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Earthquakes in Guadeloupe

Guadeloupe ranks 71st of 215 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity. Below: the full M6+ event history, magnitude and depth profile, and yearly trend, straight from USGS data.

150
M4+ events (since 2005)
10
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M7.2
Strongest
~7
M4+ per year

The verdict

Guadeloupe has logged 150 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 and 10 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.2.

#71
of 215 countries by M4+ activity
150
catalogued M4+ events (2005–present)
M7.2
strongest earthquake on record
10
major M6+ events since 1900

Average catalogued magnitude is 4.5 - most events are moderate M4–5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage.

Major (M6+) earthquakes in Guadeloupe by year

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

Value

What this shows Guadeloupe's most active year for major earthquakes was 1969 (3 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 10 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Guadeloupe.

M7.0-7.9

2

20.0%

M6.0-6.9

8

80.0%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 10 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 37 km.

Shallow (<70 km)

9

90.0% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

1

10.0% of events

Deep (>300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Strongest earthquakes in Guadeloupe

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

Mag Location Depth
7.2 162 km ESE of Beauséjour, Guadeloupe 11.2 km
7.0 92 km E of Beauséjour, Guadeloupe 15.0 km
6.5 164 km E of Beauséjour, Guadeloupe 9.0 km
6.3 20 km SSW of Petites Anses, Guadeloupe 14.0 km
6.2 164 km E of Beauséjour, Guadeloupe 8.1 km
6.1 133 km ESE of Beauséjour, Guadeloupe 20.0 km
6.1 40 km WSW of Pointe-Noire, Guadeloupe 162.0 km
6.0 30 km NNE of Anse-Bertrand, Guadeloupe 63.3 km
6.0 145 km ESE of Beauséjour, Guadeloupe 35.0 km
6.0 40 km NE of Anse-Bertrand, Guadeloupe 29.9 km

Significant earthquake record (10 events)

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

Mag Location Depth
6.5 164 km E of Beauséjour, Guadeloupe 9.0 km
6.1 40 km WSW of Pointe-Noire, Guadeloupe 162.0 km
6.3 20 km SSW of Petites Anses, Guadeloupe 14.0 km
6.2 164 km E of Beauséjour, Guadeloupe 8.1 km
6.0 30 km NNE of Anse-Bertrand, Guadeloupe 63.3 km
6.0 145 km ESE of Beauséjour, Guadeloupe 35.0 km
6.1 133 km ESE of Beauséjour, Guadeloupe 20.0 km
7.2 162 km ESE of Beauséjour, Guadeloupe 11.2 km
6.0 40 km NE of Anse-Bertrand, Guadeloupe 29.9 km
7.0 92 km E of Beauséjour, Guadeloupe 15.0 km

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Guadeloupe?
The USGS catalog records 150 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Guadeloupe since 2005, an average of about 7 per year. Separately, 10 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Guadeloupe?
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Guadeloupe measured magnitude 7.2. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.5 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Guadeloupe?
By catalogued M4+ activity, Guadeloupe ranks 71st of 215 countries worldwide - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 1969, with 3.
How deep are earthquakes in Guadeloupe?
Across the 10 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 37 km. 90% 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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