Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Jamaica
Jamaica has catalogued 39 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 108th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M7.7.
Jamaica ranks 108th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 2 M4+ events a year alongside 7 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. The M6+ record here is thin - 7 events in all, so a single quake moves every figure on this page.
- 39
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 7
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M7.7
- Strongest
- ~2
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Jamaica is below the global median in catalogued seismic activity, with 39 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 7 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.7.
- 1907
- busiest year (2 major events)
- 16 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 Montenegro sits immediately above at 42 events and Madagascar sits immediately below at 38.
Where Jamaica sits in the catalog
Rank 108th of 187 tracked countries (42th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Montenegro sits immediately above at 42 events and Madagascar sits immediately below at 38.
- Montenegro - next more active (42 M4+)
- Madagascar - next less active (38 M4+)
Same M4+ count, broken by peak magnitude
2 tracked countries share Jamaica's exact count of 39 M4+ events since 2005. Among that cohort, Jamaica ranks 1st of 2 by strongest recorded magnitude (M7.7).
| Country | M4+ count | Strongest |
|---|---|---|
| Jamaica (this page) | 39 | M7.7 |
| Syria | 39 | M5.2 |
Major (M6+) earthquakes in Jamaica by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1905
1905: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1907
1907: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 1941
1941: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1957
1957: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2007
2007: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2020
2020: 1 major (M6+) events
1
What this shows Jamaica's most active year for major earthquakes was 1907 (2 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
2 of 39 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 7 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Jamaica.
M7.0-7.9
1
14.3%
M6.0-6.9
6
85.7%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 7 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 16 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
7
100.0% of events
Intermediate (70–300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Deep (>300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Strongest earthquakes in Jamaica
The 7 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.7 | 123 km NNW of Lucea, Jamaica | 14.9 km | Jan 28, 2020 |
| 6.8 | 82 km SW of Black River, Jamaica | 15.0 km | Apr 7, 1941 |
| 6.3 | 55 km N of Falmouth, Jamaica | 15.0 km | Oct 15, 1905 |
| 6.2 | 4 km NNW of Savanna-la-Mar, Jamaica | 20.0 km | Mar 2, 1957 |
| 6.2 | 108 km NNW of Lucea, Jamaica | 10.0 km | Feb 4, 2007 |
| 6.2 | 58 km NNE of Port Antonio, Jamaica | 15.0 km | Jan 14, 1907 |
| 6.2 | 23 km NNE of Ocho Rios, Jamaica | 20.0 km | Aug 22, 1907 |
Significant earthquake record (7 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Jamaica since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7.7 | 123 km NNW of Lucea, Jamaica | 14.9 km | Jan 28, 2020 |
| 6.2 | 108 km NNW of Lucea, Jamaica | 10.0 km | Feb 4, 2007 |
| 6.2 | 4 km NNW of Savanna-la-Mar, Jamaica | 20.0 km | Mar 2, 1957 |
| 6.8 | 82 km SW of Black River, Jamaica | 15.0 km | Apr 7, 1941 |
| 6.2 | 23 km NNE of Ocho Rios, Jamaica | 20.0 km | Aug 22, 1907 |
| 6.2 | 58 km NNE of Port Antonio, Jamaica | 15.0 km | Jan 14, 1907 |
| 6.3 | 55 km N of Falmouth, Jamaica | 15.0 km | Oct 15, 1905 |
Other countries in this catalog sample
A Jamaica-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second Jamaica-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Understand the data
Frequently asked questions
How many earthquakes have occurred in Jamaica? ▼
What was the strongest earthquake in Jamaica? ▼
How seismically active is Jamaica? ▼
How deep are earthquakes in Jamaica? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
About Jamaica's figures
39 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M7.7 · average M4.5 · 7 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp May 13, 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 Jamaica's numbers mean
Jamaica ranks 108th of 187 countries tracked - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity.
- About 2 M4+ earthquakes strike Jamaica per year on average, though major (M6+) activity is episodic - 1907 was the busiest year on record with 2 significant events. See the full country ranking
- 100% of Jamaica'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 M7.7. 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.