Country profile · USGS ComCat
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
- 1922 1
1922: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1945 1
1945: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1946
1946: 6 major (M6+) events
6
- 1948
1948: 3 major (M6+) events
3
- 1953 1
1953: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1962 1
1962: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1966 1
1966: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1971 1
1971: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1972 1
1972: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1979 1
1979: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1984 1
1984: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2003 1
2003: 1 major (M6+) events
1
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.
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 | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.8 | 16 km NNW of Miches, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Aug 4, 1946 |
| 7.1 | 11 km WNW of Sánchez, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Apr 21, 1948 |
| 7.0 | 24 km NNW of Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Aug 8, 1946 |
| 6.9 | 52 km S of San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic | 23.9 km | Jun 24, 1984 |
| 6.8 | 94 km NE of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Jul 27, 1917 |
| 6.8 | 26 km SE of Boca de Yuma, Dominican Republic | 100.0 km | Apr 24, 1916 |
| 6.7 | 7 km WSW of Samaná, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Apr 22, 1948 |
| 6.7 | 82 km SE of Enriquillo, Dominican Republic | 35.0 km | Oct 6, 1911 |
| 6.6 | 5 km NNW of Salsipuedes, Dominican Republic | 16.7 km | May 31, 1953 |
| 6.5 | 47 km SE of Sabana Grande de Palenque, Dominican Republic | 17.2 km | Jun 11, 1971 |
Significant earthquake record (24 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Dominican Republic since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.4 | 2 km SE of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic | 10.0 km | Sep 22, 2003 |
| 6.9 | 52 km S of San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic | 23.9 km | Jun 24, 1984 |
| 6.1 | 49 km S of La Romana, Dominican Republic | 80.0 km | Mar 23, 1979 |
| 6.2 | 10 km SSE of Joba Arriba, Dominican Republic | 10.0 km | Sep 19, 1972 |
| 6.5 | 47 km SE of Sabana Grande de Palenque, Dominican Republic | 17.2 km | Jun 11, 1971 |
| 6.1 | 80 km NE of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | 24.1 km | Nov 3, 1966 |
| 6.5 | 3 km NNW of Matanzas, Dominican Republic | 35.6 km | Jan 8, 1962 |
| 6.6 | 5 km NNW of Salsipuedes, Dominican Republic | 16.7 km | May 31, 1953 |
| 6.2 | 16 km ENE of Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Apr 23, 1948 |
| 6.7 | 7 km WSW of Samaná, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Apr 22, 1948 |
| 7.1 | 11 km WNW of Sánchez, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Apr 21, 1948 |
| 6.3 | 30 km NNE of Otra Banda, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Oct 4, 1946 |
| 6.0 | 5 km ESE of Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Aug 24, 1946 |
| 6.3 | 10 km ESE of Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Aug 21, 1946 |
| 7.0 | 24 km NNW of Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Aug 8, 1946 |
| 6.3 | 7 km NNE of San Francisco de Macorís, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Aug 4, 1946 |
| 7.8 | 16 km NNW of Miches, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Aug 4, 1946 |
| 6.0 | 31 km NNE of Cabrera, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Jan 22, 1945 |
| 6.3 | 58 km E of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Dec 18, 1922 |
| 6.8 | 94 km NE of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Jul 27, 1917 |
| 6.4 | 52 km NE of Samaná, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Nov 30, 1916 |
| 6.8 | 26 km SE of Boca de Yuma, Dominican Republic | 100.0 km | Apr 24, 1916 |
| 6.0 | 9 km ENE of Sabana de la Mar, Dominican Republic | 15.0 km | Feb 28, 1914 |
| 6.7 | 82 km SE of Enriquillo, Dominican Republic | 35.0 km | Oct 6, 1911 |
Countries with similar seismic activity
Comparable catalogued earthquake frequency to Dominican Republic.
Understand the data
Frequently asked questions
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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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