Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Mongolia
Mongolia ranks 62nd 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.
- 196
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 18
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M7.0
- Strongest
- ~9
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Mongolia has logged 196 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 and 18 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 7.0.
- #62
- of 215 countries by M4+ activity
- 196
- catalogued M4+ events (2005–present)
- M7.0
- strongest earthquake on record
- 18
- 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 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: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 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 1915 (2 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 18 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Mongolia.
M7.0-7.9
1
5.6%
M6.0-6.9
17
94.4%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 18 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 15 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
18
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 6.5 | 95 km NW of Altai, Mongolia | 15.0 km | Sep 14, 1923 |
| 6.4 | 73 km ESE of Khovd, Mongolia | 10.0 km | Dec 17, 1938 |
| 6.4 | 247 km SSW of Khovd, Mongolia | 10.0 km | Feb 13, 1933 |
Significant earthquake record (18 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 |
| 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 |
| 6.9 | 76 km W of Mörön, Mongolia | 15.0 km | Jul 14, 1905 |
Countries with similar seismic activity
Comparable catalogued earthquake frequency to Mongolia.
Understand the data
Frequently asked questions
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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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