Live Earthquake Map - Recent Earthquakes Around the World

About the Live Earthquake Map

This map displays recent earthquakes using real-time information supplied by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Each earthquake is plotted at its reported epicenter, with larger symbols indicating larger magnitudes. Because we already track hundreds of live webcams around the world, you can also see which of those webcams are geographically closest to any earthquake you select.

How to Use the Map

Use the time filter to switch between the past hour, past 24 hours and past 7 days. Use the minimum-magnitude filter to hide smaller earthquakes and focus on larger ones. Zoom and pan the map freely; nearby earthquakes are grouped into clusters when you zoom out. Click or tap any earthquake — on the map or in the Recent Earthquakes list — to see its magnitude, location, depth and time, along with a short list of live webcams nearest to it.

Understanding Earthquake Magnitude

Magnitude is a measure of the energy released at the earthquake source. It is reported on a logarithmic scale, so each whole-number step represents roughly 32 times more energy. Most earthquakes are small and are only detected by instruments; larger earthquakes are less frequent. Magnitude alone does not determine how strongly an earthquake is felt at any given place — distance, depth and local geology all matter.

What Does Earthquake Depth Mean?

Depth is how far below the surface the earthquake originated. Shallow earthquakes occur closer to the surface, while deeper earthquakes originate further down. Depth is one of several factors seismologists consider when describing an earthquake, and it is reported by USGS in kilometres. We show the depth exactly as USGS provides it and do not draw conclusions about impact from depth alone.

How Current Is the Earthquake Data?

The information comes directly from the USGS real-time feeds, which USGS updates every minute. This page refreshes automatically every few minutes so you see recent activity without reloading. Early reports are preliminary and can be revised as seismologists receive additional data.

Webcams Near Earthquakes

When you select an earthquake, we calculate which webcams in our directory are geographically closest to its epicenter using the straight-line (great-circle) distance. We start with webcams within 100 km and widen the search up to 500 km if needed. A nearby webcam is not guaranteed to show the earthquake or its effects. It simply happens to be one of the closest live views we host to that location.

Data Source

Earthquake data is provided by the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program via its real-time GeoJSON feeds. View the official USGS earthquake feed.