Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Russia
Russia has catalogued 12,611 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 7th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M9.0.
Russia ranks 7th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - among the most seismically active nations on Earth, averaging about 601 M4+ events a year alongside 805 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. 4 of those major events reached M8 or greater, the catalogue's top magnitude class.
- 12,611
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 805
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M9.0
- Strongest
- ~601
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Russia is one of the world's most seismically active places, with 12,611 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 805 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 9.0.
- 1952
- busiest year (42 major events)
- 53 km
- average recorded event depth
- 90%
- 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 Chile sits immediately above at 13,888 events and Tonga sits immediately below at 10,884.
ComCat magnitude tape
Event tape RUSSIA · Russia M4+ · 7th/187
Russia · 12,611 M4+ · max M9.0 · 805 M6+
- TAPE 12,611
- EPIC 7th/187
- YOY M9.0
- BAND 805
- STRIP near Chile
- BOOK 90% 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 Russia
USGS recorded Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) for 284 events in this catalogued record; their average observed intensity was MMI 5.6. These are only events with an observation, not an estimate of future shaking or a safety rating.
- MMI observations
- 284
- Average observed MMI
- 5.6
- PAGER alerts / tsunami flags
- 87 / 25
Source: USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) GeoJSON impact fields. Missing MMI, alert, and tsunami values remain unreported rather than being treated as zero.
Where Russia sits in the catalog
Rank 7th of 187 tracked countries (96th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Chile sits immediately above at 13,888 events and Tonga sits immediately below at 10,884.
Russia's M4+ count vs. every tracked country
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
12,611 Top 4% higher than 96% 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 Russia by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 2015 2
2015: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 2016 3
2016: 3 major (M6+) events
3
- 2017 3
2017: 3 major (M6+) events
3
- 2018 10
2018: 10 major (M6+) events
10
- 2019 4
2019: 4 major (M6+) events
4
- 2020 5
2020: 5 major (M6+) events
5
- 2021 2
2021: 2 major (M6+) events
2
- 2022 1
2022: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2023 3
2023: 3 major (M6+) events
3
- 2024 4
2024: 4 major (M6+) events
4
- 2025
2025: 30 major (M6+) events
30
- 2026 5
2026: 5 major (M6+) events
5
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.
How Russia earthquake activity changed recently
| Year | M4+ events | YoY change | Global YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 5 | -83.3% | -43.9% |
| 2025 | 30 | +650.0% | +29.3% |
| 2024 | 4 | +33.3% | -12.6% |
| 2023 | 3 | +200.0% | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 1 | -50.0% | -8.9% |
Russia's M4+ activity fell more than the global average in 2026: -83.3% locally vs -43.9% globally.
Source: USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat). M4+ = magnitude 4.0 or greater. YoY = year-on-year change. Global column uses the worldwide total from the same catalog.
126 of 12,611 catalogued M4+ events since 2005 reached M6.0 or higher.
Magnitude distribution of major events
Breakdown of the 805 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Russia.
M8+
4
0.5%
M7.0-7.9
79
9.8%
M6.0-6.9
722
89.7%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 805 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 53 km.
Shallow (<70 km)
727
90.3% of events
Intermediate (70–300 km)
45
5.6% of events
Deep (>300 km)
33
4.1% of events
Strongest earthquakes in Russia
The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9.0 | 89 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 21.6 km | Nov 4, 1952 |
| 8.8 | 2025 Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia Earthquake | 35.0 km | Jul 29, 2025 |
| 8.4 | 1923 Kamchatka, Russia Earthquake | 15.0 km | Feb 3, 1923 |
| 8.3 | 48 km E of Shikotan, Russia | 14.0 km | Oct 4, 1994 |
| 8.0 | 43 km E of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia | 20.0 km | Jan 30, 1917 |
| 7.9 | 128 km ESE of Kuril’sk, Russia | 33.0 km | Dec 3, 1995 |
| 7.9 | 76 km ENE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 55.0 km | May 4, 1959 |
| 7.8 | off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia | 15.0 km | Sep 15, 1905 |
| 7.8 | 266 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 30.0 km | May 1, 1915 |
| 7.8 | 140 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 27.0 km | Sep 18, 2025 |
Significant earthquake record (805 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Russia since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.6 | 141 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 14.0 km | Jun 19, 2026 |
| 6.0 | 111 km SE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 18.0 km | Jun 7, 2026 |
| 6.0 | 87 km ESE of Ozernovskiy, Russia | 43.0 km | Feb 16, 2026 |
| 6.2 | 127 km S of Vilyuchinsk, Russia | 47.0 km | Jan 22, 2026 |
| 6.2 | 135 km SE of Kuril’sk, Russia | 29.0 km | Jan 13, 2026 |
| 6.0 | 149 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 28.0 km | Nov 4, 2025 |
| 6.1 | 142 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 29.0 km | Nov 3, 2025 |
| 6.1 | 121 km E of Ozernovskiy, Russia | 56.5 km | Oct 9, 2025 |
| 6.1 | 177 km SE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia | 19.0 km | Oct 3, 2025 |
| 6.0 | 98 km ESE of Ozernovskiy, Russia | 58.3 km | Sep 19, 2025 |
| 7.8 | 140 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 27.0 km | Sep 18, 2025 |
| 6.0 | 144 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 15.0 km | Sep 15, 2025 |
| 7.4 | 105 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 58.0 km | Sep 13, 2025 |
| 6.0 | 92 km E of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 40.0 km | Aug 27, 2025 |
| 6.0 | 265 km ESE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 11.0 km | Aug 9, 2025 |
| 6.2 | 202 km S of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 16.0 km | Aug 4, 2025 |
| 6.8 | 123 km E of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 30.0 km | Aug 3, 2025 |
| 6.0 | 165 km SSE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia | 17.0 km | Aug 2, 2025 |
| 6.1 | 215 km ESE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 10.0 km | Aug 1, 2025 |
| 6.2 | 222 km SE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 15.0 km | Jul 31, 2025 |
| 6.0 | 138 km SE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 35.0 km | Jul 30, 2025 |
| 6.1 | 183 km SE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia | 10.4 km | Jul 30, 2025 |
| 6.2 | 126 km SE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia | 35.0 km | Jul 30, 2025 |
| 6.9 | 125 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 36.6 km | Jul 30, 2025 |
| 6.0 | 165 km SSE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia | 35.0 km | Jul 29, 2025 |
| 6.0 | 124 km ENE of Ozernovskiy, Russia | 35.0 km | Jul 29, 2025 |
| 6.1 | 78 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 25.4 km | Jul 29, 2025 |
| 6.3 | 94 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 16.4 km | Jul 29, 2025 |
| 8.8 | 2025 Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia Earthquake | 35.0 km | Jul 29, 2025 |
| 6.0 | 163 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 14.0 km | Jul 24, 2025 |
| 6.0 | 154 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 12.3 km | Jul 22, 2025 |
| 6.5 | 143 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 35.0 km | Jul 20, 2025 |
| 6.6 | 153 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 10.0 km | Jul 20, 2025 |
| 7.4 | 2025 Eastern Kamchatka, Russia Earthquake | 34.0 km | Jul 20, 2025 |
| 6.6 | 134 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 23.0 km | Jul 20, 2025 |
| 6.2 | 146 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 40.0 km | Oct 23, 2024 |
| 6.0 | 117 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 26.0 km | Aug 30, 2024 |
| 7.0 | 102 km E of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 29.0 km | Aug 17, 2024 |
| 6.5 | 151 km E of Dolinsk, Russia | 402.2 km | Aug 10, 2024 |
| 6.5 | 115 km SE of Kuril’sk, Russia | 31.0 km | Dec 28, 2023 |
| 6.1 | 13 km E of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 137.0 km | Sep 1, 2023 |
| 6.5 | 23 km SSE of Vilyuchinsk, Russia | 101.0 km | Apr 3, 2023 |
| 6.0 | 254 km ESE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia | 10.0 km | Sep 20, 2022 |
| 6.0 | 219 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 35.0 km | Aug 24, 2021 |
| 6.6 | 171 km SSE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia | 13.2 km | Mar 16, 2021 |
| 6.4 | 88 km SSE of Sovetskaya Gavan’, Russia | 589.0 km | Nov 30, 2020 |
| 6.4 | 21 km WNW of Esso, Russia | 344.0 km | Sep 15, 2020 |
| 7.5 | 221 km SSE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 57.8 km | Mar 25, 2020 |
| 7.0 | 95 km ENE of Kuril’sk, Russia | 143.0 km | Feb 13, 2020 |
| 6.4 | Chukotskiy Avtonomnyy Okrug, Russia | 10.0 km | Jan 9, 2020 |
| 6.3 | 264 km NW of Ozernovskiy, Russia | 496.0 km | Nov 20, 2019 |
| 6.3 | 100 km E of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia | 10.0 km | Jun 26, 2019 |
| 6.4 | 108 km E of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia | 10.0 km | Jun 25, 2019 |
| 6.2 | 266 km ESE of Ozernovskiy, Russia | 9.0 km | Mar 28, 2019 |
| 6.1 | 161 km SE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia | 10.0 km | Dec 24, 2018 |
| 7.3 | 187 km SE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia | 16.6 km | Dec 20, 2018 |
| 6.1 | 71 km SSW of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia | 49.0 km | Nov 14, 2018 |
| 6.0 | 298 km E of Dolinsk, Russia | 433.0 km | Nov 2, 2018 |
| 6.7 | 269 km WNW of Ozernovskiy, Russia | 461.0 km | Oct 13, 2018 |
| 6.5 | 154 km S of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 20.0 km | Oct 10, 2018 |
| 6.1 | 142 km S of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 19.0 km | Oct 9, 2018 |
| 6.0 | 261 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 27.0 km | Aug 10, 2018 |
| 6.1 | 93 km E of Ozernovskiy, Russia | 45.0 km | Jul 6, 2018 |
| 6.2 | 259 km ESE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia | 11.2 km | Jan 25, 2018 |
| 7.7 | Komandorskiye Ostrova, Russia region | 10.0 km | Jul 17, 2017 |
| 6.3 | Komandorskiye Ostrova, Russia region | 9.0 km | Jul 17, 2017 |
| 6.6 | 81 km NNE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia | 17.0 km | Mar 29, 2017 |
| 6.1 | Komandorskiye Ostrova, Russia region | 8.0 km | Sep 5, 2016 |
| 6.4 | 216 km S of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia | 30.0 km | Mar 20, 2016 |
| 7.2 | 80 km S of Mil’kovo, Russia | 177.0 km | Jan 30, 2016 |
| 6.0 | 202 km S of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 12.0 km | Oct 14, 2015 |
| 6.3 | 101 km E of Shikotan, Russia | 49.0 km | Jul 7, 2015 |
| 6.2 | 96 km SE of Kuril’sk, Russia | 61.0 km | Jul 20, 2014 |
| 6.0 | 134 km SE of Kuril’sk, Russia | 28.0 km | Dec 8, 2013 |
| 6.0 | 247 km E of Kuril’sk, Russia | 34.0 km | Nov 25, 2013 |
| 6.4 | 172 km S of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia | 43.0 km | Nov 12, 2013 |
| 6.1 | 128 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 30.0 km | May 21, 2013 |
| 6.0 | 129 km ESE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 30.0 km | May 21, 2013 |
| 6.1 | 123 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 18.0 km | May 19, 2013 |
| 6.1 | 96 km SE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 18.0 km | Apr 20, 2013 |
| 6.1 | 134 km SE of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 15.0 km | Apr 19, 2013 |
| 7.2 | 252 km ENE of Kuril’sk, Russia | 110.0 km | Apr 19, 2013 |
| 6.3 | 13 km NNW of Zarubino, Russia | 563.3 km | Apr 5, 2013 |
| 6.5 | 87 km SE of Ozernovskiy, Russia | 29.0 km | Mar 1, 2013 |
| 6.4 | 94 km SE of Ozernovskiy, Russia | 33.0 km | Mar 1, 2013 |
| 6.9 | 81 km SE of Ozernovskiy, Russia | 41.0 km | Feb 28, 2013 |
| 6.6 | 183 km SW of Belaya Gora, Russia | 11.0 km | Feb 14, 2013 |
| 6.5 | 163 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 29.0 km | Nov 16, 2012 |
| 7.7 | 156 km ENE of Poronaysk, Russia | 583.2 km | Aug 14, 2012 |
| 6.0 | 141 km S of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 19.0 km | Jul 20, 2012 |
| 6.0 | 268 km E of Kuril’sk, Russia | 20.0 km | Jul 8, 2012 |
| 6.0 | 159 km NNE of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia | 10.0 km | Jun 24, 2012 |
| 6.7 | 38 km NE of Saryg-Sep, Russia | 12.0 km | Feb 26, 2012 |
| 6.6 | 45 km NNE of Saryg-Sep, Russia | 15.0 km | Dec 27, 2011 |
| 6.0 | 8 km ESE of Takhtamygda, Russia | 12.0 km | Oct 14, 2011 |
| 6.1 | 227 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia | 36.0 km | Aug 4, 2011 |
| 6.1 | 41 km SSW of Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia | 33.0 km | Feb 20, 2011 |
| 6.3 | 100 km SE of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia | 23.0 km | Jul 30, 2010 |
| 6.2 | 107 km SE of Kuril’sk, Russia | 28.0 km | Jun 18, 2010 |
| 6.9 | 15 km SSW of Kraskino, Russia | 577.7 km | Feb 18, 2010 |
Showing the first 100 of 805 significant events.
Other countries in this catalog sample
A Russia-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second Russia-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.