Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Brazil
Brazil has catalogued 101 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 78th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M7.6.
Brazil ranks 78th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 5 M4+ events a year alongside 27 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. Its M6+ record runs from 1911 to 2024, peaking in 1963.
- 101
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 27
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M7.6
- Strongest
- ~5
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Brazil is moderately seismically active, above the global median, with 101 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 27 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.6.
- 1963
- busiest year (2 major events)
- 571 km
- average recorded event depth
- 4%
- of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)
Average catalogued magnitude is 4.7 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Cayman Islands sits immediately above at 107 events and Cyprus sits immediately below at 97.
Where Brazil sits in the catalog
Rank 78th of 187 tracked countries (58th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Cayman Islands sits immediately above at 107 events and Cyprus sits immediately below at 97.
- Cayman Islands - next more active (107 M4+)
- Cyprus - next less active (97 M4+)
Same M4+ count, broken by peak magnitude
2 tracked countries share Brazil's exact count of 101 M4+ events since 2005. Among that cohort, Brazil ranks 1st of 2 by strongest recorded magnitude (M6.8).
| Country | M4+ count | Strongest |
|---|---|---|
| Brazil (this page) | 101 | M6.8 |
| Uzbekistan | 101 | M5.7 |
Major (M6+) earthquakes in Brazil by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1989
1989: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1993
1993: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1994
1994: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1997
1997: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2002
2002: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2003
2003: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 2007
2007: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2010
2010: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2015
2015: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2019
2019: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2022
2022: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2024
2024: 2 major (M6+) events
2
What this shows Brazil's most active year for major earthquakes was 1963 (2 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
7 of 101 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 27 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Brazil.
M7.0-7.9
5
18.5%
M6.0-6.9
22
81.5%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 27 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 571 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
1
3.7% of events
Intermediate (70–300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Deep (>300 km)
26
96.3% of events
Strongest earthquakes in Brazil
The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.6 | 132 km SW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 590.7 km | Nov 9, 1963 |
| 7.4 | 128 km SSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 560.0 km | Apr 28, 1911 |
| 7.1 | 105 km E of Cruzeiro do Sul, Brazil | 558.1 km | Jun 20, 2003 |
| 7.1 | 69 km W of Tarauacá, Brazil | 593.4 km | May 5, 1989 |
| 7.0 | 124 km SSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 600.4 km | Feb 15, 1967 |
| 6.9 | 108 km W of Tarauacá, Brazil | 534.3 km | Oct 12, 2002 |
| 6.8 | 90 km W of Tarauacá, Brazil | 570.4 km | Jan 5, 2019 |
| 6.8 | 23 km WSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 646.0 km | Jul 9, 1950 |
| 6.7 | 125 km SSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 602.8 km | Nov 26, 2015 |
| 6.7 | 104 km SSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 593.8 km | Nov 3, 1965 |
Significant earthquake record (27 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Brazil since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.5 | 70 km W of Tarauacá, Brazil | 621.1 km | Jan 28, 2024 |
| 6.6 | 123 km NW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 607.0 km | Jan 20, 2024 |
| 6.5 | 107 km SSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 622.7 km | Jun 8, 2022 |
| 6.8 | 90 km W of Tarauacá, Brazil | 570.4 km | Jan 5, 2019 |
| 6.7 | 125 km SSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 602.8 km | Nov 26, 2015 |
| 6.5 | 87 km W of Tarauacá, Brazil | 581.2 km | May 24, 2010 |
| 6.1 | 55 km W of Tarauacá, Brazil | 644.9 km | Jul 21, 2007 |
| 7.1 | 105 km E of Cruzeiro do Sul, Brazil | 558.1 km | Jun 20, 2003 |
| 6.0 | 91 km W of Tarauacá, Brazil | 559.9 km | Apr 27, 2003 |
| 6.9 | 108 km W of Tarauacá, Brazil | 534.3 km | Oct 12, 2002 |
| 6.1 | 115 km SSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 602.6 km | Mar 25, 1997 |
| 6.1 | 148 km SSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 591.3 km | Nov 4, 1994 |
| 6.1 | 86 km WSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 572.8 km | May 6, 1993 |
| 7.1 | 69 km W of Tarauacá, Brazil | 593.4 km | May 5, 1989 |
| 6.3 | 127 km ENE of Cruzeiro do Sul, Brazil | 608.5 km | Mar 26, 1986 |
| 6.6 | 125 km SSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 599.9 km | May 1, 1985 |
| 6.2 | 158 km SSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 598.6 km | Jun 2, 1983 |
| 6.1 | 129 km NE of Cruzeiro do Sul, Brazil | 563.7 km | Jan 21, 1972 |
| 6.4 | 129 km NE of Cruzeiro do Sul, Brazil | 567.5 km | Jan 12, 1972 |
| 7.0 | 124 km SSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 600.4 km | Feb 15, 1967 |
| 6.7 | 104 km SSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 593.8 km | Nov 3, 1965 |
| 6.3 | 100 km SSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 593.9 km | Nov 10, 1963 |
| 7.6 | 132 km SW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 590.7 km | Nov 9, 1963 |
| 6.3 | 207 km WSW of Sinop, Brazil | 15.0 km | Jan 31, 1955 |
| 6.8 | 23 km WSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 646.0 km | Jul 9, 1950 |
| 6.7 | 21 km WSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 620.0 km | Apr 23, 1915 |
| 7.4 | 128 km SSW of Tarauacá, Brazil | 560.0 km | Apr 28, 1911 |
Other countries in this catalog sample
A Brazil-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second Brazil-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Understand the data
Frequently asked questions
How many earthquakes have occurred in Brazil? ▼
What was the strongest earthquake in Brazil? ▼
How seismically active is Brazil? ▼
How deep are earthquakes in Brazil? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
About Brazil's figures
101 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M7.6 · average M4.7 · 27 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Apr 27, 2026. Computed from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat). See the methodology and USGS ComCat.
Disclaimer: PlainQuake is informational only, not an emergency service or engineering advice. See our full disclaimer.
What Brazil's numbers mean
Brazil ranks 78th of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.
- About 5 M4+ earthquakes strike Brazil per year on average, though major (M6+) activity is episodic - 1963 was the busiest year on record with 2 significant events. See the full country ranking
- 4% of Brazil's catalogued major earthquakes are shallow (under 70km) - shallow events generally produce stronger surface shaking than deep ones of the same magnitude. How depth affects shaking
- The strongest catalogued event reached M7.6. Compare against neighboring or similarly-ranked countries before drawing conclusions from magnitude alone. Compare strongest earthquakes
Figures reflect the USGS ComCat catalog (M4+ since 2005, M6+ significant events since 1900) - not a real-time hazard assessment. For official guidance, see the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.
According to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, PlainQuake's figures are rendered directly from 315,341 recorded M4+ earthquakes and 14,428 significant M6+ events (USGS ComCat, 2005-present) -- no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-07-19.