Latest Earthquakes Today — Live Worldwide Map and List

Magnitude

Magnitude measures the energy released at the source on a logarithmic scale. Each whole step up represents about 32 times more energy: a magnitude 6 earthquake releases roughly 32 times the energy of a magnitude 5, and about 1,000 times that of a magnitude 4.

• Below 2.0 — micro: recorded by instruments only, not felt.
• 2.0–3.9 — minor: felt by some people close to the epicentre; no damage.
• 4.0–4.9 — light: widely felt, rattles windows and objects; damage uncommon.
• 5.0–5.9 — moderate: can damage poorly built structures near the epicentre.
• 6.0–6.9 — strong: damaging in populated areas within about 100 km.
• 7.0–7.9 — major: serious damage across wide regions.
• 8.0 and above — great: devastating over hundreds of kilometres.

Focal depth

Depth is the distance below the surface where the rupture began. Shallow earthquakes (less than 70 km) shake the surface hardest for a given magnitude. Intermediate events (70–300 km) are usually felt more weakly but across a wider area, and deep events (over 300 km) rarely cause damage even at large magnitudes.

Learn more

These reference guides go deeper: what an earthquake is, the magnitude scale explained, why focal depth matters, how tsunamis are generated and what to do during an earthquake. See all earthquake guides.

Why magnitudes change

Initial magnitudes are computed automatically within minutes and are often revised as more seismic stations report. It is normal for an event to shift by a few tenths of a magnitude in the hours after it occurs.