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Earthquakes in Russia

Russia ranks 7th of 215 countries by catalogued seismic activity - among the most seismically active nations on Earth. Below: the full M6+ event history, magnitude and depth profile, and yearly trend, straight from USGS data.

12,226
M4+ events (since 2005)
789
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M9.0
Strongest
~582
M4+ per year

The verdict

Russia has logged 12,226 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 and 789 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 9.0.

#7
of 215 countries by M4+ activity
12,226
catalogued M4+ events (2005–present)
M9.0
strongest earthquake on record
789
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 Russia by year

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

Value

What this shows Russia's most active year for major earthquakes was 1952 (42 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 2025

Magnitude distribution of major events

Breakdown of the 789 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Russia.

M8+

2

0.3%

M7.0-7.9

76

9.6%

M6.0-6.9

711

90.1%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 789 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 54 km.

Shallow (<70 km)

711

90.1% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

45

5.7% of events

Deep (>300 km)

33

4.2% of events

Strongest earthquakes in Russia

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

Mag Location Depth
9.0 89 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 21.6 km
8.3 48 km E of Shikotan, Russia 14.0 km
8.0 43 km E of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia 20.0 km
7.9 128 km ESE of Kuril’sk, Russia 33.0 km
7.9 76 km ENE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 55.0 km
7.8 off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia 15.0 km
7.8 266 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 30.0 km
7.8 140 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 27.0 km
7.8 156 km S of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia 33.0 km
7.8 217 km ESE of Kuril’sk, Russia 28.2 km

Significant earthquake record (789 events)

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

Mag Location Depth
6.6 133 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 10.0 km
6.0 156 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 28.4 km
6.0 111 km SE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 18.0 km
6.0 87 km ESE of Ozernovskiy, Russia 43.0 km
6.2 127 km S of Vilyuchinsk, Russia 47.0 km
6.2 135 km SE of Kuril’sk, Russia 29.0 km
6.0 149 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 28.0 km
6.1 142 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 29.0 km
6.1 121 km E of Ozernovskiy, Russia 56.5 km
6.1 177 km SE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia 19.0 km
6.0 98 km ESE of Ozernovskiy, Russia 58.3 km
7.8 140 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 27.0 km
6.0 144 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 15.0 km
7.4 105 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 58.0 km
6.0 92 km E of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 40.0 km
6.0 265 km ESE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 11.0 km
6.2 202 km S of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 16.0 km
6.8 123 km E of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 30.0 km
6.0 165 km SSE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia 17.0 km
6.1 215 km ESE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 10.0 km
6.2 222 km SE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 15.0 km
6.0 138 km SE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 35.0 km
6.1 183 km SE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia 10.4 km
6.2 126 km SE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia 35.0 km
6.9 125 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 36.6 km
6.0 165 km SSE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia 35.0 km
6.0 124 km ENE of Ozernovskiy, Russia 35.0 km
6.1 78 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 25.4 km
6.3 94 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 16.4 km
6.0 163 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 14.0 km
6.0 154 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 12.3 km
6.5 143 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 35.0 km
6.6 153 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 10.0 km
6.6 134 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 23.0 km
6.2 146 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 40.0 km
6.0 117 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 26.0 km
7.0 102 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 29.0 km
6.5 151 km E of Dolinsk, Russia 402.2 km
6.5 115 km SE of Kuril’sk, Russia 31.0 km
6.1 13 km E of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 137.0 km
6.5 23 km SSE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia 101.0 km
6.0 254 km ESE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia 10.0 km
6.0 219 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 35.0 km
6.6 171 km SSE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia 13.2 km
6.4 88 km SSE of Sovetskaya Gavan’, Russia 589.0 km
6.4 21 km WNW of Esso, Russia 344.0 km
7.5 221 km SSE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 57.8 km
7.0 95 km ENE of Kuril’sk, Russia 143.0 km
6.4 Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia 10.0 km
6.3 264 km NW of Ozernovskiy, Russia 496.0 km
6.3 100 km E of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia 10.0 km
6.4 108 km E of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia 10.0 km
6.2 266 km ESE of Ozernovskiy, Russia 9.0 km
6.1 161 km SE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia 10.0 km
7.3 187 km SE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia 16.6 km
6.1 71 km SSW of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia 49.0 km
6.0 298 km E of Dolinsk, Russia 433.0 km
6.7 269 km WNW of Ozernovskiy, Russia 461.0 km
6.5 154 km S of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 20.0 km
6.1 142 km S of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 19.0 km
6.0 261 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 27.0 km
6.1 93 km E of Ozernovskiy, Russia 45.0 km
6.2 259 km ESE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia 11.2 km
6.6 81 km NNE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia 17.0 km
6.4 216 km S of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia 30.0 km
7.2 80 km S of Mil’kovo, Russia 177.0 km
6.0 202 km S of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 12.0 km
6.3 101 km E of Shikotan, Russia 49.0 km
6.2 96 km SE of Kuril’sk, Russia 61.0 km
6.0 134 km SE of Kuril’sk, Russia 28.0 km
6.0 247 km E of Kuril’sk, Russia 34.0 km
6.4 172 km S of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia 43.0 km
6.1 128 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 30.0 km
6.0 129 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 30.0 km
6.1 123 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 18.0 km
6.1 96 km SE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 18.0 km
6.1 134 km SE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 15.0 km
7.2 252 km ENE of Kuril’sk, Russia 110.0 km
6.3 13 km NNW of Zarubino, Russia 563.3 km
6.5 87 km SE of Ozernovskiy, Russia 29.0 km
6.4 94 km SE of Ozernovskiy, Russia 33.0 km
6.9 81 km SE of Ozernovskiy, Russia 41.0 km
6.6 183 km SW of Belaya Gora, Russia 11.0 km
6.5 163 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 29.0 km
7.7 156 km ENE of Poronaysk, Russia 583.2 km
6.0 141 km S of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 19.0 km
6.0 268 km E of Kuril’sk, Russia 20.0 km
6.0 159 km NNE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia 10.0 km
6.7 38 km NE of Saryg-Sep, Russia 12.0 km
6.6 45 km NNE of Saryg-Sep, Russia 15.0 km
6.0 8 km ESE of Takhtamygda, Russia 12.0 km
6.1 227 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 36.0 km
6.1 41 km SSW of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia 33.0 km
6.3 100 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia 23.0 km
6.2 107 km SE of Kuril’sk, Russia 28.0 km
6.9 15 km SSW of Kraskino, Russia 577.7 km
6.3 98 km SE of Preobrazheniye, Russia 392.0 km
6.0 297 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 36.0 km
6.2 80 km WNW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia 152.0 km
6.6 290 km ENE of Kuril’sk, Russia 35.0 km

Showing the first 100 of 789 significant events.

Countries with similar seismic activity

Comparable catalogued earthquake frequency to Russia.

Tonga

10,827 M4+ events · strongest M7.6

M7.6

Chile

13,817 M4+ events · strongest M8.3

M8.3

Philippines

14,179 M4+ events · strongest M7.8

M7.8

Papua New Guinea

15,636 M4+ events · strongest M7.9

M7.9

Mexico

8,296 M4+ events · strongest M7.6

M7.6

Vanuatu

7,557 M4+ events · strongest M7.8

M7.8

Understand the data

How earthquakes are measured

Magnitude scales, seismographs, and depth.

Reading earthquake data

Interpreting magnitude, depth and frequency.

Earthquake preparedness

Before, during and after a quake.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Russia? ▼
The USGS catalog records 12,226 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Russia since 2005, an average of about 582 per year. Separately, 789 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Russia? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Russia measured magnitude 9.0. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.5 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Russia? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, Russia ranks 7th of 215 countries worldwide - among the most seismically active nations on Earth. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 1952, with 42.
How deep are earthquakes in Russia? ▼
Across the 789 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 54 km. 90% 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 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.

Disclaimer: PlainQuake is an informational reference for informational purposes only, not an emergency or early-warning service, and not professional engineering or safety advice. For official alerts and guidance, consult the USGS and your local emergency authorities. See our full disclaimer.