Asia Earthquakes
M5.40 Mid-Indian Ridge
16 hours ago · Depth 10 km
Recent Asia Earthquakes (Past 24 Hours)
- M4.1081 km NE of Esashi, Japan
- M4.10274 km WSW of Tual, Indonesia
- M4.4054 km E of Miyako, Japan
- M4.90283 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia
- M4.60100 km SSW of Kencong, Indonesia
- M5.40Mid-Indian Ridge
- M4.60122 km SE of Bitung, Indonesia
- M4.6025 km SSE of Blitar, Indonesia
- M4.5053 km S of Kushiro, Japan
Source: USGS
Tracking the Latest Earthquakes in Asia Map
Asia contains some of the most active earthquake zones on Earth. Earthquakes occur along the Pacific coast from Kamchatka and Japan through Taiwan, the Philippines and Indonesia, as well as across the Himalayas, Central Asia, Myanmar, Iran and other parts of western Asia.
This page displays the latest earthquakes recorded across Asia at magnitude 1.5 and above when that level of data is available. The earthquake list, interactive map and statistics update whenever the page loads or refreshes. For activity outside the continent, visit the latest earthquakes worldwide.
Each coloured circle represents an earthquake location. Select a marker to see its magnitude, location, UTC time and depth. The map controls allow you to view earthquakes recorded during the last hour, 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days.
Asia earthquakes (map loads with JavaScript).
Coverage note: Asia’s boundaries are approximate, particularly around the eastern Mediterranean, the Caucasus, Russia and the islands between Southeast Asia and Oceania. Offshore earthquakes may be assigned to the nearest island, country, sea or tectonic region rather than the nearest mainland coast.
📊 Asia Earthquake Statistics
Mid-Indian Ridge
262 km SSW of Severo-Kuril’sk, Russia
39 km WSW of Tambolaka, Indonesia
66 km NNW of Ende, Indonesia
Magnitude 1.5+ • Data from USGS
Why Does Asia Have So Many Earthquakes?
Asia is affected by several large tectonic plates and numerous smaller plates and crustal blocks. Their boundaries form a complicated network of subduction zones, continental collision zones, transform faults and faults within the continental crust.
Along the continent’s Pacific margin, dense oceanic plates descend beneath neighbouring plates at deep-sea trenches. The British Geological Survey explains that subduction zones produce many earthquakes above magnitude 6 and are also responsible for the world’s deepest earthquakes.
A subduction boundary can remain locked while stress builds across it. When a large section finally slips, the resulting megathrust earthquake may rupture hundreds of kilometres of the plate boundary. If the seafloor moves vertically, the earthquake can also generate a tsunami.
Farther inland, the Indian Plate continues to push into Eurasia. This ongoing collision built the Himalayas and continues to deform a much wider area extending through Nepal, northern India, Pakistan, Tibet, western China and Central Asia.
Western Asia contains another complex zone involving the Arabian, Anatolian and Eurasian plates. Active faults cross Türkiye, Iran, the Caucasus and neighbouring regions. Some mainly accommodate sideways movement, while others reflect crustal shortening and uplift.
Asia’s Main Earthquake Zones
- Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands: The Pacific Plate descends beneath the Okhotsk region along the Kuril–Kamchatka Trench. This megathrust zone has produced several of the largest instrumentally recorded earthquakes.
- Japan: Japan lies where several plates and subduction systems meet. Earthquakes occur along the Japan, Kuril, Izu–Bonin and Nankai systems, as well as on faults beneath the islands. The Japan Meteorological Agency monitors earthquakes, seismic intensity and tsunami risk throughout the country.
- Taiwan: Taiwan is being compressed where the Philippine Sea Plate meets the Eurasian Plate. Earthquakes occur both offshore and beneath the island, particularly along its mountainous eastern side. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration maintains records of the country’s damaging earthquakes.
- The Philippines: The archipelago lies between opposing subduction systems and contains numerous active faults. Important earthquake sources include the Philippine Trench, Manila Trench, Cotabato Trench and Philippine Fault. PHIVOLCS provides an introduction to the country’s earthquake setting.
- Indonesia: The Sunda subduction zone extends past Sumatra and Java, while plate interactions become increasingly complicated around Sulawesi, the Molucca Sea, Banda Sea and eastern Indonesia. The country’s earthquake and tsunami information is monitored by BMKG through the Indonesia Tsunami Early Warning System.
- Myanmar: The north–south Sagaing Fault passes close to several populated areas. The GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences describes it as a major plate-boundary fault that accommodates about half of the Indian Plate’s northward movement in this region.
- The Himalayas: The collision between India and Eurasia drives earthquakes across Nepal, northern India, Pakistan, Bhutan and Tibet. Many damaging Himalayan earthquakes occur on thrust faults beneath or near the mountain front.
- The Hindu Kush and Pamir: This region produces both shallow earthquakes and unusually deep events. Some begin more than 200 kilometres below the surface within deformed remnants of descending tectonic plates.
- China and Central Asia: Large continental faults extend through western China, Tibet, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. These areas can experience destructive earthquakes far from an ocean trench.
- Iran and western Asia: The collision of Arabia with Eurasia contributes to active faulting across Iran and neighbouring regions. Faults farther west accommodate movement around the Anatolian block and eastern Mediterranean.
Why Some Asian Earthquakes Are Very Deep
Earthquakes are described as shallow, intermediate or deep according to where they begin below the surface. Shallow earthquakes generally occur within approximately 70 kilometres of the surface and are responsible for most damaging ground shaking.
At subduction zones, the descending plate can remain cold and brittle enough to produce earthquakes much farther underground. Inclined zones of earthquakes trace these plates as they sink beneath Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia and other island arcs.
Deep earthquakes can be felt across a surprisingly wide area because their seismic waves travel efficiently through the Earth. Their greater distance from the surface normally reduces the intensity of shaking directly above the source. The Hindu Kush is particularly notable for powerful intermediate and deep earthquakes beneath northeastern Afghanistan and neighbouring areas.
Why Small-Earthquake Counts Differ Between Countries
The map accepts earthquakes of magnitude 1.5 and above when they’re available, but events of that size aren’t detected and reported equally across all of Asia. Japan and Taiwan have very dense monitoring networks, while remote oceanic, desert and mountain regions may have far fewer nearby instruments.
The map data comes from the ANSS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog, which combines information from contributing seismic networks around the world. Most worldwide earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 and above are included, but the availability of smaller events varies. A higher count on one country page may therefore reflect better detection and reporting as well as greater earthquake activity.
Earthquakes That Changed Asia’s Seismic History
Asia has experienced many of the world’s largest and most destructive earthquakes. This selected chronology includes events because of their magnitude, human consequences, tsunami impact or scientific importance rather than attempting to list every major earthquake.
- 2026 Flores earthquake, Indonesia — A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck eastern Indonesia on 15 August. It killed more than 50 people, injured over 130 and displaced thousands as landslides, damaged roads and repeated aftershocks complicated the emergency response. Reuters reported on the destruction and continuing rescue effort.
- 2026 Offshore Sarangani earthquake, Philippines: The magnitude 7.8 earthquake of 8 June originated along the Cotabato Trench south of Mindanao. It produced strong shaking, damage, ground deformation, numerous aftershocks and a regional tsunami warning. PHIVOLCS published a primer on the earthquake.
- 2025 Kamchatka earthquake: A magnitude 8.8 earthquake occurred off the Kamchatka Peninsula on 29 July UTC, making it one of the largest instrumentally recorded earthquakes. It generated tsunami warnings and evacuations around much of the Pacific. UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission reviewed the international tsunami response.
- 2025 eastern Afghanistan earthquake: Despite its magnitude of approximately 6.0, this shallow earthquake was exceptionally destructive in the mountainous east of Afghanistan. More than 2,200 people died, while landslides and difficult terrain hindered access to affected settlements. Reuters documented the earthquake’s continuing humanitarian effects.
- 2025 Myanmar earthquake: The magnitude 7.7 earthquake of 28 March ruptured the Sagaing Fault and caused widespread destruction in central Myanmar. More than 3,800 people died, and strong shaking caused a high-rise building to collapse in Bangkok, more than 1,000 kilometres away. Researchers identified an unusually fast supershear rupture. GFZ explained the earthquake’s remarkable rupture behaviour.
- 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake, Japan: The magnitude 7.6 earthquake on New Year’s Day produced Japan’s highest seismic intensity, surface faulting, landslides, fires and a tsunami along the Sea of Japan coast. The Japan Meteorological Agency maintains an official information page for the disaster.
- 2024 Hualien earthquake, Taiwan: Taiwan’s strongest earthquake for a quarter of a century struck on 3 April. The magnitude 7.2 event caused building damage, rockfalls and extensive landslides, particularly around Hualien and Taroko Gorge. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration records the island’s damaging earthquakes.
- 2023 Türkiye–Syria earthquakes: A magnitude 7.8 earthquake on 6 February was followed hours later by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake on a neighbouring fault. The disaster devastated southern Türkiye and northern Syria, killing more than 55,000 people across the two countries. UNDRR reviewed the disaster and the lessons that followed.
- 2018 Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami, Indonesia: A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Central Sulawesi on 28 September. The resulting tsunami, widespread liquefaction and rapid ground movement devastated Palu and surrounding communities. The World Bank examined the region’s recovery and reconstruction.
- 2015 Gorkha earthquake, Nepal: The magnitude 7.8 earthquake of 25 April killed more than 8,700 people, destroyed homes and historic buildings, and triggered landslides and avalanches across the Himalayas. A magnitude 7.3 aftershock followed on 12 May. The World Bank summarised the disaster and Nepal’s reconstruction challenge.
- 2012 eastern Indian Ocean earthquakes: A magnitude 8.6 strike-slip earthquake off northern Sumatra was followed by a magnitude 8.2 event. The first was the largest strike-slip earthquake recorded instrumentally and demonstrated that enormous earthquakes can occur within a tectonic plate rather than only along its boundary. The published scientific study examined the exceptional rupture.
- 2011 Great East Japan earthquake: The magnitude 9.0 Tōhoku earthquake generated a devastating tsunami, caused widespread destruction along Japan’s Pacific coast and led to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident. Japan’s Reconstruction Agency documents the disaster and recovery.
- 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, China: The magnitude 7.9 earthquake ruptured the Longmenshan fault system along the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. It devastated large areas of Sichuan and triggered thousands of landslides. Caltech explains the earthquake’s tectonic setting and rupture.
- 2005 Kashmir earthquake: The magnitude 7.6 earthquake caused catastrophic destruction across northern Pakistan and Indian-administered Kashmir. Mountainous terrain, landslides and the isolation of settlements made rescue and reconstruction particularly difficult. The World Bank assessed Pakistan’s recovery and reconstruction.
- 2004 Sumatra–Andaman earthquake and Indian Ocean tsunami: One of the largest earthquakes ever recorded ruptured a vast section of the Sunda megathrust on 26 December. The resulting tsunami crossed the Indian Ocean and killed more than 220,000 people in numerous countries. UNESCO explains how the disaster led to a regional tsunami warning system.
- 1976 Tangshan earthquake, China: The magnitude 7.6–7.8 earthquake struck close to the industrial city of Tangshan and destroyed most of its buildings. The official death toll exceeded 240,000, making it one of the deadliest earthquakes of modern times. The International Code Council recounts the disaster.
- 1952 Kamchatka earthquake: This magnitude 9.0 megathrust earthquake generated a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami. The event remains one of the largest instrumentally recorded earthquakes and preceded the 2025 Kamchatka rupture in the same subduction zone. NOAA preserves historical information and imagery from the tsunami.
- 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, Japan: The magnitude 7.9 earthquake devastated Tokyo, Yokohama and surrounding areas. Collapsed structures and widespread fires killed more than 100,000 people and transformed Japan’s approach to urban planning and earthquake resilience. The Associated Press reviewed the disaster on its centenary.
Can Earthquakes in Asia Cause Tsunamis?
Many of Asia’s most active faults lie beneath the Pacific and Indian oceans. An offshore earthquake can generate a tsunami when it causes a sufficiently large vertical displacement of the seafloor. Megathrust earthquakes are particularly dangerous because they can rupture enormous areas of a subduction boundary.
Magnitude alone doesn’t determine whether a tsunami will occur. The earthquake’s depth, faulting style, location and amount of seafloor displacement are also important. A large strike-slip earthquake dominated by sideways movement may produce a much smaller tsunami than a similarly sized thrust earthquake that lifts or lowers the seabed.
Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, Kamchatka and countries around the Indian Ocean operate national or regional tsunami-warning systems. UNESCO-IOC coordinates international end-to-end warning systems designed to carry information from earthquake detection through to evacuation and public response.
How Earthquakes Are Monitored Across Asia
Earthquakes across Asia are recorded by national seismic agencies, regional networks, universities and international monitoring stations. Their observations are used to calculate earthquake locations, depths and magnitudes. Preliminary results may change as more stations report and specialists review the data.
Japan’s dense network supports the Japan Meteorological Agency Earthquake Early Warning system. Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, the Philippines’ PHIVOLCS and Indonesia’s BMKG operate their own extensive monitoring and public-information services.
Early warning isn’t earthquake prediction. The earthquake has already started when an alert is issued. Nearby instruments detect the first seismic waves and rapidly estimate where stronger shaking may arrive. Locations close to the earthquake may receive little or no warning.
Earthquake Risk Across Asia
An earthquake’s magnitude measures the size of the event, but it doesn’t describe the effects at every location. A shallow earthquake beneath a city can be more destructive locally than a much larger earthquake far offshore. Depth, distance, ground conditions, landslides, construction quality and population density all influence the outcome.
Soft sediment beneath river valleys, deltas and reclaimed coastal land can amplify shaking. Mountain regions face additional danger from landslides and blocked roads, while offshore earthquakes can threaten coastlines with tsunamis. Older unreinforced buildings are generally more vulnerable than structures designed and maintained for strong earthquake shaking.
Scientists can estimate long-term earthquake probabilities and issue aftershock forecasts, but they cannot predict the precise time, place and magnitude of an individual earthquake. Claims that a particular earthquake is imminent should be checked against the appropriate national seismic or emergency authority.
What to Do During an Earthquake
If you feel strong shaking, Drop, Cover and Hold On. Drop to your hands and knees, take cover beneath a sturdy table or desk if one is nearby, and hold on until the shaking stops. Keep away from windows, unsecured furniture and objects that could fall.
Don’t run outside while the ground is shaking. If you’re already outdoors, move away from buildings, walls, signs and power lines. After the earthquake, expect aftershocks and follow instructions issued by local emergency authorities.
Read our earthquake safety guide, earthquake preparedness checklist and explanation of the earthquake magnitude scale.
🗺️ Related Earthquake Maps
East and Southeast Asia:
China Earthquakes | Japan Earthquakes | Taiwan Earthquakes | Philippines Earthquakes | Indonesia Earthquakes
North Pacific:
Kamchatka and Kuril Islands Earthquakes
South Asia and the Hindu Kush:
South Asia Earthquakes covering Afghanistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh | Pakistan Earthquakes | Hindu Kush Earthquakes
Western Asia:
Iran Earthquakes
Related Earthquake Maps
East and Southeast Asia
China Earthquakes | Japan Earthquakes | Taiwan Earthquakes | Philippines Earthquakes | Indonesia Earthquakes
North Pacific
Kamchatka and Kuril Islands Earthquakes
South Asia and the Hindu Kush
South Asia Earthquakes covering Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh | Pakistan Earthquakes | Hindu Kush Earthquakes
Western Asia
Iran Earthquakes