Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Malawi
Malawi ranks 94th 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.
- 73
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 2
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M6.2
- Strongest
- ~3
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Malawi has logged 73 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 and 2 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 6.2.
- #94
- of 215 countries by M4+ activity
- 73
- catalogued M4+ events (2005–present)
- M6.2
- strongest earthquake on record
- 2
- major M6+ events since 1900
Average catalogued magnitude is 4.6 - most events are moderate M4–5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 2 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Malawi.
M6.0-6.9
2
100.0%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 2 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 18 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
2
100.0% of events
Intermediate (70–300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Deep (>300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Strongest earthquakes in Malawi
The 2 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.2 | 9 km NNW of Salima, Malawi | 30.3 km | Mar 10, 1989 |
| 6.0 | 23 km SSW of Karonga, Malawi | 6.0 km | Dec 19, 2009 |
Significant earthquake record (2 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Malawi since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.0 | 23 km SSW of Karonga, Malawi | 6.0 km | Dec 19, 2009 |
| 6.2 | 9 km NNW of Salima, Malawi | 30.3 km | Mar 10, 1989 |
Countries with similar seismic activity
Comparable catalogued earthquake frequency to Malawi.
Understand the data
Frequently asked questions
How many earthquakes have occurred in Malawi? ▼
What was the strongest earthquake in Malawi? ▼
How seismically active is Malawi? ▼
How deep are earthquakes in Malawi? ▼
Where does this data come from? ▼
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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