Country profile · USGS ComCat
Earthquakes in Svalbard and Jan Mayen
Svalbard and Jan Mayen has catalogued 435 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 (ranked 46th of 187 countries), with the strongest reaching magnitude M6.8.
Svalbard and Jan Mayen ranks 46th of 187 countries by catalogued seismic activity - a moderately seismically active country, averaging about 21 M4+ events a year alongside 21 significant M6+ earthquakes since 1900. Its M6+ record runs from 1906 to 2025, peaking in 1906.
- 435
- M4+ events (since 2005)
- 21
- Major M6+ (since 1900)
- M6.8
- Strongest
- ~21
- M4+ per year
The verdict
Svalbard and Jan Mayen is more seismically active than most places tracked here, with 435 M4+ earthquakes logged since 2005 and 21 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 6.8.
- 1906
- busiest year (1 major events)
- 12 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 Dominican Republic sits immediately above at 492 events and Portugal sits immediately below at 434.
Catalog event strip
Event tape SVALBARD-AND · Svalbard and Jan Mayen M4+ · 46th/187
Svalbard and Jan Mayen · 435 M4+ · max M6.8 · 21 M6+
- BAND 435
- STRIP 46th/187
- BOOK M6.8
- RANK 21
- MAX near Dominican Republic
- M6 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 Svalbard and Jan Mayen
USGS recorded Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) for 2 events in this catalogued record; their average observed intensity was MMI 6.3. These are only events with an observation, not an estimate of future shaking or a safety rating.
- MMI observations
- 2
- Average observed MMI
- 6.3
- PAGER alerts / tsunami flags
- 2 / 2
Source: USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) GeoJSON impact fields. Missing MMI, alert, and tsunami values remain unreported rather than being treated as zero.
Where Svalbard and Jan Mayen sits in the catalog
Rank 46th of 187 tracked countries (75th percentile by M4+ count since 2005). On the M4+ activity ladder Dominican Republic sits immediately above at 492 events and Portugal sits immediately below at 434.
- Dominican Republic - next more active (492 M4+)
- Portugal - next less active (434 M4+)
Svalbard and Jan Mayen's M4+ count vs. every tracked country
Total catalogued M4+ events since 2005, USGS ComCat
435 Top 25% higher than 75% 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 Svalbard and Jan Mayen by year
Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year
- 1972
1972: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1975
1975: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1988
1988: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 1992
1992: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2000
2000: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2004
2004: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2005
2005: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2008
2008: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2011
2011: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2012
2012: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2018
2018: 1 major (M6+) events
1
- 2025
2025: 1 major (M6+) events
1
What this shows Svalbard and Jan Mayen's most active year for major earthquakes was 1906 (1 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.
6 of 435 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 Svalbard and Jan Mayen.
M6.0-6.9
21
100.0%
Depth of major earthquakes
Hypocentral depth of the 21 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 12 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 Svalbard and Jan Mayen
The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.8 | 89 km NW of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 14.0 km | Aug 30, 2012 |
| 6.7 | 120 km NW of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 10.0 km | Nov 9, 2018 |
| 6.7 | 230 km W of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 10.0 km | Jul 20, 1992 |
| 6.6 | 66 km NNW of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 15.0 km | Oct 10, 1923 |
| 6.5 | 186 km SW of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 10.0 km | Jun 1, 1915 |
| 6.5 | 34 km NE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 10.0 km | Mar 10, 2025 |
| 6.5 | 90 km NW of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 13.0 km | Apr 16, 1975 |
| 6.4 | 16 km NNE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 15.0 km | Apr 8, 1922 |
| 6.4 | 33 km N of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 15.0 km | Jun 6, 1951 |
| 6.3 | 76 km NW of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 10.0 km | Sep 8, 1972 |
Significant earthquake record (21 events)
Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Svalbard and Jan Mayen since 1900, most recent first.
| Mag | Location | Depth | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6.5 | 34 km NE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 10.0 km | Mar 10, 2025 |
| 6.7 | 120 km NW of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 10.0 km | Nov 9, 2018 |
| 6.8 | 89 km NW of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 14.0 km | Aug 30, 2012 |
| 6.2 | 75 km E of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 15.0 km | Jan 29, 2011 |
| 6.1 | 145 km SSE of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 12.0 km | Feb 21, 2008 |
| 6.1 | 218 km W of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 10.0 km | Apr 2, 2005 |
| 6.0 | 38 km ENE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 12.2 km | Apr 14, 2004 |
| 6.0 | 34 km NNE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 10.0 km | May 21, 2000 |
| 6.7 | 230 km W of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 10.0 km | Jul 20, 1992 |
| 6.0 | 45 km ENE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 10.0 km | Dec 13, 1988 |
| 6.5 | 90 km NW of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 13.0 km | Apr 16, 1975 |
| 6.3 | 76 km NW of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 10.0 km | Sep 8, 1972 |
| 6.1 | 58 km E of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 15.2 km | Mar 23, 1971 |
| 6.4 | 33 km N of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 15.0 km | Jun 6, 1951 |
| 6.0 | 89 km ENE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 15.0 km | Oct 26, 1936 |
| 6.0 | 233 km W of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 15.0 km | Aug 25, 1935 |
| 6.6 | 66 km NNW of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 15.0 km | Oct 10, 1923 |
| 6.4 | 16 km NNE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 15.0 km | Apr 8, 1922 |
| 6.1 | 150 km ENE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 10.0 km | Feb 2, 1919 |
| 6.5 | 186 km SW of Longyearbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 10.0 km | Jun 1, 1915 |
| 6.3 | 127 km NE of Olonkinbyen, Svalbard and Jan Mayen | 15.0 km | Mar 19, 1906 |
Other countries in this catalog sample
A Svalbard and Jan Mayen-keyed shuffle of the full 186-country roster, not the six nearest by count.
Peak-magnitude sample from the same roster
A second Svalbard and Jan Mayen-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.