Earthquakes today: live quake map, magnitudes, and active seismic zones

This live earthquake tracker displays recent earthquakes detected by monitoring stations around the world, updated continuously so you can see earthquakes that happened just now. Each entry includes the earthquake's magnitude, depth, location, and timestamp. Events are sorted by recency so you can see the latest seismic activity first, and filtered by magnitude so minor tremors don't obscure significant quakes.

Use this earthquake tracker to monitor seismic events in real time. Earthquake data feeds into our broader live world event map, where seismic activity appears alongside other global events. When a major earthquake strikes, it also registers on our global disaster tracker, which aggregates natural disasters of all types into a single view. For location-specific results, try earthquakes near me.

Earthquakes occur when stress accumulated along geological faults is released suddenly, sending seismic waves through the Earth's crust. The planet's outer shell is divided into tectonic plates — large slabs of rock that float on the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath them. These plates move at rates of a few centimeters per year, and where they meet, stress builds over decades or centuries before releasing in seconds.

There are three primary boundary types that produce earthquakes. Convergent boundaries, where plates collide, generate the most powerful quakes — the 2011 Tohoku earthquake (magnitude 9.1) occurred where the Pacific Plate subducts beneath the North American Plate. At convergent boundaries, the descending oceanic plate generates reverse faults; the overlying continental plate accumulates elastic strain until it snaps upward. Divergent boundaries, where plates pull apart, produce moderate seismicity along mid-ocean ridges via normal faults. Transform boundaries, where plates slide horizontally past each other, create frequent moderate earthquakes on strike-slip faults like California's San Andreas.

Earthquake depth profoundly affects surface impact. Shallow earthquakes (less than 70 km) cause the most damage because seismic energy has less distance to dissipate. Intermediate-depth quakes (70–300 km) are felt over wider areas. Deep-focus quakes (300–700 km) occur only in cold, descending slabs in subduction zones. Seismic waves themselves come in two body types — compressional P-waves, which arrive first and push rock in the direction of travel, and shear S-waves, which arrive seconds later and move rock perpendicular to propagation. Surface waves, which roll along the Earth's surface, cause most of the shaking felt in buildings.

Modern seismology uses the moment magnitude scale (Mw) as the standard measure of earthquake size. Unlike the older Richter scale, which saturated for the largest quakes, moment magnitude is calculated from the seismic moment — the product of the fault area, average slip, and rock stiffness. The scale is logarithmic: each whole number increase represents roughly 32 times more energy released. A magnitude 7.0 earthquake releases about 1,000 times more energy than a magnitude 5.0.

Earthquake depth matters as much as magnitude for determining impact. Shallow earthquakes (less than 70 km deep) cause the most surface damage because seismic energy has less distance to travel and dissipate. Intermediate-depth quakes (70–300 km) and deep-focus quakes (300–700 km) are felt over wider areas but typically cause less destruction at the surface.

Intensity, measured on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale, describes the effects of an earthquake at a specific location rather than the energy released at its source. A single earthquake has one magnitude but many intensities — strongest near the epicenter and decreasing with distance. This distinction helps emergency responders understand ground-level impacts across large areas.

About 80% of major earthquakes occur along the Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates converge around the Pacific Basin. Beyond the Ring of Fire, several other seismic zones deserve attention.

The Alpide Belt stretches from the Mediterranean through Turkey, Iran, and the Himalayas to Indonesia, producing the second-highest concentration of seismic activity on Earth. This zone results from the collision of the Eurasian Plate with the African, Arabian, and Indian plates. The 1999 Izmit earthquake (magnitude 7.6) in Turkey and the 2005 Kashmir earthquake (magnitude 7.6) are among the most destructive Alpide Belt events in modern times. Major population centers across Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, and Nepal face significant earthquake risk from this belt.

The East African Rift is a divergent boundary where the African continent is slowly pulling apart. Volcanic activity and moderate seismicity characterize this zone. Mid-ocean ridges produce frequent but generally small earthquakes as oceanic plates spread apart. Intraplate earthquakes — those occurring far from any plate boundary — are less frequent but can be severe; the New Madrid Seismic Zone in the central United States produced magnitude 7+ earthquakes in 1811–1812, and human-induced seismicity from wastewater injection has caused notable earthquake swarms in Oklahoma. For the volcanic geology that shares these tectonic zones, see our volcano eruption tracker.

Track seismic activity in specific regions with our dedicated earthquake trackers. Some of the most active and searched locations include:

United States: California (San Andreas Fault), Alaska (Aleutian subduction zone), New York (Ramapo Fault), New Jersey, Los Angeles, San Diego, Hawaii (volcanic seismicity), Utah (Wasatch Fault), Texas (induced seismicity), and Oregon (Cascadia Subduction Zone).

International: Japan (world's most seismically active country), Mexico (Middle America Trench), Philippines (Philippine Fault Zone), Iran (Alpine-Himalayan belt), and Greece (Hellenic Arc).

You can also use our earthquakes near me feature to find seismic activity closest to your location, or check tsunami warnings for earthquake-triggered coastal threats.