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Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Micronesia

Micronesia has catalogued 672 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 40th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M7.0.

Micronesia ranks 40th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a moderately seismically active country, averaging about 32 M4+ events a year alongside 37 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. Its M6+ record runs from 1912 to 2024, peaking in 2005.

672
M4+ events (since 2005)
37
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M7.0
Strongest
~32
M4+ per year

The verdict

Micronesia is more seismically active than most places tracked here, with 672 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 37 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.0.

2005
busiest year (3 major events)
20 km
average recorded event depth
100%
of events are shallow (<70 km, the most damaging kind)

Average catalogued magnitude is 4.7 - most events are moderate M4-5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage. On the M4+ activity ladder Nepal sits immediately above at 694 events and Kyrgyzstan sits immediately below at 625.

Where Micronesia sits in the catalog

Rank 40th of 187 tracked countries (79th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Nepal sits immediately above at 694 events and Kyrgyzstan sits immediately below at 625.

  • Nepal - next more active (694 M4+)
  • Kyrgyzstan - next less active (625 M4+)

Micronesia's M4+ count vs. every tracked country

Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat

672 Top 21% higher than 79% of 187 countries

0–500: 143 countries (76%). Below this entry. 500–1,000: 11 countries (6%). This entry sits in this band. 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. Micronesia 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 Micronesia compares to its nearest peers

Micronesia ranks in the 79th 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).

Micronesia 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 05001,0001,500 M5.5M6M6.5M7M7.5M8 M4+ events since 2005 Strongest recorded magnitude
Micronesia vs. its 20 nearest-ranked peer countries, USGS ComCat
Read the chart (all 21 values)
Country M4+ events Strongest magnitude
Pakistan 1,262 M7.7
Myanmar 1,136 M7.7
Ecuador 1,130 M7.8
Canada 1,026 M7.8
Iceland 982 M6.3
Bolivia 832 M6.8
Wallis and Futuna 807 M6.7
Costa Rica 717 M7.6
Panama 704 M6.7
Nepal 694 M7.8
Micronesia (this page) 672 M6.6
Kyrgyzstan 625 M6.7
Italy 609 M6.6
Ethiopia 574 M5.9
Venezuela 531 M7.5
Dominican Republic 489 M5.8
Svalbard and Jan Mayen 434 M6.8
Portugal 423 M6.3
Tanzania 368 M6.0
Yemen 338 M6.6
Somalia 332 M5.8

Major (M6+) earthquakes in Micronesia by year

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

Value

What this shows Micronesia's most active year for major earthquakes was 2005 (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 2005–present
0%100%1.6%
Share of Micronesia's M4+ catalog that reached significant M6+ severity

11 of 672 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.

Magnitude distribution of major events

Breakdown of the 37 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Micronesia.

How the 37 total breaks down by magnitude M6.0-6.9 is the largest share -- 97.3%

M7.0-7.9

1

2.7%

M6.0-6.9

36

97.3%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 37 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 20 km.

Micronesia100%Shallow (<70 km)Intermediate (70-300 km)Deep (>300 km)
Depth distribution of Micronesia's M6+ events, USGS ComCat

Shallow (<70 km)

37

100.0% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Deep (>300 km)

0

0.0% of events

Strongest earthquakes in Micronesia

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

Mag Location Depth
7.0 199 km NNW of Fais, Micronesia 40.0 km
6.9 32 km SSE of Fais, Micronesia 15.0 km
6.8 281 km S of Colonia, Micronesia 15.0 km
6.8 223 km SSW of Colonia, Micronesia 15.0 km
6.6 294 km NNE of Fais, Micronesia 13.0 km
6.6 133 km NNE of Fais, Micronesia 24.9 km
6.5 96 km ENE of Fais, Micronesia 25.0 km
6.4 160 km SSE of Fais, Micronesia 35.0 km
6.4 50 km NW of Fais, Micronesia 12.8 km
6.4 180 km SSW of Colonia, Micronesia 23.9 km

Significant earthquake record (37 events)

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

Mag Location Depth
6.0 171 km NNE of Colonia, Micronesia 14.0 km
6.2 257 km N of Fais, Micronesia 10.0 km
6.1 50 km NW of Fais, Micronesia 10.0 km
6.3 45 km NW of Fais, Micronesia 8.0 km
6.4 50 km NW of Fais, Micronesia 12.8 km
6.2 135 km SSW of Colonia, Micronesia 19.0 km
6.3 293 km NNE of Fais, Micronesia 10.0 km
6.6 294 km NNE of Fais, Micronesia 13.0 km
6.1 277 km N of Fais, Micronesia 22.8 km
6.1 136 km N of Fais, Micronesia 12.0 km
6.6 133 km NNE of Fais, Micronesia 24.9 km
6.3 231 km SW of Colonia, Micronesia 10.0 km
6.1 136 km N of Fais, Micronesia 33.0 km
6.0 224 km NW of Fais, Micronesia 33.0 km
6.3 54 km NNE of Colonia, Micronesia 10.0 km
6.1 234 km SSW of Colonia, Micronesia 33.5 km
6.1 157 km NNW of Fais, Micronesia 24.0 km
6.4 180 km SSW of Colonia, Micronesia 23.9 km
6.2 92 km NNE of Fais, Micronesia 39.0 km
6.2 94 km SSW of Colonia, Micronesia 12.3 km
6.1 273 km N of Fais, Micronesia 17.4 km
6.2 271 km N of Fais, Micronesia 20.0 km
7.0 199 km NNW of Fais, Micronesia 40.0 km
6.0 193 km N of Fais, Micronesia 15.0 km
6.1 256 km NE of Fais, Micronesia 20.0 km
6.0 247 km NNE of Colonia, Micronesia 15.0 km
6.2 195 km NNE of Fais, Micronesia 16.7 km
6.4 160 km SSE of Fais, Micronesia 35.0 km
6.5 96 km ENE of Fais, Micronesia 25.0 km
6.9 32 km SSE of Fais, Micronesia 15.0 km
6.8 223 km SSW of Colonia, Micronesia 15.0 km
6.1 130 km NNE of Fais, Micronesia 15.0 km
6.2 242 km NNE of Fais, Micronesia 35.0 km
6.1 240 km N of Fais, Micronesia 25.0 km
6.0 247 km NE of Fais, Micronesia 35.0 km
6.3 193 km ENE of Fais, Micronesia 15.0 km
6.8 281 km S of Colonia, Micronesia 15.0 km

Other countries in this catalog sample

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

Benin

1 M4+ events · strongest M4.4

M4.4

Kazakhstan

174 M4+ events · strongest M6.1

M6.1

Sweden

6 M4+ events · strongest M4.6

M4.6

Syria

39 M4+ events · strongest M5.2

M5.2

South Korea

15 M4+ events · strongest M5.5

M5.5

Vietnam

80 M4+ events · strongest M5.3

M5.3

Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster

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

Antigua and Barbuda

129 M4+ events

M6.6

Guadeloupe

152 M4+ events

M6.5

Morocco

187 M4+ events

M6.8

Barbados

66 M4+ events

M6.5

Iceland

982 M4+ events

M6.3

Wallis and Futuna

807 M4+ events

M6.7

Understand the data

Nepal

Next more active on the M4+ ladder.

Kyrgyzstan

Next less active on the M4+ ladder.

Country rankings

Every country by M4+ activity.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Micronesia? ▼
The USGS catalog records 672 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Micronesia since 2005, an average of about 32 per year. Separately, 37 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Micronesia? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Micronesia measured magnitude 7.0. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.7 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Micronesia? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, Micronesia ranks 40th of 187 countries worldwide - a moderately seismically active country. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 2005, with 3.
How deep are earthquakes in Micronesia? ▼
Across the 37 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 20 km. 100% 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 Micronesia's figures

672 M4+ events since 2005 · strongest M7.0 · average M4.7 · 37 M6+ significant events since 1900 · latest M4+ catalog stamp Jun 23, 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 Micronesia's numbers mean

Micronesia ranks 40th of 187 countries tracked - a moderately seismically active country.

  • About 32 M4+ earthquakes strike Micronesia per year on average, though major (M6+) activity is episodic - 2005 was the busiest year on record with 3 significant events. See the full country ranking
  • 100% of Micronesia'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 M7.0. 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.