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Earthquakes in Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic ranks 47th of 215 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a moderately seismically active country. Below: the full M6+ event history, magnitude and depth profile, and yearly trend, straight from USGS data.

488
M4+ events (since 2005)
24
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M7.8
Strongest
~23
M4+ per year

The verdict

Dominican Republic has logged 488 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 and 24 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.8.

#47
of 215 countries by M4+ activity
488
catalogued M4+ events (2005–present)
M7.8
strongest earthquake on record
24
major M6+ events since 1900

Average catalogued magnitude is 4.3 - most events are moderate M4–5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage.

Major (M6+) earthquakes in Dominican Republic by year

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

Value

What this shows Dominican Republic's most active year for major earthquakes was 1946 (6 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 24 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Dominican Republic.

M7.0-7.9

2

8.3%

M6.0-6.9

22

91.7%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 24 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 23 km.

Shallow (<70 km)

22

91.7% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

2

8.3% of events

Deep (>300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Strongest earthquakes in Dominican Republic

The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).

Mag Location Depth
7.8 16 km NNW of Miches, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
7.1 11 km WNW of Sánchez, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
7.0 24 km NNW of Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
6.9 52 km S of San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic 23.9 km
6.8 94 km NE of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
6.8 26 km SE of Boca de Yuma, Dominican Republic 100.0 km
6.7 7 km WSW of Samaná, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
6.7 82 km SE of Enriquillo, Dominican Republic 35.0 km
6.6 5 km NNW of Salsipuedes, Dominican Republic 16.7 km
6.5 47 km SE of Sabana Grande de Palenque, Dominican Republic 17.2 km

Significant earthquake record (24 events)

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

Mag Location Depth
6.4 2 km SE of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic 10.0 km
6.9 52 km S of San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic 23.9 km
6.1 49 km S of La Romana, Dominican Republic 80.0 km
6.2 10 km SSE of Joba Arriba, Dominican Republic 10.0 km
6.5 47 km SE of Sabana Grande de Palenque, Dominican Republic 17.2 km
6.1 80 km NE of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 24.1 km
6.5 3 km NNW of Matanzas, Dominican Republic 35.6 km
6.6 5 km NNW of Salsipuedes, Dominican Republic 16.7 km
6.2 16 km ENE of Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
6.7 7 km WSW of Samaná, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
7.1 11 km WNW of Sánchez, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
6.3 30 km NNE of Otra Banda, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
6.0 5 km ESE of Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
6.3 10 km ESE of Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
7.0 24 km NNW of Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
6.3 7 km NNE of San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
7.8 16 km NNW of Miches, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
6.0 31 km NNE of Cabrera, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
6.3 58 km E of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
6.8 94 km NE of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
6.4 52 km NE of Samaná, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
6.8 26 km SE of Boca de Yuma, Dominican Republic 100.0 km
6.0 9 km ENE of Sabana de la Mar, Dominican Republic 15.0 km
6.7 82 km SE of Enriquillo, Dominican Republic 35.0 km

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Dominican Republic?
The USGS catalog records 488 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Dominican Republic since 2005, an average of about 23 per year. Separately, 24 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Dominican Republic?
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Dominican Republic measured magnitude 7.8. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.3 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Dominican Republic?
By catalogued M4+ activity, Dominican Republic ranks 47th of 215 countries worldwide - a moderately seismically active country. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 1946, with 6.
How deep are earthquakes in Dominican Republic?
Across the 24 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 23 km. 92% 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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