Large European earthquakes of the 20th century

The magnitudes of the largest events in the European area have not exceeded M = 8 (shallow shocks) and m = 7.8 (intermediate depth shocks), respectively during the 20th century. Their geographical and depth distributions are discussed. The magnitude frequency relationships and the Gumbel III model define the statistical expectancy of the extreme events within the whole area. The strain release has a relatively constant trend between 1901–1975.