Insights

Nepal's earthquakes, in data

Name: Significant earthquakes (M4.5+) in the Nepal region, 1911–present
Creator: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
License: https://www.usgs.gov/information-policies-and-instructions/copyrights-and-credits

Everything below is built from the {count|811} recorded earthquakes (M4.5+) in the Nepal region since {since|1911}. Explore, drag and play.

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recorded quakes (M4.5+)

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strongest ·

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average per year

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major quakes (M6.0+)

Records span: — · deepest —

Now & then

This month

This month in history

The numbers

Earthquakes per year

Count of M4.5+ events by year — note the 2015 Gorkha spike

Magnitude distribution

How many events fall in each magnitude band

Depth distribution

Most Himalayan quakes are shallow (km below surface)

Seismic energy released, year by year

Cumulative energy since 1911 — the 1934 and 2015 ruptures dwarf everything else

How often does each size strike?

Magnitude–frequency on a log scale (Gutenberg–Richter relation)

Depth vs magnitude

Each dot is one earthquake — most Himalayan quakes rupture in the top 30 km

Record book

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deepest recorded ·

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most active year ·

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quietest year ·

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longest quiet spell between M6+ ·

Sequences

Aftershock explorer

Every large earthquake is followed by aftershocks that fade with time. Pick a mainshock and watch its sequence decay — and remember: after a big quake, expect more shaking.

Mainshock

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aftershocks · 90 days, within 120 km

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largest aftershock ·

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sequence stayed active

Recorded aftershocks per day after the mainshock (first 45 days)

Head to head

Compare two earthquakes

Each magnitude step releases ~32× more energy. Put any two events side by side to feel the difference.

Event A

Event B

Interactive

Magnitude explorer

Drag the slider to see what each magnitude means — how it feels, how much energy it releases, and how often it happens.

M7.8

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Energy vs M4.0

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TNT equivalent

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Global frequency

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Drag to change magnitude

Time machine

Watch Nepal shake through the years

Drag the year or press play to see where earthquakes struck, year by year, since {since|1911}.

2015

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Press play to animate the years.

Interactive

Will I feel it?

Set a magnitude and how far you are from the epicentre to estimate the shaking intensity (Modified Mercalli) where you stand.

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Magnitude

M7.0

Your distance from the epicentre

50 km

Magnitude Your distance from the epicentre

Take the data with you

The full Nepal catalogue behind these charts (M4.5+, {since|1911}–{to|2026}, USGS) is open — download it for your own research, reporting or apps.

⬇ CSV — spreadsheet ⬇ GeoJSON — map data

Source: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. Please credit USGS (and eqsentry.com) when you reuse it.