PlainQuake

Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Greenland

Greenland has catalogued 77 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 88th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M4.9.

Greenland ranks 88th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 4 M4+ events a year alongside 0 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900.

77
M4+ events (since 2005)
0
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M4.9
Strongest
~4
M4+ per year

The verdict

Greenland is moderately seismically active, above the global median, with 77 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 0 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 4.9.

N/A
no yearly breakdown available
N/A
average recorded event depth
0%
of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)

Average catalogued magnitude is 4.4 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Vietnam sits immediately above at 80 events and Malawi sits immediately below at 73.

Where Greenland sits in the catalog

Rank 88th of 187 tracked countries (53th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Vietnam sits immediately above at 80 events and Malawi sits immediately below at 73.

  • Vietnam - next more active (80 M4+)
  • Malawi - next less active (73 M4+)

Greenland's M4+ count vs. every tracked country

Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat

77 Top 47% higher than 53% 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. Greenland 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 Greenland compares to its nearest peers

Greenland ranks in the 53th 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).

Greenland 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 406080100120 M4M5M6M7M8 M4+ events since 2005 Strongest recorded magnitude
Greenland vs. its 20 nearest-ranked peer countries, USGS ComCat
Read the chart (all 21 values)
Country M4+ events Strongest magnitude
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
Greenland (this page) 77 M4.9
Malawi 73 M6.0
Uganda 73 M5.9
Bosnia and Herzegovina 69 M5.7
Barbados 66 M6.5
Croatia 65 M6.4
Bangladesh 64 M5.5
Zambia 62 M5.9
Federated States of Micronesia 59 M6.3
Mozambique 59 M5.6
Dominica 55 M5.6
0%100%0%
Share of Greenland's M4+ catalog that reached significant M6+ severity

0 of 77 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.

Other countries in this catalog sample

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

Cuba

96 M4+ events · strongest M6.8

M6.8

Indonesia

37,560 M4+ events · strongest M8.6

M8.6

Slovakia

1 M4+ events · strongest M5.0

M5.0

Oman

44 M4+ events · strongest M5.4

M5.4

New Zealand

7,523 M4+ events · strongest M8.1

M8.1

Ghana

1 M4+ events · strongest M4.0

M4.0

Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster

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

Saint Eustatius and Saba

19 M4+ events

M5.0

Comoros

12 M4+ events

M5.1

Ukraine

17 M4+ events

M4.9

French Guiana

3 M4+ events

M5.0

United Kingdom

10 M4+ events

M4.8

Saint Kitts and Nevis

23 M4+ events

M4.8

Understand the data

Vietnam

Next more active on the M4+ ladder.

Malawi

Next less active on the M4+ ladder.

Country rankings

Every country by M4+ activity.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Greenland? ▼
The USGS catalog records 77 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Greenland since 2005, an average of about 4 per year. Separately, 0 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Greenland? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Greenland measured magnitude 4.9. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.4 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Greenland? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, Greenland ranks 88th of 187 countries worldwide - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.
How deep are earthquakes in Greenland? ▼
Across the 0 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is N/A km. 0% 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 Greenland's figures

77 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M4.9 · average M4.4 · 0 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Feb 3, 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 Greenland's numbers mean

Greenland ranks 88th of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.

  • About 4 M4+ earthquakes strike Greenland per year on average. See the full country ranking
  • 0% of Greenland'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 M4.9. 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.