Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Mongolia
Mongolia has catalogued 196 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 59th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M8.3.
Mongolia ranks 59th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a country with limited but non-zero seismic activity, averaging about 9 M4+ events a year alongside 21 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. 2 of those major events reached M8 or greater, the catalogue's top magnitude class.
- 196
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 21
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M8.3
- Strongest
- ~9
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Mongolia is moderately seismically active, above the global median, with 196 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 21 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 8.3.
- 1905
- busiest year (3 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 MX sits immediately above at 202 events and South Africa sits immediately below at 191.
ComCat country tape
Event tape MONGOLIA · Mongolia M4+ · 59th/187
Mongolia · 196 M4+ · max M8.3 · 21 M6+
- BUSY 196
- SHAL 59th/187
- PCT M8.3
- VS-PEER 21
- COMCAT near MX
- TAPE 100% shallow
Stamps derive from this country's USGS ComCat row (M4+ book, rank, peak magnitude, M6+ record, ladder neighbour, depth/peak year), not a hazard forecast. PlainQuake is informational only - not professional advice and not a substitute for official USGS guidance. See our disclaimer. Verify with USGS ComCat → · Read with methodology → · How earthquakes are measured → · Reading earthquake data → · All country catalog rows → · Countries ranked →
Observed impact record
What ComCat observed after earthquakes in Mongolia
USGS recorded Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) for 16 events in this catalogued record; their average observed intensity was MMI 7.4. These are only events with an observation, not an estimate of future shaking or a safety rating.
- MMI observations
- 16
- Average observed MMI
- 7.4
- PAGER alerts / tsunami flags
- 1 / 0
Source: USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) GeoJSON impact fields. Missing MMI, alert, and tsunami values remain unreported rather than being treated as zero.
Where Mongolia sits in the catalog
Rank 59th of 187 tracked countries (68th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder MX sits immediately above at 202 events and South Africa sits immediately below at 191.
- MX - next more active (202 M4+)
- South Africa - next less active (191 M4+)
Mongolia's M4+ count vs. every tracked country
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
196 Top 32% higher than 68% of 187 countries
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
Major (M6+) earthquakes in Mongolia by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1915
1915: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 1920
1920: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1923
1923: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1933
1933: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1938
1938: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 1950
1950: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 1957
1957: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 1958
1958: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 1960
1960: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1967
1967: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 1974
1974: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2021
2021: 1 major (M6+) events
1
What this shows Mongolia's most active year for major earthquakes was 1905 (3 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
1 of 196 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 21 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Mongolia.
M8+
2
9.5%
M7.0-7.9
2
9.5%
M6.0-6.9
17
81.0%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 21 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 16 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
21
100.0% of events
Intermediate (70–300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Deep (>300 km)
0
0.0% of events
Strongest earthquakes in Mongolia
The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8.3 | The 1905 Bulnay (Bolnai), Mongolia Earthquake | 15.0 km | Jul 23, 1905 |
| 8.1 | 1957 Gobi-Altay, Mongolia Earthquake | 30.0 km | Dec 4, 1957 |
| 8.0 | The 1905 Tsetserleg, Mongolia Earthquake | 15.0 km | Jul 9, 1905 |
| 7.0 | 77 km SSW of Bulgan, Mongolia | 14.7 km | Jan 5, 1967 |
| 7.0 | 21 km NW of Ölgii, Mongolia | 10.0 km | Oct 19, 1938 |
| 6.9 | 33 km NE of Turt, Mongolia | 15.0 km | Apr 4, 1950 |
| 6.9 | 76 km W of Mörön, Mongolia | 15.0 km | Jul 14, 1905 |
| 6.8 | 52 km S of Dalandzadgad, Mongolia | 20.0 km | Dec 3, 1960 |
| 6.7 | 29 km SSW of Turt, Mongolia | 10.0 km | Jan 11, 2021 |
| 6.7 | 220 km SW of Altai, Mongolia | 33.0 km | Jul 4, 1974 |
Significant earthquake record (21 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Mongolia since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.7 | 29 km SSW of Turt, Mongolia | 10.0 km | Jan 11, 2021 |
| 6.7 | 220 km SW of Altai, Mongolia | 33.0 km | Jul 4, 1974 |
| 6.4 | 89 km SSW of Bulgan, Mongolia | 21.8 km | Jan 20, 1967 |
| 7.0 | 77 km SSW of Bulgan, Mongolia | 14.7 km | Jan 5, 1967 |
| 6.8 | 52 km S of Dalandzadgad, Mongolia | 20.0 km | Dec 3, 1960 |
| 6.1 | 45 km W of Bulgan, Mongolia | 15.0 km | Jun 23, 1958 |
| 6.2 | 140 km SSW of Bayanhongor, Mongolia | 15.0 km | Feb 24, 1958 |
| 6.1 | 71 km NW of Hovd, Mongolia | 15.0 km | Dec 4, 1957 |
| 8.1 | 1957 Gobi-Altay, Mongolia Earthquake | 30.0 km | Dec 4, 1957 |
| 6.9 | 33 km NE of Turt, Mongolia | 15.0 km | Apr 4, 1950 |
| 6.1 | 142 km WSW of Bayanhongor, Mongolia | 15.0 km | Feb 25, 1950 |
| 6.4 | 73 km ESE of Khovd, Mongolia | 10.0 km | Dec 17, 1938 |
| 7.0 | 21 km NW of Ölgii, Mongolia | 10.0 km | Oct 19, 1938 |
| 6.4 | 247 km SSW of Khovd, Mongolia | 10.0 km | Feb 13, 1933 |
| 6.5 | 95 km NW of Altai, Mongolia | 15.0 km | Sep 14, 1923 |
| 6.0 | 251 km WSW of Altai, Mongolia | 10.0 km | Sep 20, 1920 |
| 6.3 | 134 km SW of Hovd, Mongolia | 15.0 km | Apr 30, 1915 |
| 6.0 | 33 km W of Mörön, Mongolia | 10.0 km | Jan 10, 1915 |
| 8.3 | The 1905 Bulnay (Bolnai), Mongolia Earthquake | 15.0 km | Jul 23, 1905 |
| 6.9 | 76 km W of Mörön, Mongolia | 15.0 km | Jul 14, 1905 |
| 8.0 | The 1905 Tsetserleg, Mongolia Earthquake | 15.0 km | Jul 9, 1905 |
Other countries in this catalog sample
A Mongolia-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second Mongolia-keyed shuffle of countries with a recorded max magnitude.
Showing 6 of 186 countries with a recorded max magnitude.
According to the US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program, PlainQuake's figures are rendered directly from 317,293 recorded M4+ earthquakes and 14,444 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 2026-08-26.