Recent Earthquakes

Earthquakes occur constantly around the globe and intermittently in Ireland. The destructive power of earthquakes is undeniable, causing widespread devastation to communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems. However, studying earthquakes is crucial to mitigating their negative impacts. By understanding the underlying geological processes and fault systems that trigger seismic activity, scientists can develop early warning systems, effective building codes, and improved disaster response strategies

Kamchatka, Russia, 29th July 2025

A large M8.8 earthquake occurred July 29th at 23:24 UTC time, offshore east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Russia,. This earthquake occurred as the result of shallow reverse faulting. At the location of this earthquake, the Pacific plate is moving west-northwest with respect to the North America plate at about 80 mm/yr. The North American plate extends westward beyond the North American continent. It is likely this earthquake occurred due to faulting along the subduction zone of the Kuril-Kamchatka arc. Here is the earthquake recorded by QuakeShake seismometers located thousand of kms away in Ireland (Figure 2.). Such a large magnitude earthquake will cause slip over a larger fault area spanning kilometers (not just a small point on a map). Reverse faulting events of the size of the July 29, 2025, earthquake are typically about 390 km by 140 km in size. This M8.8 Kamchatka earthquake is the largest worldwide since the 2011 M9.0 Tohoku quake and ranks among the top ten globally since 1900. It follows a sequence of quakes off the Kamchatka Peninsula that began 10 days earlier, including 50 M5.0 plus events, an M7.4 on 20 July, and three M6.6 quakes. As of 4:00 AM UTC on 30 July, 24 aftershocks above M5.0 have been recorded, including M6.9 and 6.3 events. A tsunami warning has been issued for Japan, Alaska, Hawaii and south toward New Zealand. Residents in low lying areas are being urged to seek higher ground. If you are along the coastline and see water retreating please always move to higher ground as a tsunami may be imminent. At the time of writing, no casualties have been reported, although there are reports of some injuries and damage to buildings and infrastructure. A tsunami was generated by this large earthquake with the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issuing tsunami warnings for parts of Alaska and Hawaii, with waves of up to 1.7m reported in Hawaii.

Offshore Spain, Mediterranean Sea, 14th July 2025

At 05:13:27 UTC time, a magnitude 5.2 earthquake off the southern coast of Spain with its epicenter located roughly 22 kilometers offshore and 51 kilometers east-southeast of Almería. This earthquake was widely felt in multiple parts of the Mediterranean including Almería, Níjar, Mojácar, Málaga, and across parts of Algeria and Morocco. A mobile alert was received by residents in Almería and Granada, notifying them of the earthquake. A tsunami alert was also issued this has since been deactivated. So far no injuries have been reported but some buildings have been slightly damaged including ceiling tiles to fall at Almeria airport and damage to a car showroom ceiling.

This earthquake occurred in the tectonically active Alboran Sea region, where the African and Eurasian plates meet and converge at a rate of about 4 to 10 millimeters per year. This ongoing collision generates significant seismic activity and is responsible for the development of major fault systems, including the Trans-Alboran Shear Zone and the Carboneras Fault. These faults accommodate a mix of thrust, strike-slip, and normal faulting, making the region prone to frequent earthquakes. Southern Spain has experienced several destructive quakes throughout history, such as the 1884 Andalusian earthquake that killed around 1,200 people on Christmas Day, the 1804 Almería quake, and the 1522 earthquake that devastated Almería and resulted in an estimated 2,500 deaths.

Greece, 13th May 2025

A M6.0 earthquake occured at 22:51:15 UTC time between the Greek islands of Crete and Kasos 🇬🇷 Numerous people are reported to have felt shaking. Earthquakes off the coast of the Greek islands of Kasos and Crete occur primarily due to the tectonic activity at the convergent boundary between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate. The African Plate is moving northward and is subducting beneath the Eurasian Plate (which includes the Aegean microplate) along the Hellenic Arc. This subduction zone runs south of Crete and Kasos and is one of the most seismically active regions in Europe. As the African Plate is forced underneath the Aegean microplate, stress accumulates in the Earth's crust. When this stress exceeds the strength of the rocks, it is suddenly released as an earthquake. Earthquakes can occur both offshore and onshore, but many strong ones are offshore south of Crete and Kasos. The region has a long history of damaging earthquakes, including the 365 AD Crete earthquake, which caused widespread destruction and a massive tsunami.

Reykjanes Ridge, Mid Atlantic Ridge, 3rd April 2025

At 14:09:29 UTC time, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake has occurred along the Mid Atlantic Ridge. This is quite a large magnitude earthquake for this region. Earthquakes occur along the Reykjanes Ridge due to its location on a divergent plate boundary where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates are gradually moving apart. This movement is driven by the process of seafloor spreading, where magma from the Earth's mantle rises to the surface, cools, and solidifies to create new oceanic crust. As the plates continue to separate, the accumulated stress along fractures and faults in the Earth's crust is released in the form of earthquakes.

Unlike subduction zones, where one plate is forced beneath another, the seismic activity along the Reykjanes Ridge is primarily caused by extensional forces, leading to frequent but typically moderate earthquakes. Additionally, the ridge is volcanically active, with magma intrusions occasionally triggering seismic swarms. This combination of tectonic and volcanic activity makes the Reykjanes Ridge a dynamic and geologically significant region, contributing to the ongoing formation and evolution of the Atlantic Ocean floor.

Tonga, 30th March 2025

The M7.0 earthquake near Tonga occured at 12:18:47 UTC time resulted from reverse faulting west of the Tonga Trench in the South Pacific Ocean. It likely occurred on a shallowly dipping thrust fault along the plate interface, where the Pacific plate subducts westward beneath the Australia plate at 73 mm/yr. This boundary is one of the world's most seismically active regions, with earthquakes occurring along the thrust fault, within the Pacific plate, and on microplate boundaries. The Tonga-Fiji subduction zone frequently experiences large earthquakes. Since 1900, nine M7+ quakes have occurred within 250 km of this event. These shallow earthquakes pose a tsunami risk, as they can cause vertical seafloor displacement. The tsunami threat from this earthquake has now passed.

Myanmar, 28th March 2025

The earthquake occurred approximately 10km northwest of city of Mandalay, at a depth of 10km. The M7.7 earthquake was followed 12 minutes later by an aftershock of magnitude M6.4. Tectonically, the earthquake is likely to have occurred as the result of strike slip faulting between the between the Indian and Sunda plates. Felt reports to the USGS indicate that the maximum intensity of the earthquake was IX or X (on the Modified Mercalli Scale) in the vicinity of the epicentre. At the time of writing, it appears that the earthquake caused major damage to the city of Mandalay, with several buildings and bridges collapsed and multiple fatalities reported. In addition, the earthquake was also felt strongly in Bangkok, Thailand, some 1,000km to the southeast, where several buildings are also reported to have collapsed as a result of the earthquake

Jan Mayen Island Region, 8th March 2025

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake occurred today at 02:33:14 UTC time near Norway’s Jan Mayen Island at a depth of 10km. The epicenter was located 36 km NNE of Olonkinbyen (population 14), 730 km NE of Akureyri (population 19,219), and 932 km W of Sortland (population 10,468), in the Svalbard and Jan Mayen region (Source USGS). A tsunami warning has not been triggered and no casualties have been reported so far. The tectonic setting of Jan Mayen is characterized by its position at the junction of the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, making it a seismically active region. The island is part of the Jan Mayen Microcontinent. The island's location near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and its complex fault structures, such as the Jan Mayen Fracture Zone leads to its seismic activity. On October 4th, 2024 there was a magnitude 4.8 earthquake. The Jan Mayen Fracture Zone consists of transform faults that connect different segments of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. These faults create strike-slip motion, generating frequent earthquakes in the region. The seismicity in this zone is primarily caused by the lateral movement between different sections of the oceanic crust.

Tibet, SW China, 7th January 2025

At 01:05:16 UTC (09:05:17 local time), a powerful earthquake measuring M7.1 struck in Tibet, approximately 375 km WSW of the capital Lhasa. A relatively shallow hypocentral depth of about 10km contributed to strong ground shaking in the region including Nepal and India. This earthquake occurred as the result of normal faulting at shallow depths north of the boundary between the Eurasia and Indian plates. Ongoing continental collision between the India and Eurasia plates drives uplift of the Himalayan Mountains today.

Vanuatu, 17th December 2024

At 01:47:27 UTC (12:47:27 local time), a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck off the west coast of Etafe Island, Vanuatu, approximately 20 kilometers from the capital, Port Vila. The earthquake occurred at a depth of 57 kilometers. As of this report, the earthquake has resulted in multiple casualties, significant structural damage, and several landslides. The US Geological Survey (USGS) initially issued a tsunami warning, predicting wave heights between 30 centimeters and 1 meter above the tide level for parts of Vanuatu's coastline. However, the warning was lifted less than two hours after the quake. Vanuatu is located near the boundary between the Australian and Pacific tectonic plates, where the Australian plate subducts beneath the Pacific plate. This subduction zone is highly seismically active, with 24 earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or higher occurring within 250 kilometers of this event. The largest recorded earthquake in the region was a magnitude 7.9 event that occurred approximately 86 kilometers to the southwest in December 1950.

Offshore Cape Mendocino, California, America, 5th November 2024

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck ~55 km off the coast of northern California at 18:44:21 UTC (10:44:21 local time). The earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of approximately 10 km. A tsunami warning was also temporarily issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center after the earthquake, but was later cancelled. Cape Mendocino has a complex geological setting. It is the meeting point of three tectonic plates: the Pacific, North American, and Juan de Fuca tectonic plates. This convergence leads to frequent seismicity. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), at least 40 earthquakes of M6.0 or larger have been recorded within 250 km of this location over the past century, including five events measuring M7.0 or greater.

This large magnitude earthquake resulted from strike-slip faulting on a steeply dipping fault oriented east-southeast or north-northeast. The event likely occurred near the Mendocino Fracture Zone, which separates the Pacific Plate to the south from the subducting Gorda Plate to the north. Located about 100 km southwest of Ferndale, California, the quake was widely felt across northern California and southern Oregon, with reports as far as San Francisco, 400 km away. Minor damage, including power outages affecting thousands, was reported near the epicenter, but no injuries or fatalities occurred.

The 1st figure shows this earthquake recorded by QuakeShake station S5FE0. This shake is hosted in St. Colemans Community College Middleton, they attended our teacher workshop in Portlaoise.
The 2nd figure shows the waveform recorded by QuakeShake station RE566 hosted 77km away in Co. Limerick. This Raspberry Shake was raffled in our first seismometer raffle. Subscribe to our newsletter below to be notified of our next raffle.
The 3rd Figure shows the earthquakes location on Raspberry Shake's Station View website.

Felt earthquakes rarely occur in Cork. The previous felt earthquake from this region was magnitude M2.2 occurring in Dec 2013 near Courtmacsherry. Since instrumental recording began with the foundation of the INSN in 1977, the only other felt earthquake was a M2.1 near Midleton in Nov 1981. So how do earthquakes occur in Co.Cork? We have to look back into the past spanning millions of years to understand how Cork was formed to understand this. The Variscan Orogeny, a mountain-building event around 350–250 million years ago, significantly shaped the geology of County Cork. During this event, Ireland was located on two continents called Gondwana and Laurussia. When these continents collided they compressed the Earth's crust, creating the East-West folds and faults characteristic of Cork's landscape that we see today. It is likely this minor earthquake occured along one of these very old East-West trending faults.

Near Gorey, Co. Wexford Ireland, 4th September 2024

A magnitude 1.8 earthquake occurred on the 4th of September 2024 at 12:25:42 local time near Gorey Co. Wexford . The depth to the epicentre is approximately 7-8km deep. This earthquake was recorded by multiple Quake Shake Raspberry Shake stations in Ireland. If you heard 📢or felt this earthquake please let us know by filling in our INSN Felt a Seismic Event questionnaire below. Since 1980, 13 onshore earthquakes have been recorded by the INSN in Co. Wexford.

This earthquake struck within a geologically active region along the Azores-Gibraltar transform fault, a major tectonic boundary separating the African and Eurasian plates. The area is known for its seismic activity, with numerous faults in the region responsible for a significant portion of the earthquakes recorded historically.

On November 1st, 1755 a catastrophic earthquake occured, with an estimated magnitude between Mw 7.7 to 9.0. The earthquake caused widespread destruction and ignited fires that raged for days. Much of the city was destroyed and the death toll was high as it occured on All Saints' Day (a national religious holiday). Additionally, it generated massive tsunami waves that struck not only the Portuguese coast but also reached as far as Ireland.

Ballybofey Co.Donegal Ireland 2nd May 2024

This magnitude 1.1 earthquake occured on the 2nd of May 2024 at 19:48pm local time near Ballybofey in Northern Co. Donegal Ireland 〰️ This earthquake was recorded by a Quake Shake Raspberry Shake seismometer in St.Columbas Secondary School and goes to show our little island can experience earthquakes even though our geographical location is not on the edge of a plate boundary. If you heard 📢or felt this earthquake please let us know by filling in our INSN Felt a Seismic Event questionnaire.

Click here for Questionnaire.

Click here for more info from the INSN.

The USGS estimated approximately 42 million people felt this earthquake (the epicentre is located 64km West of New York City). This earthquake was so widely felt as earthquakes occurring on the East Coast and in the Midwest of America are typically felt across a broader area than similar magnitude earthquakes on the West coast due to the geological composition of the rocks. The Earth's crust on the East Coast is older, colder, and denser than on the West Coast. This means seismic waves can travel longer distances without losing much energy. As a result, earthquakes can be felt over a larger area in the East. The West Coast, particularly along the Pacific Ring of Fire, has younger and more fractured crust, which absorbs more of the seismic energy, limiting the distance that the seismic waves can travel.

Near Hualien City, Taiwan April 2nd 2024

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck 15km South of Whaleien City on Taiwan's eastern coast at 7:58 AM local time. A series of strong aftershocks including a magnitude 6.5 occurred 13 minutes after the main quake have occurred. Taiwan's seismic activity is due to its location at the junction between the converging Philippines plate to the West and the Eurasian plate to the East. The convergence rate is extremely high approx. 8cm/year. Due to this tectonic setting Taiwan regularly experiences earthquakes of large magnitude.

Honshu, Japan 1st January 2024

This magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred at a depth of approximately 10 km. Japan experiences high seismic activity due to the subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath its eastern coast. However, this recent event occurred along the less seismically active western coast, where certain shallow faults accommodate broader plate movements. Shallow earthquakes, such as this one, typically lead to more pronounced surface ground shaking compared to deeper earthquakes, as the energy is released closer to the Earth’s surface.

The earthquake caused up to intensity IX shaking (violent) on the Noto Peninsula. This intense shaking, caused buildings to collapse and triggered liquefaction and landsliding. Slip on the fault uplifted land and the seafloor, exposing new swaths of coastline and initiating a tsunami, with wave height reaching 3m. A tsunami warning was triggered and later downgraded as Japan has previously experienced a devastating tsunami in 2011 triggered by the M9.1 Tohoku-Oki earthquake. This earthquake generated a tsunami with a maximum wave height of almost 40 meters (130 feet) in the Iwate Prefecture. Researchers also determined that a 2,000-kilometer (1,242-mile) stretch of Japan’s Pacific coast was impacted by the 2011 tsunami.

Qinghai Provence, China Earthquake, 18th December 2023

This is the magnitude 5.9 earthquake in north-central China earthquake from December 18th 2023 . The earthquake struck in the Gansu-Qinghai border region which is in north-central China. The Gansu province is within an intraplate region, but situated on the north-eastern margin of the tectonically active Tibetan Plateau. Seismicity in the Tibetan Plateau largely results from the continental collision of the India and Eurasia plates. The earthquake occurred on either a north-striking, steeply dipping, reverse fault or a south-southeast striking, shallowing-dipping, reverse fault. Thousands have been injured and more than 120 fatalities.

Fanad Pennsinsula Co. Donegal, Ireland 10th December 2023

This magnitude 1.3 earthquake was recorded by Raspberry Shake seismometers and by the Irish National Seismic Network (INSN) at 06:48:00 UTC on the 10th of December 2023 . The earthquake occurred at a depth of approximately 5 km, and the epicentre was approximately 5 km east of Kerrykeel. INSN has received several reports that the earthquake was experienced by members of the public near Kerrykeel, whereby most stated that they heard a loud, thunder-like noise. The Fanad peninsula experiences regular seismic activity; the most recent earthquake to occur near Kerrykeel was M1.4 in August 2017, and the largest earthquake on the Fanad peninsula was M2.4 in January 2012.

South West Iceland, Ongoing seismicity 2023

Iceland experienced a series of seismicity swarms, characterized by clusters of frequent (thousands) and relatively small earthquakes. These swarms were indicative of heightened magmatic activity beneath the Earth's surface. Iceland is located along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates diverge. The seismicity swarms were closely monitored by Icelandic seismologists at the Icelandic Met Office (IMO). They provide daily seismic updates. The largest magnitude earthquake so far was a magntude 5.3 on the 10th of November. This figure shows 510 earthquakes recorded from the Shake Net app on the 11th of November.

Grindavik, a town with a population of approximately 3,300, sits on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 31 miles south west of the capital, Grindavik was evacuated on the 10th of November. An eruption began on December 18th. On the 19th of December The Icelandic Met Office said " The development of the eruption is similar to recent eruptions at Fagradalsfjall, where the fissures are starting to contract and form individual eruption vents. Presently, there are about five eruption vents spread along the original fissure. According to information from scientists who went on a second helicopter flight with the Icelandic Coast Guard at around 04:00 UTC today, the total length of the fissure eruption has not changed much from the beginning. There was little activity at the southern end of the fissure near Hagafell, and the majority of the lava flow is heading east towards Fagradalsfjall. Two streams reach west, both north of Stóra-Skógfell."

Herat, Afghanistan October 7th 2023

This magnitude 6.3 earthquake near Herat, Afghanistan occurred as the result of thrust faulting at shallow depths near the far western terminus of the Hindu Kush mountain range. This earthquake was followed by a second Mag 6.3 earthquake that occurred approximately 30 minutes later. Both earthquakes occurred on east-west striking fault planes that dip to either the north or south. The earthquakes occurred within the Eurasia plate in an intracontinental mountain belt. Earthquakes in Afghanistan and its surrounding regions are common due to the complex and active interactions between the Arabia, Eurasia, and India plates. Source USGS. Widespread distribution of faults, construction styles and environmental factors were major factor in the vulnerability of rural populations in Afghanistan. Houses and buildings have thick mud roofs supported by timber and walls made of mud brick or stone blocks cemented with dried mud. Unfortunately, they are prone to collapse during shaking events, leading to high fatality rates. Thirdly, the environment plays a significant role in making a place vulnerable to earthquakes.

High Atlas Morocco Earthquake, 8th September 2023

This is the Magnitude 6.8 Morocco earthquake from the 8th of September 2023 . This occurred near Oukaïmedene, due to oblique-reverse faulting at shallow depth within the Moroccan High Atlas Mountain range, roughly 75 km southwest of Marrakech. The High Atlas Mountains contain a variety of mapped strike-slip and thrust faults, trending to the east-west and northeast-southwest. This earthquake occurred within the Africa Plate, approximately 550 km south of the plate boundary between the Africa and Eurasia plates. At the location of this earthquake, the African plate moves approximately 3.6 mm/year WSW relative to the Eurasia plate. Earthquakes of this size in the region are uncommon but not unexpected. Since 1900 there have been nine magnitude 5 or larger earthquakes within 500 km of this event, none of which are over magnitude 6. Source USGS.

Glenveagh National Park, Co. Donegal, Ireland, 6th May 2023

This magnitude 2.5 earthquake is the largest onshore Irish earthquake recorded by the INSN since its inception. The event was largely felt across western and central Donegal, particularly in Letterkenny, Ballybofey and Dungloe. The INSN received nearly 300 felt reports from members of the public in the days following the earthquake, whereby approximately 85% of respondents heard the earthquake, 76% felt the earthquake, and 32% were awakened by the earthquake. Some respondents reported a duration for the noise they had heard, which was approximately 20 seconds on average. Several commonly occurring descriptions of the earthquake include ”loud rumbling”, ”loud noise”, ”like thunder, but went on too long”, ”like thunder, but deeper and omnidirectional”, with most reporting weak to mild shaking and objects rattling indoors.