Here are the 10 most powerful earthquakes in recorded history, measured by their magnitude on the moment magnitude scale (formerly known as the Richter scale):
Chile, 1960 – magnitude 9.5
The Chile earthquake of 1960 was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, with a magnitude of 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale. It occurred on May 22, 1960, off the coast of Chile near Valdivia, and was caused by the subduction of the Nazca plate beneath the South American plate.
The earthquake had a duration of about 10 minutes, and the shaking was felt across a large area of South America, including Chile, Argentina, and Peru. The earthquake triggered a series of devastating tsunamis that struck the Chilean coast and caused significant damage and loss of life.
The total number of deaths from the earthquake and subsequent tsunamis is estimated to be around 5,700, with many more injured and displaced. The earthquake also caused widespread damage to buildings, infrastructure, and transportation systems, and it took many years for the affected areas to fully recover.
Alaska, 1964 – magnitude 9.2
The Alaska earthquake of 1964 was the second most powerful earthquake ever recorded, with a magnitude of 9.2 on the moment magnitude scale. It occurred on March 27, 1964, in Prince William Sound, Alaska, and was caused by the subduction of the Pacific plate beneath the North American plate.
The earthquake lasted for about four and a half minutes and was felt across a large area of Alaska, as well as in parts of Canada and the contiguous United States. The shaking triggered landslides and avalanches, and the resulting tsunami caused widespread damage and loss of life along the Alaska coast and in areas as far away as Hawaii and California.
The total number of deaths from the earthquake and tsunami is estimated to be around 139, with many more injured and displaced. The earthquake also caused significant damage to buildings, infrastructure, and transportation systems, and it took many years for the affected areas to fully recover.
Sumatra, Indonesia, 2004 – magnitude 9.1
The Sumatra-Andaman earthquake of 2004, also known as the Indian Ocean earthquake, was a magnitude 9.1 earthquake that occurred off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, on December 26, 2004. The earthquake was caused by the subduction of the Indian plate beneath the Burma plate.
The earthquake lasted for several minutes and was felt across a large area of South and Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, India, and the Maldives. The earthquake triggered a massive tsunami that caused widespread devastation and loss of life in the affected areas.
The total number of deaths from the earthquake and tsunami is estimated to be around 230,000, with many more injured and displaced. The earthquake and tsunami caused significant damage to buildings, infrastructure, and transportation systems in the affected areas, and the recovery efforts took many years.
Tohoku, Japan, 2011 – magnitude 9.0
The Tohoku earthquake of 2011, also known as the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 earthquake that occurred off the coast of Japan on March 11, 2011. The earthquake was caused by the subduction of the Pacific plate beneath the North American plate.
The earthquake lasted for several minutes and was felt across a large area of Japan, as well as in parts of Russia, China, and the Korean Peninsula. The earthquake triggered a massive tsunami that caused widespread devastation and loss of life along the Japanese coast, and also caused a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The total number of deaths from the earthquake and tsunami is estimated to be around 16,000, with many more injured and displaced. The earthquake and tsunami caused significant damage to buildings, infrastructure, and transportation systems in the affected areas, and the recovery efforts are ongoing.
Kamchatka, Russia, 1952 – magnitude 9.0
The Kamchatka earthquake of 1952 was a magnitude 9.0 earthquake that occurred on November 4, 1952, in the Kamchatka Peninsula region of the Soviet Union (now Russia). The earthquake was caused by the subduction of the Pacific plate beneath the Eurasian plate.
The earthquake lasted for several minutes and was felt across a large area of the Soviet Union, including in Moscow, nearly 6,500 km (4,000 miles) away from the epicenter. The earthquake triggered a tsunami that caused significant damage to coastal areas in the Kamchatka region and on the island of Paramushir.
Despite the magnitude of the earthquake, the relatively remote location of the affected areas and the sparsely populated nature of the region limited the number of deaths and injuries. The earthquake did cause significant damage to infrastructure, however, including roads, bridges, and buildings in the affected areas.
Chile, 2010 – magnitude 8.8
The Chile earthquake of 2010 was a magnitude 8.8 earthquake that occurred off the coast of Chile on February 27, 2010. The earthquake was caused by the subduction of the Nazca plate beneath the South American plate.
The earthquake lasted for about three minutes and was felt across a large area of Chile, as well as in parts of Argentina, Peru, and Brazil. The earthquake triggered a series of tsunamis that caused significant damage and loss of life along the Chilean coast and in other areas of the Pacific.
The total number of deaths from the earthquake and tsunamis is estimated to be around 500, with many more injured and displaced. The earthquake also caused significant damage to buildings, infrastructure, and transportation systems, and it took many years for the affected areas to fully recover.
Ecuador, 1906 – magnitude 8.8
The Ecuador-Colombia earthquake of 1906 was a magnitude 8.8 earthquake that occurred on January 31, 1906, in the Andes region of South America, near the border of Ecuador and Colombia. The earthquake was caused by the subduction of the Nazca plate beneath the South American plate.
The earthquake lasted for several minutes and was felt across a large area of the Andes, including in parts of Ecuador, Colombia, and Peru. The earthquake triggered landslides, avalanches, and other ground movements that caused significant damage and loss of life in the affected areas.
The total number of deaths from the earthquake is estimated to be around 1,000, with many more injured and displaced. The earthquake also caused significant damage to buildings, infrastructure, and transportation systems, particularly in the city of Quito, which was heavily damaged.
Rat Islands, Alaska, 1965 – magnitude 8.7
The Rat Islands earthquake of 1965 was a magnitude 8.7 earthquake that occurred on February 4, 1965, in the Rat Islands group of the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. The earthquake was caused by the subduction of the Pacific plate beneath the North American plate.
The earthquake lasted for several minutes and was felt across a large area of Alaska, as well as in parts of Canada and the contiguous United States. The earthquake triggered a small tsunami that caused minor damage in the affected areas.
Despite the magnitude of the earthquake, the relatively remote location of the Rat Islands and the sparsely populated nature of the region limited the number of deaths and injuries. The earthquake did cause some damage to infrastructure, however, including to buildings and roads in the affected areas.
Assam, Tibet, 1950 – magnitude 8.6
The Assam-Tibet earthquake of 1950 was a magnitude 8.6 earthquake that occurred on August 15, 1950, in the region of Assam in India and Tibet in China. The earthquake was caused by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
The earthquake lasted for several minutes and was felt across a large area of northeastern India, as well as in parts of Tibet, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. The earthquake triggered landslides, avalanches, and other ground movements that caused significant damage and loss of life in the affected areas.
The total number of deaths from the earthquake is estimated to be around 4,800, with many more injured and displaced. The earthquake also caused significant damage to buildings, infrastructure, and transportation systems in the affected areas, particularly in the city of Guwahati in Assam.
Northern Sumatra, Indonesia, 2005 – magnitude 8.6
The Northern Sumatra earthquake of 2005 was a magnitude 8.6 earthquake that occurred on March 28, 2005, off the coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The earthquake was caused by the subduction of the Indian plate beneath the Burma microplate.
The earthquake lasted for several minutes and was felt across a large area of Sumatra, as well as in parts of Malaysia, Thailand, and Singapore. The earthquake triggered a small tsunami that caused minor damage in the affected areas.
Despite the magnitude of the earthquake, there were no reports of significant damage or loss of life in the affected areas, due in part to the relatively remote location of the epicenter and the implementation of early warning systems for the potential threat of tsunamis. However, the earthquake did cause some damage to infrastructure, including roads and buildings in the affected areas.
This blog is written by WEATHER.al
