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Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Cayman Islands

Cayman Islands has catalogued 107 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 77th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M7.6.

Cayman Islands ranks 77th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 5 M4+ events a year alongside 9 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. Its M6+ record runs from 1925 to 2025, peaking in 2004.

107
M4+ events (since 2005)
9
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M7.6
Strongest
~5
M4+ per year

The verdict

Cayman Islands is moderately seismically active, above the global median, with 107 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 9 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.6.

2004
busiest year (2 major events)
14 km
average recorded event depth
100%
of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)

Average catalogued magnitude is 4.5 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Anguilla sits immediately above at 113 events and Brazil sits immediately below at 101.

Where Cayman Islands sits in the catalog

Rank 77th of 187 tracked countries (59th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Anguilla sits immediately above at 113 events and Brazil sits immediately below at 101.

  • Anguilla - next more active (113 M4+)
  • Brazil - next less active (101 M4+)

Cayman Islands's M4+ count vs. every tracked country

Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat

107 Top 41% higher than 59% of 187 countries

0–500: 143 countries (76%). This entry sits in this band. 500–1,000: 11 countries (6%). Above this entry. 1,000–1,500: 5 countries (3%). Above this entry. 1,500–2,000: 5 countries (3%). Above this entry. 2,000–2,500: 1 countries (1%). Above this entry. 2,500–3,000: 1 countries (1%). Above this entry. 3,000–3,500: 2 countries (1%). Above this entry. 3,500–4,000: 1 countries (1%). Above this entry. 4,000–4,500: 3 countries (2%). Above this entry. 4,500–5,000: 3 countries (2%). Above this entry. 5,000–5,500: 12 countries (6%). Above this entry. Cayman Islands 0 5,000+ every tracked country, bucketed by value

Each bar is a 500-wide band; taller bars hold more countries. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) · 2005-present

How Cayman Islands compares to its nearest peers

Cayman Islands ranks in the 59th percentile for M4+ frequency among all 187 tracked countries. Plotted here against its 20 nearest-ranked peers by how OFTEN they shake (M4+ count) against how HARD the strongest one ever hit (max recorded magnitude).

Cayman Islands vs. its 20 nearest-ranked peer countries, USGS ComCat 2×2 strategic matrix plotting 21 entities by M4+ events since 2005 (X) and Strongest recorded magnitude (Y), with a crosshair dividing the plot into four quadrants. Frequent and severeRare but severeFrequent, capped so farLower on both axes 6080100120140160180 M4M5M6M7M8 M4+ events since 2005 Strongest recorded magnitude
Cayman Islands vs. its 20 nearest-ranked peer countries, USGS ComCat
Read the chart (all 21 values)
Country M4+ events Strongest magnitude
Democratic Republic of the Congo 161 M6.8
Guadeloupe 152 M6.5
Turkmenistan 143 M5.4
Mauritius 135 M6.0
Zimbabwe 135 M7.0
Poland 130 M5.0
Antigua and Barbuda 129 M6.6
Samoa 116 M6.2
Saudi Arabia 114 M5.7
Anguilla 113 M5.6
Cayman Islands (this page) 107 M7.6
Brazil 101 M6.8
Uzbekistan 101 M5.7
Cyprus 97 M6.6
Cuba 96 M6.8
Eritrea 93 M5.6
Spain 88 M6.3
Trinidad and Tobago 88 M6.1
Palau 84 M6.2
Martinique 83 M7.4
Vietnam 80 M5.3

Major (M6+) earthquakes in Cayman Islands by year

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

Value

What this shows Cayman Islands's most active year for major earthquakes was 2004 (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 2005–present
0%100%1.9%
Share of Cayman Islands's M4+ catalog that reached significant M6+ severity

2 of 107 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.

Magnitude distribution of major events

Breakdown of the 9 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Cayman Islands.

How the 9 total breaks down by magnitude M6.0-6.9 is the largest share -- 88.9%

M7.0-7.9

1

11.1%

M6.0-6.9

8

88.9%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 9 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 14 km.

Cayman Islands100%Shallow (<70 km)Intermediate (70-300 km)Deep (>300 km)
Depth distribution of Cayman Islands's M6+ events, USGS ComCat

Shallow (<70 km)

9

100.0% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Deep (>300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Strongest earthquakes in Cayman Islands

The 9 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).

Mag Location Depth
7.6 210 km SSW of George Town, Cayman Islands 14.3 km
6.8 36 km S of George Town, Cayman Islands 10.0 km
6.3 209 km SSW of George Town, Cayman Islands 10.0 km
6.1 55 km SE of East End, Cayman Islands 10.0 km
6.1 55 km S of Bodden Town, Cayman Islands 20.0 km
6.1 192 km SSW of George Town, Cayman Islands 15.0 km
6.1 174 km SSW of George Town, Cayman Islands 10.0 km
6.0 170 km S of George Town, Cayman Islands 25.2 km
6.0 61 km SW of George Town, Cayman Islands 10.0 km

Significant earthquake record (9 events)

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

Mag Location Depth
7.6 210 km SSW of George Town, Cayman Islands 14.3 km
6.1 55 km SE of East End, Cayman Islands 10.0 km
6.8 36 km S of George Town, Cayman Islands 10.0 km
6.0 170 km S of George Town, Cayman Islands 25.2 km
6.3 209 km SSW of George Town, Cayman Islands 10.0 km
6.0 61 km SW of George Town, Cayman Islands 10.0 km
6.1 55 km S of Bodden Town, Cayman Islands 20.0 km
6.1 192 km SSW of George Town, Cayman Islands 15.0 km
6.1 174 km SSW of George Town, Cayman Islands 10.0 km

Other countries in this catalog sample

A Cayman Islands-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.

Taiwan

2,531 M4+ events · strongest M7.4

M7.4

Kazakhstan

174 M4+ events · strongest M6.1

M6.1

Botswana

13 M4+ events · strongest M6.5

M6.5

Jamaica

39 M4+ events · strongest M7.7

M7.7

Antigua and Barbuda

129 M4+ events · strongest M6.6

M6.6

Eritrea

93 M4+ events · strongest M5.6

M5.6

Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster

A second Cayman Islands-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.

New Caledonia

1,917 M4+ events

M7.5

Myanmar

1,136 M4+ events

M7.7

Tonga

10,847 M4+ events

M7.6

Canada

1,026 M4+ events

M7.8

Nepal

694 M4+ events

M7.8

Colombia

1,721 M4+ events

M7.3

Understand the data

Anguilla

Next more active on the M4+ ladder.

Brazil

Next less active on the M4+ ladder.

Country rankings

Every country by M4+ activity.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Cayman Islands? ▼
The USGS catalog records 107 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Cayman Islands since 2005, an average of about 5 per year. Separately, 9 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Cayman Islands? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Cayman Islands measured magnitude 7.6. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.5 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Cayman Islands? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, Cayman Islands ranks 77th of 187 countries worldwide - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 2004, with 2.
How deep are earthquakes in Cayman Islands? ▼
Across the 9 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 14 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 Cayman Islands's figures

107 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M7.6 · average M4.5 · 9 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Jul 18, 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 Cayman Islands's numbers mean

Cayman Islands ranks 77th of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.

  • About 5 M4+ earthquakes strike Cayman Islands per year on average, though major (M6+) activity is episodic - 2004 was the busiest year on record with 2 significant events. See the full country ranking
  • 100% of Cayman Islands'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.