Pacific Ring of Fire
This is the world's most active earthquake belt. It includes Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, New Zealand, Alaska, the west coast of the Americas, Kamchatka, and the Kuril Islands.
Move or zoom the map to show earthquake records in the current view.
MagnitudeM < 5M 5-5.9M >= 6
Major Earthquake Belts
Earthquake records often appear in long clusters because many events happen near active plate boundaries. These are the main belts behind the patterns on the map.
Mediterranean-Himalayan Belt
This belt runs from the Mediterranean through Turkey, Iran, Central Asia, the Himalayas, and western China. Many inland Asian earthquakes come from this collision zone.
Mid-Ocean Ridge Belt
Earthquakes also occur along ocean ridges such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and Indian Ocean ridges. Many of these events happen under the sea.
Stable Continental Areas
Greenland, Northern Europe, and much of inland Siberia are relatively stable continental regions, so they usually show fewer earthquake records.
FAQ
Why do Russia, the Arctic, Greenland, and Northern Europe show fewer earthquakes?
Most earthquakes occur along active plate boundaries. Greenland, Northern Europe, and much of inland Siberia are relatively stable continental areas, so this dataset has fewer records there. Russia's Far East, including Kamchatka and the Kuril region, is much more active because it sits along the Pacific earthquake belt.
Why does the map load data from the current view?
The tool loads earthquake records inside the current map view. This keeps the map responsive while still showing global patterns.
How do I search earthquake near me?
Use current location, enter coordinates, or click a point on the map. The map will show earthquakes in the current view, and the left panel will list the five nearest records for the selected time range.