Earthquake Report: 18 Oct 2025 | 5.5 Magnitude Quake in Afghanistan (2025)

The Earth Shakes: A Global Earthquake Report, October 18, 2025

Earthquakes are a powerful reminder of our planet's dynamic nature, and this report reveals a busy 24 hours! On this day, the Earth's crust was particularly active, releasing an astonishing amount of energy. But here's the catch: despite the numerous tremors, no magnitude 6 or higher quakes were recorded.

In the past day, a staggering 540 earthquakes were detected worldwide, with magnitudes ranging from 2.0 to 5.5. This includes 4 quakes of magnitude 5.0 or higher, 52 in the 4.0-4.9 range, 143 in the 3.0-3.9 range, and 341 quakes measuring 2.0 to 2.9. The total seismic energy released? A mind-boggling 3.7 x 10^13 joules, equivalent to the power of 0.5 atomic bombs!

Let's zoom in on the top 10 most powerful earthquakes:

1. Magnitude 5.5: 43 km ESE of Khandūd, Afghanistan. This quake occurred on October 17 and was felt near Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
2. Mag 5.1: 62 km south of Akutan, Alaska. A morning shake for those in the region on the same day.
3. Mag 5.1: 22 km NW of Pagudpud, Philippines. This one hit close to home for residents of Luzon on Friday afternoon.
4. Mag 5.0: 58 km ENE of Hualien City, Taiwan. The ground trembled near Taipei on Saturday morning.
5. Mag 4.9: South of the Fiji Islands. A late-night quake on Thursday, felt across the South Pacific.
6. Mag 4.9: 103 km SE of Severo-Kuril'sk, Russia. This tremor shook the Kuril Islands on Friday evening.
7. Mag 4.9: 12 km N of Davila, Philippines. Another quake in the Philippines, this time in Luzon, on Friday afternoon.
8. Mag 4.8: 59 km SE of Lukatan, Philippines. The Philippine Islands Region experienced this shake on Saturday afternoon.
9. Mag 4.8: New Britain Region, Papua New Guinea. A quiet Saturday morning was interrupted by this quake.
10. Mag 4.7: Komandorskiye Ostrova Region, Russia. The easternmost part of Russia felt this tremor early Saturday.

And now, a look at the earthquakes that were reported as felt by people:

1. Mag 3.9: Near the South Coast of Myanmar (Burma). 57 people reported feeling this shake on Friday night.
2. Mag 3.3: Strait of Gibraltar. 30 reports came in from Morocco on Saturday morning.
3. Mag 5.5: Again, 43 km ESE of Khandūd, Afghanistan. This quake was felt near Rawalpindi, Pakistan, with 17 reports.
4. Mag 2.5: Campi Flegrei, Italy. A small tremor near Naples had 13 reports.
5. Mag 5.0: Once more, 58 km ENE of Hualien City, Taiwan. 11 people reported feeling this quake near Taipei.
6. Mag 5.1: The same quake near Pagudpud, Philippines, was felt by 9 people.
7. Mag 3.0: 14 km WSW from Keri, Zakynthos, Greece. A small quake, but 7 reports suggest it was felt.
8. Mag 5.1: Akutan, Alaska, felt again, with 4 reports.
9. Mag 4.2: Negros-Cebu Region, Philippines. Cebu felt the impact with 4 reports.
10. Mag 4.2: Luzon, Philippines. Another quake in Luzon, with 4 reports.

But here's where it gets controversial... Were these quakes truly felt by people, or is there a psychological element at play? How do we differentiate between a genuine quake and a perceived tremor? These questions spark intriguing discussions in the seismology community.

The Earth's crust continues to surprise and captivate our attention. What will the next 24 hours bring? Stay tuned for the next installment of the global earthquake watch!