In its many thousands of history, mankind has experienced earthquakes that, in terms of their destructiveness, can be attributed to catastrophes of a universal scale. The causes of earthquakes are not fully understood and no one can say with certainty why they occur, where the next disaster will be and what strength.
In this article, we have collected the most strong earthquakes in human history, measured by magnitude. You need to know about this value that it takes into account the amount of energy released during an earthquake, and is distributed from 1 to 9.5.
10. Earthquake in Tien Shan in 1976 | 8.2 points
Although the magnitude of the 1976 Tien Shan earthquake was only 8.2, it can rightfully be considered one of the most devastating earthquakes in the history of mankind. According to the official version, this terrible incident claimed the lives of more than 250 thousand people, and according to the unofficial one, the number of deaths is approaching 700 thousand and is quite justified, because 5.6 million houses were completely destroyed. The event formed the basis for Feng Xiaogang's film "Catastrophe".
9. Earthquake in Portugal in 1755 | 8.8 points
The earthquake that struck Portugal in the distant 1755 on All Saints Day refers to one and sthe most powerful and tragic disasters in the history of mankind. Just imagine that in just 5 minutes Lisbon turned into ruins, and almost a hundred thousand people died! But the victims of the earthquake did not end there. The disaster caused a severe fire and tsunami that raged on the coast of Portugal. Overall, the earthquake triggered internal unrest, which led to a change foreign policy country. This catastrophe marked the beginning of seismology. The magnitude of the earthquake is estimated at 8.8 points.
8. Earthquake in Chile in 2010 | 9 points
Another devastating earthquake in Chile happened in 2010. One of the most destructive and major earthquakes in the history of mankind over the past 50 years has caused maximum damage: thousands of victims, millions of people homeless, dozens of destroyed settlements and cities. The Chilean regions of Bio-Bio and Maule suffered the greatest damage. This catastrophe is significant in that the destruction occurred not only because of, but the earthquake itself caused considerable harm, because its epicenter was on the mainland.
7. Earthquake in North America in 1700 | 9 points
In 1700, as a result of strong seismic activity in North America, the coastline was changed. The disaster took place in the Cascade Mountains, on the border between the United States and Canada and, according to various estimates, was at least 9 points in magnitude. Little is known about the victims of one of the most powerful earthquakes in world history. As a result of the catastrophe, a huge tsunami wave reached the shores of Japan, the destruction of which is still mentioned in Japanese literature.
6. Earthquake on the east coast of Japan in 2011 | 9 points
Just a few years ago, in 2011, the east coast of Japan was shaken by the most powerful earthquake in human history. In 6 minutes of a 9-point disaster, more than 100 km of the seabed was raised 8 meters in height, and the ensuing tsunami hit the northern islands of Japan. The notorious Fukushima nuclear power plant was partially damaged, which provoked a radioactive release, the consequences of which are still felt. The number of victims is called 15 thousand, but the true figures are not known.
5. Kemin earthquake in Kazakhstan in 1911 | 9 points
It is difficult to surprise the residents of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan with tremors - these regions are located in the fault zone crust... But the most powerful earthquake in the history of Kazakhstan and all mankind happened in 1911, when the city of Almaty was almost completely destroyed. The catastrophe was named the Kemin earthquake, which is recognized as one of the strongest inland earthquakes of the 20th century. The epicenter of the events fell on the valley of the Bolshoi Kemin River. In this area, huge gaps in the relief have formed, with a total length of 200 km. In some places, in these gaps, whole houses are buried in the disaster zone.
4. Earthquake on the coast of the Kuril Islands in 1952 | 9 points
Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands belong to seismically active regions and they will not be surprised by earthquakes. However, residents still remember the disaster of 1952. One of the most devastating earthquakes that humanity remembers began on November 4 in Pacific 130 km from the coast. The tsunami, which was formed after the earthquake, brought terrible destruction. Three huge waves, the height of the largest reaching 20 meters, completely destroyed Severo-Kurilsk and caused damage to many settlements. The waves came at intervals of an hour. The inhabitants knew about the first wave and waited for it on the hills, after which they went down to their villages. The second wave, the largest one that no one expected, caused the greatest damage and claimed the lives of more than 2 thousand people.
3. Earthquake in Alaska in 1964 | 9.3 points
On March 27, 1964, Good Friday, all 47 states in the United States shook from the Alaska earthquake. The epicenter of the disaster was in the Gulf of Alaska, where the Pacific and North American plates meet. One of the strongest natural disasters In the memory of mankind, a magnitude of 9.3 points took away relatively few lives - 9 people out of 130 victims in Alaska died and another 23 lives were claimed by the tsunami that followed the tremors. Anchorage, located 120 kilometers from the epicenter of events, was badly damaged from the cities. However, destruction swept along the coastline from Japan to California.
2. Earthquake on the shores of Sumatra in 2004 | 9.3 points
Literally 11 years ago, one of the most powerful recent earthquakes in human history happened in the Indian Ocean. At the very end of 2004, an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.3 points a few kilometers off the coast of the Indonesian city of Sumatra provoked the formation of a monstrous tsunami, which wiped out part of the city from the face of the earth. 15-meter waves caused damage to cities in Sri Lanka, Thailand, South Africa and southern India. Nobody names the exact number of victims, but it is estimated that from 200 to 300 thousand people died, several million more people were left homeless.
1. Earthquake in Chile in 1960 | 9.5 points
The strongest earthquake in human history occurred in 1960 in Chile. According to expert estimates, it had a maximum magnitude of 9.5 points. The disaster began in the small town of Valdivia. An earthquake in the Pacific Ocean created a tsunami, its 10-meter waves raging along the coast, damaging settlements located by the sea. The scale of the tsunami reached such proportions that the inhabitants of the Hawaiian city of Hilo, 10 thousand kilometers from Valdivia, felt its destructive power. Giant waves even reached the shores of Japan and the Philippines.
The strongest earthquakes throughout the history of mankind caused colossal material damage and caused a huge number of victims among the population. The first mentions of tremors date back to 2000 BC.
And despite the achievements of modern science and the development of technologies, no one still can predict the exact time when the elements will strike, therefore it often becomes impossible to quickly and timely evacuate people.
Earthquakes are natural disasters that kill the most people, much more than, for example, hurricanes or typhoons.
In this rating, we will tell you about the 12 most powerful and destructive earthquakes in the history of mankind.
12. Lisbon
On November 1, 1755, in the capital of Portugal, the city of Lisbon, there was a strong earthquake, later called the Great Lisbon earthquake. It was a terrible coincidence that on November 1, All Saints Day, and thousands of residents gathered for Mass in the churches of Lisbon. These churches, like other buildings throughout the city, could not withstand the powerful aftershocks and collapsed, burying thousands of unfortunates under their rubble.
Then a 6-meter tsunami wave poured into the city, covering the surviving people rushing in panic through the streets of ruined Lisbon. The destruction and loss of life were enormous! The earthquake, which lasted no more than 6 minutes, caused by the tsunami and the numerous fires that engulfed the city, killed at least 80,000 residents of the capital of Portugal.
Many famous figures and philosophers have dealt with this deadly earthquake in their works, for example, Immanuel Kant, who tried to find scientific explanation such a large-scale tragedy.
11. San Francisco
On April 18, 1906, at 5:12 am, a powerful tremor shook the sleeping San Francisco. The strength of the tremors was 7.9 points and as a result of the strongest earthquake in the city 80% of buildings were destroyed.
After the first count of the deaths, the authorities reported 400 victims, but later this number increased to 3000 people. However, the main damage to the city was caused not by the earthquake itself, but by the monstrous fire caused by it. As a result, more than 28,000 buildings were destroyed throughout San Francisco, and property damage amounted to more than $ 400 million at the time.
Many residents themselves set fire to their dilapidated houses, which were insured against fire, but not against earthquakes.
10. Messina
The largest earthquake in Europe was the earthquake in Sicily and southern Italy, when on December 28, 1908, as a result of powerful tremors of 7.5 on the Richter scale, according to estimates of various experts, between 120 and 200,000 people died.
The epicenter of the catastrophe was the Strait of Messina, located between the Apennine Peninsula and Sicily, the city of Messina suffered the most, where practically no surviving buildings remained. A huge tsunami wave caused by tremors and intensified by an underwater landslide also brought a lot of destruction.
Documented fact: rescuers were able to pull two emaciated, dehydrated, but alive children from the rubble, 18 days after the disaster! The numerous and extensive destruction was caused primarily by the poor quality of buildings in Messina and other parts of Sicily.
Russian sailors of the Imperial Navy rendered invaluable assistance to the inhabitants of Messina. Ships as part of the training group sailed along Mediterranean Sea and on the day of the tragedy ended up in the port of Augusta in Sicily. Immediately after the tremors, the sailors organized a rescue operation and thanks to their courageous actions, thousands of residents were rescued.
9. Haiyuan
One of the deadliest earthquakes in human history was the devastating earthquake that struck on December 16, 1920, Haiyuan County, part of Gansu province.
Historians estimate that at least 230,000 people died that day. The strength of the aftershocks was such that entire villages disappeared into the faults of the earth's crust, such large cities as Xian, Taiyuan and Lanzhou suffered greatly. Incredibly, strong waves after the disaster hit were recorded even in Norway.
Modern researchers believe that the death toll was much higher and totals at least 270,000 people. At the time, it was 59% of the population of Haiyuan County. Several tens of thousands of people died from the cold after their homes were destroyed by the elements.
8. Chile
The earthquake in Chile on May 22, 1960, is considered the strongest earthquake in the history of seismology, the strength of the tremors was 9.5 on the Richter scale. The earthquake was so powerful that it caused tsunami waves more than 10 meters high, covering not only the coast of Chile, but also causing enormous damage to the city of Hilo in Hawaii, and some of the waves reached the coasts of Japan and the Philippines.
More than 6,000 people died, most of whom were hit by the tsunami, the destruction was unthinkable. 2 million people were left without housing and shelter, and the amount of damage amounted to more than $ 500 million. In parts of Chile, the impact of the tsunami wave was so strong that many houses were carried 3 km inland.
7. Alaska
On March 27, 1964, the most powerful earthquake in American history occurred in Alaska. The power of the talk was 9.2 on the Richter scale and this earthquake became the strongest after the disaster struck Chile in 1960.
129 people died, of which 6 unfortunate victims became victims of tremors, the rest were washed away by a huge tsunami wave. The disaster caused the greatest destruction in Anchorage, and tremors were recorded in 47 US states.
6. Kobe
The earthquake in Kobe, Japan, on January 16, 1995, was one of the most destructive in history. Tremors with a force of 7.3 began at 05:46 am local time and lasted for several days. As a result, more than 6,000 people died and 26,000 were injured.
The damage to the city's infrastructure was enormous. More than 200,000 buildings were destroyed, 120 out of 150 berths were destroyed in the port of Kobe, there was no power supply for several days. The total damage from the disaster hit about $ 200 billion, which at that time was 2.5% of Japan's total GDP.
To help the affected residents rushed not only government services, but also the Japanese mafia - the yakuza, whose members delivered water and food to the victims of the disaster.
5. Sumatra
On December 26, 2004, the strongest tsunami that struck the shores of Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and other countries was caused by a devastating earthquake measuring 9.1 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the tremors was in the Indian Ocean, near the island of Simolue, off the northwestern coast of Sumatra. The earthquake was unusually large-scale, there was a shift of the earth's crust at a distance of 1200 km.
The height of the tsunami waves reached 15-30 meters and, according to various estimates, from 230 to 300,000 people became victims of the disaster, although the exact number of deaths cannot be calculated. Many people were simply washed into the ocean.
One of the reasons for this number of victims was the lack of an early warning system in the Indian Ocean, with which it was possible to inform the local population about the approaching tsunami.
4. Kashmir
On October 8, 2005, in the Kashmir region, which is under the control of Pakistan, there was the strongest earthquake in South Asia in the last hundred years. The strength of the tremors was 7, 6 on the Richter scale, which is comparable to the earthquake in San Francisco in 1906.
As a result of the disaster, according to official figures, 84,000 people died, according to unofficial figures, more than 200,000. Rescue operations have been hampered by the military conflict between Pakistan and India in the region. Many villages and villages were completely wiped off the face of the earth, and the city of Balakot in Pakistan was completely destroyed. In India, 1,300 people were killed in the earthquake.
3. Haiti
On January 12, 2010, Haiti was hit by an earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale. The main blow fell on the capital of the state - the city of Port-au-Prince. The consequences were dire: almost 3 million people were left homeless, all hospitals and thousands of residential buildings were destroyed. The number of victims was simply huge, according to various estimates, from 160 to 230,000 people.
Criminals who escaped from a prison destroyed by the elements poured into the city, cases of looting, robberies and robberies were frequent on the streets. Material damage from the earthquake is estimated at $ 5.6 billion.
Despite the fact that many states - Russia, France, Spain, Ukraine, USA, Canada and dozens of others - provided all possible assistance in eliminating the consequences of the disaster in Haiti, more than five years after the earthquake, more than 80,000 people still live in makeshift camps for refugees.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and this natural disaster has caused an irreparable blow to the economy and living standards of its citizens.
2. Earthquake in Japan
On March 11, 2011, the Tohoku region was hit by the strongest earthquake in Japanese history. The epicenter was located east of the island of Honshu and the strength of the tremors was 9.1 points on the Richter scale.
As a result of the disaster, the nuclear power plant in the city of Fukushima was severely damaged and the power units at reactors 1, 2, and 3 were destroyed. Many areas became uninhabitable as a result of radioactive radiation.
After aftershocks, a huge tsunami wave swept the coastline and destroyed thousands of office and residential buildings. More than 16,000 people died, 2,500 are still missing.
The material damage also turned out to be colossal - over $ 100 billion. And given that it can take years to fully restore the destroyed infrastructure, the amount of damage can grow several times.
1. Spitak and Leninakan
There are many tragic dates in the history of the USSR, and one of the most famous is the earthquake that shook the Armenian SSR on December 7, 1988. The most powerful tremors in just half a minute almost completely destroyed the northern part of the republic, capturing the territory in which more than 1 million inhabitants lived.
The consequences of the disaster were monstrous: the city of Spitak was almost completely wiped out from the face of the Earth, Leninakan was badly damaged, more than 300 villages were destroyed and 40% of the republic's industrial facilities were destroyed. More than 500 thousand Armenians were left homeless, according to various estimates, from 25,000 to 170,000 people died, 17,000 people were left disabled.
111 states and all the republics of the USSR rendered assistance in the restoration of destroyed Armenia.
There are about a million earthquakes on Earth every year, most of which are so insignificant that most people will mistake them for a loaded car driving down a nearby street. However, really strong points and shifts of the earth's crust in densely populated areas turn into a real tragedy, during which tens of thousands of people die and entire cities can turn into ruins. Meet the ten most destructive earthquakes.
10. Lisbon earthquake
One of the most destructive earthquakes occurred on November 1, 1755, the epicenter of which was at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean 200 kilometers off the coast of southern Portugal. Violent tremors, tsunamis and fires killed more than 100,000 people. The capital of Portugal, Lisbon has practically disappeared from the face of the earth, including the royal palace, the opera house and several cathedrals, burying thousands of works of art and tens of thousands of priceless manuscripts.
9. Messina earthquake
One of the strongest earthquakes in Europe, which occurred on December 28, 1908, affected Sicily and Italy, during which about 120,000 people died. The epicenter of the tremors layer 7.5 points was in the Strait of Messina, which led to a simply huge tsunami that hit the coast, literally sweeping away everything in its path. The tragedy was aggravated by numerous underwater landslides, which increased the height of the waves and the very precarious, fragile buildings traditionally built in Messini. By the way, 18 days after the earthquake, rescuers were able to pull two children out of the rubble.
8. Gansu earthquake
One of the most destructive and deadly earthquakes occurred on December 16, 1920 in the Chinese province of Gansu. The strength of the aftershocks was about 7.8 points on the Richter scale, which led to the destruction of entire cities and villages, in which not a single whole building remained. And also significant damage was caused by such large cities like Lanzhou, Taiyuan and Xian. Oscillations from this earthquake were recorded even in Norway. More than 270,000 people died under the rubble and from landslides, which was 59% of the population of Gansu at that time.
7. Earthquake in Chile
It is one of the strongest earthquakes in the history of mankind that occurred on May 22, 1960 in Chile, the strength of which at the epicenter reached 9.5 points, and the fault was 1000 kilometers. The natural disaster killed 1,655 people, injured 3,000 people, left about 2 million people homeless, and caused half a billion dollars in losses. The tsunami caused by this earthquake reached the shores of Japan, the Philippines and Hawaii and caused significant damage to coastal settlements. In some areas of Chile, the waves were so large that some of the houses were thrown 3 kilometers inland.
6. Earthquake in Kobe
On January 17, 1995, one of the most destructive earthquakes in the history of Japan occurred in the Kobo area. Although the strength of the tremors was 7.2, the epicenter was located in a very densely populated area. The earthquake killed more than 5,000 people, injured 26,000 and left about 10 million homeless. Damages were $ 200 billion, a kilometer of expressway disappeared from the surface of the earth in minutes, several hundred thousand buildings were destroyed, and the work of the large transport company Hanshin Express was paralyzed for several weeks.
5. Kanto earthquake
The Kanto earthquake on September 1, 1923 was the most destructive in the history of Japan. The natural disaster almost completely destroyed Tokyo and Yokohama, where about 175,000 people died, and about one million people turned out to be homeless, and about 200 thousand buildings were destroyed or burned down. Destroyed communications and damaged water supply did not allow the authorities to provide people with timely assistance and effectively deal with the consequences of the disaster.
4. Earthquake off the coast of Sumatra
The earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra on December 26, 2004, was attended by all the countries of the Indian Ocean. The tremors were 9.1 on the Richter scale, but the tsunami was the deadliest, killing at least 230,000 people. The reason for the large number of victims was the undeveloped early warning system of the tsunami in the Indian Ocean. Previous earthquakes near Sumatra occurred in 2002, according to experts, this was a preliminary seismic activity before the big shift of the Indian plate. Then, during 2005, there were several more shocks, which, however, did not cause much harm to the countries.
3. Earthquake in Haiti
The earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2012 almost completely destroyed the capital of this island state, Port-au-Prince. In just a few minutes, half of the city's population was left homeless, and about 230,000 people died. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, so international organizations provided the main assistance to the victims. 5 years after the tragedy, about 80,000 continue to live in tents.
2. Earthquake in Tohoku
An earthquake at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean near the Japanese province of Tohoku has become the second-largest nuclear disaster after the explosion of the Chernobyl power plant. 108 kilometers of ocean day in 6 minutes rose 8 meters, which led to the appearance of a giant tsunami. Giant waves hit the northern islands of Japan, severely damaging several blocks at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, leading to radioactive contamination of large areas that became uninhabitable. During the tragedy, 15,889 people died and about 2,500 people went missing.
1. Earthquake in Tangshan
In the Chinese city of Tangshan, on July 28, 1976, there was an earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale, which turned out to be destroyed almost to the ground. The scale of the tragedy has intensified numerous mine workings. The cities of Tianjin and Beijing were also seriously affected by the tremors. The Chinese authorities tried to limit the leakage of information to the extent of the tragedy, which for a long time was not known abroad, and deliberately reduced the number of victims. According to official figures, about 250,000 people died, but the real number of victims is said to be as high as 800,000. More than 5.3 million homes were also destroyed and became uninhabitable.
Most of the largest earthquakes follow one scenario: rigid plate structures made up of the earth's crust and mantle move, colliding with each other. In total, there are 7 largest plates in the world: Antarctic, Eurasian, Indo-Australian, North American, Pacific and South American.
Over the past two billion years, plate movement has accelerated significantly, which, accordingly, increased the chances of such a disaster. On the other hand, based on studies of the movement of tectonic plates, scientists can, albeit approximately, predict the next major earthquake. Based on publicly available data, we have estimated a list of cities where the likelihood of such an event is very high right now.
San Francisco
A powerful earthquake with its epicenter in the Santa Cruz Mountains, about a hundred kilometers from the city of San Francisco, is just around the corner. More precisely, over the next couple of years. However, most of the inhabitants of the City by the Bay prepared for the disaster, stocking up on medicines for the future, drinking water and food. In turn, the city authorities are busy with urgent work to strengthen buildings.
Fremantle
Fremantle is a port city located on the west coast of Australia. According to seismological studies by specialists from the University of Sydney, in the period from the end of 2016 to 2024, a strong earthquake of about 6 on the Richter scale is expected there. However, the main danger is that a shock can occur on the ocean floor near the city, causing a tsunami.
Tokyo
According to experts' forecasts, a major earthquake with an epicenter in the Japanese capital with a probability of 75% may occur at any time within the next 30 years. According to the model created by scientists, about 23 thousand people will become victims of the disaster and over 600 thousand buildings will be destroyed. In addition to increasing the level of seismic resistance of buildings and the demolition of old structures, the Tokyo administration will be engaged in the introduction of non-combustible building materials. The 1995 Kobe earthquake showed the Japanese that people are more likely to become victims of fires after a disaster than collapsed buildings.
Los Angeles
Earthquakes in the City of Angels happen quite often, but there haven't been really large ones in over a century. The darker the forecast presented by seismologists and geologists from the US Geological Society. Based on the analysis of soils and tectonic plates under the central part of California, scientists concluded that an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 could occur here by 2037. A push of such force, under certain circumstances, can turn a city into ruins.
Panama
Over the next few years, a powerful earthquake with a power of more than 8.5 on the Richter scale will occur in the Isthmus of Panama. Such conclusions were reached by experts from the University of San Diego, after they carried out seismological studies of faults adjacent to the Panama Canal. The effect of an earthquake on a truly catastrophic scale will be felt by the inhabitants of both Americas. And most of all, of course, the capital of the republic, Panama, where about 1.5 million people live, will suffer.
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
A strong earthquake in the medium term, that is, in the next 4-5 years, will occur in the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky area. Such data were reported in the seismology department of the Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth. In connection with this forecast, work is underway to strengthen buildings in Kamchatka, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations is checking the seismic resistance of buildings. In addition, a network of stations was organized to monitor the symptoms of an approaching earthquake: high-frequency vibrations of the earth's crust, water level in wells, fluctuations in magnetic fields.
Grozny
According to the same department of seismology, a major earthquake in the period from 2017 to 2036. could happen in the North Caucasus, on the border of Chechnya and Dagestan. In contrast to the situation in Kamchatka, no work is being carried out there to reduce the potential damage from earthquakes, which may entail a greater number of human victims than if such work had been carried out.
New York
New research results by American seismologists from Columbia University indicate a high seismic hazard at present in the vicinity of New York. The magnitude of an earthquake can reach five points, which can lead to the complete destruction of old buildings in the city. Another cause for concern was the nuclear power plant located right at the intersection of two faults, i.e. in an extremely dangerous region. Its destruction could make New York a second Chernobyl.
Banda-Aceh
Indonesia is located in the most seismically active zone of the planet, and therefore you will not surprise anyone with earthquakes. In particular, the island of Sumatra constantly finds itself almost right in the epicenter of tremors. The new earthquake, predicted by seismologists, with an epicenter 28 km from the city of Banda Aceh, which will occur in the next six months, will not be an exception.
Bucharest
The strongest earthquake in Romania could trigger blasting operations in shale rocks in the Carpathian Mountains. Geophysicists from the Romanian National Institute report that the epicenter of the future earthquake will be located there, at a depth of 40 kilometers. The fact is that the search for shale gas in these layers of the earth can cause displacement of the earth's crust and, as a result, earthquakes.
Earthquakes are not that rare. According to experts, every year our planet is shaken by about 500,000 tremors of varying strength. Most of these are concentrated in the fault lines that separate tectonic plates, but others occur deeper in the Earth's mantle and can occur anywhere in the world.
Most of these earthquakes do not cause us much harm and destruction, they are even almost impossible to feel and detect without special equipment. Large earthquakes occur much less frequently, and this is very good, because they are usually associated with serious consequences within very large areas, for example, provoking deadly tsunamis and even volcanic eruptions. This list contains examples of the 10 largest earthquakes on record!
10. Valdivia or the Great Chilean earthquake of 1960
In 1935, the American seismologist Charles Richter developed the famous Richter magnitude scale. By decoding the seismograph readings and depending on the distance to the epicenter, this scientist deduced his own scale for measuring the magnitude of earthquakes.
The Richetra scale grows exponentially, so the 7.0 magnitude is not just slightly higher than the 6.0 magnitude, it is 10 times higher. And a magnitude of 8.0 is again 10 times more powerful than a 7.0.
To date, the largest earthquake measured in history has been the Great Chilean Earthquake, centered around the city of Valdivia.
This earthquake reached a magnitude of 9.5, and the power of the released seismic energy was estimated at 100 million tons in TNT equivalent. This shock literally shook our entire planet, because the blast waves reached the very core of the Earth.
The earthquake caused several tsunamis, which covered over 16 thousand kilometers, crossed the Pacific Ocean, even reaching the coast of Hawaii, Japan, Australia, and killed hundreds of people.
Closest to the epicenter was the country of Chile, which suffered from it the most. Fortunately, the most significant destruction occurred in the least populated regions of the country. However, more than 5,000 people died, and about 2 million Chileans were left homeless. However, given the magnitude of the earthquake, things could have been much worse if it happened in a busier area.
9.The 1906 San Francisco earthquake
The famous San Andreas Fault stretches for almost 1,300 kilometers and runs along the coast of California. This fault forms a kind of barrier between the two largest tectonic plates - the Pacific and North American. California is practically sitting on a ticking time bomb.
No one really knew this when the residents of San Francisco suddenly woke up at 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906. The earth shook for almost a minute, and on the Richter magnitude scale, this excitement was estimated at about 8.
The earthquake was so devastating that the fires in the city burned for about 3 more days, which killed a lot of people. Water pipes all over San Francisco were destroyed by the aftershocks, and without water, firefighters found it extremely difficult to rescue the city and its inhabitants.
In those days, over 3,000 people died and almost 400,000 were left homeless. The city was destroyed, and it took about $ 400 million to rebuild, which is almost $ 10 billion by today's standards. However, no money can ever return the lives of the victims.
8. Sichuan earthquake of 2008
Before tragic events 2008, the city of Beichuan was a thriving area in China, but now it is practically a ghost town, because the local buildings are still in ruins, and all of its inhabitants have either died or were evacuated. About 80% of Beichuan buildings were destroyed during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake. The damage inflicted was so significant that the Chinese authorities decided not to rebuild the affected city. Now it has remained practically in the same condition as it was immediately after the disaster, and thanks to this it has even become a tourist attraction that attracts lovers of post-apocalyptic views.
It was the city of Beichuan that suffered the most, but the destruction overtook a much wider area. According to experts, about 87,000 people died at that time, and almost 500,000 Chinese were left homeless. A huge number of public buildings, including schools, literally collapsed, burying innocent people under the rubble, and revealing all the imperfection of building standards and poor-quality work.
China's economy is considered the second richest in the world, but a magnitude 7.9 earthquake was powerful and destructive enough to force the Chinese government to seek help from other countries.
7. Great Kanto earthquake of 1923
About 1,500 earthquakes are recorded annually in Japan, and this country is one of the hottest spots on Earth when it comes to seismic activity. For the same reason, the Japanese had to become the most disaster-prepared nation on the planet. Emergency drills are constantly being held here, new buildings are being erected in accordance with strict regulations and by law must withstand frequent seismic loads, and even a special warning early warning application has been developed for the Japanese, and it is installed in almost every smartphone by default.
When Tokyo and its environs came under attack on September 1, 1923, things were very different. Most of the buildings of those years were built of wood and other materials that were far from being the most durable. They simply didn’t have the slightest chance to withstand an earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale.
To make matters worse, the disaster struck the Japanese at noon, when most of the people were just preparing food. The resulting fires were so powerful that they melted metal and claimed thousands of lives. The fire was powered by oxygen and, due to the strong wind, spread at an incredible speed, as if the city had been bombed. Almost 44,000 people hurried to the coast of the Sumida River that day, but only 3,000 survived after being covered by a wind-driven wall of flame that flew over the city.
It is still not known exactly how many people died that day, but according to experts, the disaster claimed more than 140,000 lives, and almost half a million Japanese were left homeless. Some even believe that it was this earthquake that changed Japan at the beginning of the 20th century, depriving it of optimism and directing it onto the path of aggressive nationalist authoritarian rule.
6. The Great East Japan Earthquake 2011
On March 11, 2011, seismographs recorded one of the most powerful earthquakes in the history of observations. 130 kilometers east of the coast of Japan, the tectonic plate has shifted by a record 50 meters. The earthquake turned out to be so powerful that it could presumably shift the Earth's axis of rotation, increase the speed of its revolution, and thereby reduce the length of the day by 1-2 microseconds, although further research did not reveal such changes.
The epicenter of the earthquake was closest to the Tohoku region, with a magnitude of 8.9. It turned out to be much more powerful than the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923, which caused enormous damage to Japan. In the 1920s, almost 58 million people lived in Japan, and in 2011 the population was already about 130 million, but this time there were still fewer victims.
In 2011, the wiser Japan was much more prepared for disaster. In Tokyo and other cities, skyscrapers swayed alarmingly for nearly 6 minutes as the tremors continued, but not a single building collapsed, a testament to the Japanese's very effective building standards and strict adherence to them. However, on this day, many townspeople took a fresh look at the "advantages" of living in high-rise buildings on the top floors.
Everything was not limited to jerks. The earthquake triggered a huge tsunami that hurried to the coast of the country at a speed of over 800 kilometers per hour, which is comparable to the cruising speed of a Boeing 737 jet.
The Japanese government has previously invested heavily in the construction of impressive breakwaters to protect local residents from similar natural Disasters, but in 2011 the tsunami was much higher than anyone expected, and it just rolled over the walls. As a result, despite all the measures taken in advance, about 22,000 people died, and the damage caused was estimated at about $ 360 billion.
5. Lisbon earthquake of 1755
For the first half of the 18th century, Portugal considered itself one of the greatest powers in the world. The Portuguese Empire was one of the oldest and richest, and its prosperity was largely ensured by boats laden with gold and diamonds, which regularly sailed from their colonies in South America. However, on November 1, 1755, things changed dramatically when Portugal suffered heavy casualties in one of the deadliest earthquakes in history.
The shocks themselves lasted for about 3-6 minutes, and the shaking was felt even in Finland, but it was the Portuguese city of Lisbon that suffered the most. About 40 minutes after the ground stopped shaking, the survivors witnessed a completely extraordinary sight - the sea began to literally recede from the city pier. After that, a completely different performance awaited the inhabitants of Lisbon - all the rushing water rushed back, and this time in the form of a tsunami up to 20 meters high!
After the earthquake and tsunami, fires hit the city. As in the case of other such similar disasters, it was fire that took the most lives. The magnitude of the disaster is still very difficult to assess, but it was simply mind-blowing. Probably, about 100,000 people died on that ill-fated day in Lisbon alone, and tens of thousands more victims could have been in Spain and Morocco.
The earthquake cost Spain almost half of the country's annual GDP, and the king was so shocked by what happened that he became horrified by being in any buildings with walls and even moved his royal residence to a tent camp. The Lisbon earthquake was so devastating that, according to some historians, it caused the decline of the Portuguese Empire.
4. Earthquake in Haiti in 2010
Countries such as the United States and Japan are quite independent and prosperous, and also to a large extent very well protected in terms of technology to mitigate the consequences of almost any catastrophic natural disaster. However, not all countries can be distinguished by a similar state of affairs, and Haiti has turned out to be one of these highly vulnerable republics.
Haiti is the poorest country in the entire Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the entire world. This island state constantly suffers from devastating hurricanes, cyclones and tropical storms, and Haiti, unfortunately, is in extremely dangerous proximity to two large tectonic lines.
For almost the entire 20th century, Haiti was lucky, because there were no sufficiently strong earthquakes here. In total, 2 relatively powerful aftershocks were recorded, as a result of which less than 10 people died. Everything changed in one terrible moment - January 12, 2010.
An earthquake hit Haiti on a January evening and reached 7.0 on a magnitude scale. Such power cannot be called phenomenal, but the fact that the shock occurred at a depth of only 13 kilometers, together with the fact that it is a very poor country with poorly developed infrastructure and minimal requirements for the quality of building construction, led to terrible destruction and a huge number of deaths (about 222,570 people). In addition, nearly 3 million people were left homeless.
3. The 1138 Aleppo earthquake
The Dead Sea Trench is a rift that separates the Arabian and African tectonic plates. It runs through Israel, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan and is considered one of the fairly large fault lines, and also one of the most studied in the world.
There have been virtually no major earthquakes in the Middle East over the past few centuries, but in the 12th century and early 13th centuries there were several powerful aftershocks within a relatively short period of time. The 1138 earthquake in Aleppo was the most destructive of them, and indeed one of the deadliest in history!
1138 was a very eventful year in the history of the Middle East. Crusades were in full swing, because the Christian armies, regularly arriving from Europe, did not abandon their attempts to expel the Muslims and appropriate the Promised Land.
The earthquake of 1138 did not choose between Christians and Muslims, it did not spare anyone. The city of Aleppo was then a stronghold of Muslims, and the elements literally left no stone unturned there. At the same time, a considerable number of other fortresses and citadels, which were under the rule of Christians, were also destroyed due to these powerful aftershocks. An estimated 250,000 people died in those days under the rubble of cities and because of fires.
2. Underwater earthquake in the Indian Ocean 2004
Behind recent years 20, a noticeable increase in seismic activity was noted throughout the planet, and earthquakes became noticeably more powerful. Scientists are still not entirely sure why this is happening, but one of the most impressive happened in 2004 in the Indian Ocean.
The tremors began underwater on December 26, and the magnitude reached 9.1, which means that this earthquake was one of the most powerful on record. Despite the incredible force of the elements, only one city was seriously damaged that day - the Indonesian city of Banda Aceh on the island of Sumatra.
Scientists monitored the course of events and seismic activity in the region, but they could not tell until the very end if this earthquake caused a tsunami in order to warn local residents of the threat. Early warning and tsunami detection sensors had already been installed in the Pacific Ocean, but in the Indian Ocean in 2004 there was no such equipment at that time.
Thirty-two minutes after the earthquake, it was no longer necessary to guess, because the first tsunami wave hit the coast of Indonesia. Over the next 6 hours, another 13 other countries suffered from the disaster, recognized as one of the most destructive in human memory. More than 220,000 people died, almost 500,000 were left homeless, and the damage was estimated at about $ 15 billion.
1. Great China earthquake of 1556 in Shaanxi province
Unfortunately, China has suffered from all 3 of the worst natural disasters in history. The first two were the floods of 1887 and 1931, and the third was the earthquake of 1556, the epicenter of which was in the Shaanxi province in the northwest of the country.
Researchers who have studied these aftershocks suggest that the magnitude was then as much as 8.0, and the element caused tremendous damage over a very large area.
It is extremely difficult to give an accurate estimate of the damage and count the number of victims, but according to some versions, the earthquake claimed over 800,000 lives ... The main blow fell on the densely populated province of Shaanxi, which suffered very serious losses - up to 60% of the inhabitants were supposedly killed.
The shift was so severe that the resulting pressure even liquefied the soil. This process implies that the once solid soil saturated with water, under the influence of an earthquake, acquires the properties of a liquid, which entails destructive consequences for everything and everyone who is on its surface.
Even the most solid buildings, built to modern standards, and standing on solid foundations, risk collapsing if the soil liquefies, and after all, in the 16th century in China, construction was much more primitive than today.
China's territory is literally indented by several fault lines, and the country has already experienced many strong earthquakes, some of which even surpassed the tremors of 1556, but the Shaanxi disaster is still the most devastating on record in terms of the number of victims.