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Antigua and Barbuda.

M7.0-7.9

1

14.3%

M6.0-6.9

6

85.7%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 7 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 25 km.

Shallow (<70 km)

7

100.0% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Deep (>300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Strongest earthquakes in Antigua and Barbuda

The 7 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).

Mag Location Depth
7.5 25 km NW of Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda 47.0 km
6.6 278 km NNE of Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda 14.0 km
6.4 64 km ENE of Parham, Antigua and Barbuda 12.2 km
6.1 105 km ENE of Parham, Antigua and Barbuda 15.0 km
6.0 165 km NNE of Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda 15.0 km
6.0 61 km ESE of Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda 47.0 km
6.0 126 km ENE of Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda 26.0 km

Significant earthquake record (7 events)

Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Antigua and Barbuda since 1900, most recent first.

Mag Location Depth
6.0 61 km ESE of Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda 47.0 km
6.6 278 km NNE of Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda 14.0 km
6.0 126 km ENE of Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda 26.0 km
7.5 25 km NW of Saint John’s, Antigua and Barbuda 47.0 km
6.4 64 km ENE of Parham, Antigua and Barbuda 12.2 km
6.1 105 km ENE of Parham, Antigua and Barbuda 15.0 km
6.0 165 km NNE of Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda 15.0 km

Countries with similar seismic activity

Comparable catalogued earthquake frequency to Antigua and Barbuda.

Poland

128 M4+ events · strongest M5.0

M5.0

Mauritius

131 M4+ events · strongest M6.0

M6.0

Zimbabwe

135 M4+ events · strongest M7.0

M7.0

Samoa

116 M4+ events · strongest M6.2

M6.2

Turkmenistan

143 M4+ events · strongest M5.4

M5.4

Saudi Arabia

114 M4+ events · strongest M5.7

M5.7

Understand the data

How earthquakes are measured

Magnitude scales, seismographs, and depth.

Reading earthquake data

Interpreting magnitude, depth and frequency.

Earthquake preparedness

Before, during and after a quake.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Antigua and Barbuda? ▼
The USGS catalog records 129 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Antigua and Barbuda since 2005, an average of about 6 per year. Separately, 7 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Antigua and Barbuda? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Antigua and Barbuda measured magnitude 7.5. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.5 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Antigua and Barbuda? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, Antigua and Barbuda ranks 76th of 215 countries worldwide - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 1925, with 2.
How deep are earthquakes in Antigua and Barbuda? ▼
Across the 7 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 25 km. 100% were shallow (under 70 km), where surface shaking is strongest at a given magnitude.
Where does this data come from? ▼
Every figure is derived from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat). M4+ counts cover 2005 onward (the period of consistent global completeness); the significant-event series covers M6+ back to 1900. Nothing is modelled or estimated.

About this data

Every figure on this page is computed directly from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), the public-domain record maintained by the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. Two series are combined: a worldwide catalog of magnitude-4.0-and-above events from 2005 onward, the period over which the global seismograph network reliably detects and locates earthquakes everywhere, and a historical series of significant magnitude-6.0-and-above events stretching back to 1900. Magnitudes use the moment-magnitude scale (Mw), the modern standard that supersedes the older Richter scale; because the scale is logarithmic, each whole step represents roughly thirty-two times more energy released. Depth is measured in kilometres from the surface, and shallow earthquakes generally produce stronger shaking than deep ones of the same magnitude. Counts reflect what instruments recorded, not every tremor that occurred, and recent events can be revised as seismologists refine the catalog.

Source: USGS ComCat, verify with USGS → · See our methodology for the full pipeline.

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