The strongest earthquakes in human history. The most destructive earthquakes in history

Occurred within a few minutes several miles off the coast of Haiti, their magnitudes were 7.0 and 5.9, respectively. In the capital of the republic, Port-au-Prince, several buildings collapsed as a result of two tremors. There are dead and wounded.

year 2009

In October, a series of strong earthquakes occurred in Sumatra (Indonesia). According to the UN, at least 1.1 thousand people were killed. Up to 4 thousand people were trapped under the rubble.

On the night of April 6, a devastating earthquake of magnitude 5.8 occurred near the historical city of L'Aquila in central Italy, killing 300 people, injuring 1.5 thousand, and more than 50 thousand were forced to flee their homes.

2008

On October 29, in the Pakistani province of Balochistan, an earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale with an epicenter 70 km north of the city of Quetta (700 kilometers southwest of Islamabad) killed up to 300 people.

On May 12, in the Sichuan province in southern China, 92 km from the administrative center of the province - the city of Chengdu, a powerful earthquake of magnitude 7.9 occurred, which claimed the lives of up to 87 thousand people, 370 thousand were injured, and 5 million residents were left homeless. The main earthquake was followed by over ten thousand aftershocks.

The Sichuan earthquake was the strongest in China since the Tangshan earthquake (1976), which claimed about 250,000 lives.

2007

On August 15, in Peru, in the department of Ica, 161 kilometers from the capital Lima, the strongest earthquake in recent years occurred. As a result of tremors measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale, cities along the entire southern coast of the country were affected. At least 519 people were killed and about 1,500 people were injured. Almost 17 thousand people were left without electricity and telephone communications. The most affected cities were the southern coast, Chincha Alta, Pisco, Ica, as well as the capital Lima.

2006

On May 27, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the island of Java in Indonesia, killing 6,618 people. The city of Yogyakarta and its surrounding areas suffered the most. The earthquake destroyed about 200 thousand houses and seriously damaged the same number of buildings. About 647 thousand people were left homeless.

2005 year

On October 8, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.6 on the Richter scale in Pakistan became the strongest on record in seismic observations in South Asia. According to official data, more than 73 thousand people died, including 17 thousand children. According to some estimates, the death toll was more than 100 thousand people. More than three million Pakistanis were left homeless.

On March 28, a powerful earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale occurred off the coast of the Indonesian island of Nias, located west of Sumatra. About 1,300 people died.

2004

On December 26, one of the most powerful and destructive earthquakes in modern history occurred off the eastern coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The tidal wave caused by this earthquake with a magnitude of 8.9 on the Richter scale hit the coasts of Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia.

The total number of victims in the countries affected by the tsunami is still not known exactly, however, according to various sources, this figure is approximately 230 thousand people.

The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

On the morning of April 25, an earthquake of magnitude 7.9 occurred in Nepal. As a result, the capital of the country, Kathmandu, was seriously damaged, many houses were destroyed to the ground, and the death toll goes into the thousands. This is the worst natural disaster to hit Nepal in the last 80 years.

Today we will tell you about The 10 most powerful earthquakes in recorded history.

10. Assam - Tibet, 1950 - magnitude 8.6

The earthquake killed more than 1,500 people in Tibet and the Indian state of Assam. The natural disaster provoked the formation of cracks in the ground, as well as numerous avalanches and landslides. Some landslides were so large that they blocked the flow of rivers. After some time, when the water nevertheless broke through the obstacle from the mud, the rivers flooded vast areas, demolishing everything in its path. The epicenter of the earthquake was in Tibet, where the Eurasian and Hindustan tectonic plates collide.

9. North Sumatra, Indonesia, 2005 – magnitude 8.6

The earthquake occurred on March 28, 2005, several months after the tsunami completely destroyed the region (see point 3). The natural disaster killed more than 1,000 people and caused serious damage to the region, which has not recovered. The epicenter of the earthquake was in the Indian Ocean, where the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates collide.

8. Alaska, USA, 1965 – magnitude 8.7

Despite its strength, the earthquake did not cause serious damage due to the fact that its epicenter is located in a fairly sparsely populated area near the Aleutian Islands. The ten-meter tsunami that followed also did not cause serious damage. The earthquake occurred where the Pacific and North American plates collided.

7. Ecuador, 1906 – magnitude 8.8

On January 31, 1906, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake occurred off the coast of Ecuador. As a result of powerful tremors, a tsunami arose that hit the entire coast of Central America. Due to the low population density, the death toll was relatively small - about 1,500 people.

6. Chile, 2010 – magnitude 8.8

On February 27, 2010, one of the largest earthquakes in the last half century occurred in Chile. The magnitude of the earthquake was 8.8 on the Richter scale. The main damage was suffered by the cities of Bio-Bio and Maule, the death toll was more than 600 people.

The earthquake caused a tsunami that hit 11 islands and the coast of Maule, but casualties were avoided because residents hid in the mountains in advance. The amount of damage is estimated at $15-$30 billion, about 2 million people were left homeless, and about half a million residential buildings were destroyed.

5. Kamchatka, Russia, 1952 – magnitude 9.0

On November 5, 1952, 130 kilometers from the coast of Kamchatka, an earthquake occurred, the magnitude of which was estimated at 9 points on the Richter scale. An hour later, a powerful tsunami reached the coast, which destroyed the city of Severo-Kurilsk and caused damage to a number of other settlements. According to official data, 2,336 people died, which was approximately 40% of the population of Severo-Kurilsk. Three waves up to 15-18 meters high hit the city. Damage from the tsunami is estimated at $1 million.

4. Honshu, Japan, 2011 – magnitude 9.0

On March 11, 2011, an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale occurred east of the island of Honshu. This earthquake is considered the most powerful in the entire known history of Japan.

The tremors caused a powerful tsunami (up to 7 meters in height), which killed about 16 thousand people. Moreover, an earthquake and a tsunami were the cause of the accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. The total damage from the disaster is estimated at $14.5-$36.6 billion.

3. North Sumatra, Indonesia, 2004 – magnitude 9.1

An undersea earthquake in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004 caused a tsunami that was considered the deadliest natural disaster in modern history. The magnitude of the earthquake was, according to various estimates, from 9.1 to 9.3. This is the third most powerful earthquake on record.

The epicenter of the earthquake was not far from the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The earthquake triggered one of the most destructive tsunamis in history. The height of the waves exceeded 15 meters, they reached the shores of Indonesia, Sri Lanka, southern India, Thailand and several other countries.

Satellite image (before and after the tsunami)

The tsunami almost completely destroyed coastal infrastructure in the east of Sri Lanka and the northwestern coast of Indonesia. According to various estimates, from 225 thousand to 300 thousand people died. Damage from the tsunami amounted to about $10 billion.

2. Alaska, USA, 1964 – magnitude 9.2

The Great Alaska Earthquake is the strongest earthquake in US history, with a magnitude of 9.1-9.2 on the Richter scale and a duration of approximately 3 minutes. The epicenter of the earthquake was in College Fjord, the northern part of the Gulf of Alaska at a depth of more than 20 km. The tremors caused a powerful tsunami, which claimed more lives.

The Great Alaska Earthquake caused destruction in many communities in Alaska. However, the death toll was quite small - only 140 people, and 131 of them died from the tsunami. The waves caused serious damage as far as California and Japan. The damage in 1965 prices was about $400 million.

1. Chile, 1960 – magnitude 9.5

The Great Chilean Earthquake (or Valdivian Earthquake) is the strongest earthquake in the history of observation; its magnitude, according to various estimates, ranged from 9.3 to 9.5. The earthquake occurred on May 22, 1960, its epicenter was located near the city of Valdivia, 435 kilometers south of Santiago.

The tremors caused a powerful tsunami, the height of the waves reaching 10 meters. The number of victims was about 6 thousand people, and the majority of people died from the tsunami. The huge waves caused severe damage around the world, killing 138 people in Japan, 61 in Hawaii and 32 in the Philippines. The damage in 1960 prices was about half a billion dollars.

Nature works in mysterious ways. While providing the best conditions for life, it also provides the world with various disasters, probably in order to maintain a balance between good and evil. She gives oxygen to breathe and shows her strength through thunderstorms. She shows her kindness, and at the same time, how evil she can be. One way to show your anger is through an earthquake.

Being one of the worst forms of natural disasters, it certainly causes huge losses.
Earthquakes are typically caused by the shifting of tectonic plates located beneath the Earth's surface. When tectonic plates collide, they cause the Earth's surface to vibrate, resulting in earthquakes.

The location where an earthquake occurs is called the epicenter, and the device for measuring the frequency of the earthquake is called a seismometer. The basic principle of a seismometer is to measure the frequency of vibrations caused in a specific location. He prints a zigzag pattern on a piece of paper, and mathematical calculations are used to calculate the value on the Richter scale.

The earth experiences many earthquakes throughout the year. Most of them are quite weak and cannot be felt. Typically their magnitude is less than 4, but some earthquakes are quite strong and can cause enormous destruction. The magnitude of such earthquakes is above 8 points.

The earthquake with the highest recorded magnitude was 9.5. Together with strong vibrations on the Earth's surface, which leads to buildings falling and causing huge losses, earthquakes are the main cause of tsunamis and other natural disasters.

Typically, earthquakes that occur beneath the surface of the sea or ocean are the most common cause of tsunamis. The earthquakes that are considered the most powerful are described below.

Magnitude: 8.6
Date: August 15, 1950

Although known as the Assam Earthquake, the epicenter was in Tibet. About 800 people became victims of the disaster. The earthquake not only affected Assam and the Tibet region, but also caused damage on the outskirts of China.

According to records, 800 people are known to have died, but in reality there were many more. A huge number of people suffered from severe injuries, which is why this earthquake was included in the top ten worst.

Magnitude: 8.6
Date: March 28, 2005

One of the most devastating consequences of an earthquake is that it occurs near water bodies. It causes water to form tides and waves, leading to another natural disaster called a tsunami.

This is exactly what happened in the Sumatra Islands when the earthquake struck in the popular tourist month of March. Since this is an island state, the earthquake led to the formation of a tsunami and spread across areas all the way to Sri Lanka.

The number of victims as a result of the earthquake was 1,500 people, more than 400 were injured, including victims of the tsunami.

Magnitude: 8.7
Date: April 2, 1965

This earthquake occurred entirely underwater, causing tsunami waves that caused losses. Happening in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, the earthquake caused a huge tsunami, resulting in thousands of dollars in damage. There were no reports of casualties or injuries from the islands, as there is no population in those places.

Magnitude: 8.8
Date: January 31, 1906

Much time has passed since this disaster. The earthquake occurred underwater, resulting in the infamous tsunami. Waves hit the coast of Colombia, the United States, and even the islands of Japan, resulting in a death toll of about 1,500 people.

After this tsunami, various coastal areas began to take preventative measures to prevent losses caused by the tsunami.

Magnitude: 8.8
Date: February 27, 2010

One of the worst days in the history of Chile's earthquake-prone zone. More than 500 people died as a result of this earthquake. The tsunami caused by this earthquake added to the effect, displacing hundreds of thousands of people, of whom 50 people are still missing.

The number of wounded people was 12,000. Thus, this earthquake became one of the most powerful in the history of mankind.

Magnitude: 9.0
Date: November 4, 1952

Imagine a wave 9 meters high approaching you at very high speed! What would you do? Wouldn't you feel helpless! A similar situation occurred in Kamchatka in Russia in 1952, when a huge tsunami caused by an earthquake measuring 9.0 on the Richter scale left people feeling helpless.

They left their belongings and tried to find a safe place. Fortunately, no one died as a result of the earthquake.

Magnitude: 9.0
Date: March 11, 2011

Who can forget the earthquake that caused the tsunami, as well as the destruction of thermal power units in Japan, which exposed the area to harmful radiation from uranium and thorium? Having occurred just a few years ago, this earthquake is considered one of the most powerful.

Japan is small in size, but the country is rich in knowledge and technology. This earthquake challenged thousands of minds in Japan. Despite suffering from such huge losses, the government and people came together to reduce the impact of such an earthquake and tsunami, and within a short time, they again secured the title of a superpower!

Magnitude: 9.1
Date: December 26, 2004

Having been mentioned twice on the list, it is clear that Sumatra is among the most earthquake-prone areas. Just three months before the quake, which measured 8.6 on the Richter scale, caused far more deaths and property damage than the one that came later.

It caused a devastating tsunami, which killed about 300 thousand people in the countries of South Africa and South Asia. It is known that after several days of the earthquake, a volcano erupted in Andaman.

Magnitude: 9.2
Date: March 28, 1964

The name speaks for itself! One of the largest earthquakes in history due to its strength. 150 people were killed, and damage was estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.

The shaking was felt only in some parts of New America, but the resulting tsunami traveled to different places, causing enormous damage.

Magnitude: 9.5
Date: May 22, 1960

The lands of Chile can be renamed the Country of Volcanoes, since this is where the maximum number of earthquakes occurs. This is the second time the country's name has been mentioned on this list. This earthquake killed 1,700 people, and the tsunami it caused killed 2 million people.

More than 3,000 people were seriously injured. The total amount of damage is $600 million, which, of course, is not small. The country is trying to take many steps to prevent any losses caused by earthquakes and to some extent these efforts are bearing fruit!

Video about the most powerful earthquakes in the world from ADZI

About a million earthquakes occur on Earth every year, most of them so minor that most people would mistake them for a loaded car driving down the street next door. However, really strong points and shifts in 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 from the coast of southern Portugal. Strong tremors, tsunamis and fires claimed the lives of 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, a layer of 7.5 points, was located 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 that were traditionally built in Messini. By the way, 18 days after the earthquake, rescuers were able to pull two children out from under the rubble.

8. Earthquake in Gansu

One of the most destructive and deadly earthquakes occurred on December 16, 1920 in the Chinese province of Gansu. The force of the tremors was about 7.8 on the Richter scale, which led to the destruction of entire cities and villages in which not a single intact building remained. Significant damage was also caused to such large cities as Lanzhou, Taiyuan and Xi'an. Vibrations from this earthquake were recorded even in Norway. More than 270,000 people died under the rubble and landslides, which is 59% of the population of Gansu at that time.

7. Earthquake in Chile

One of the strongest earthquakes in human history 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 generated by this earthquake reached the coasts of Japan, the Philippines and Hawaii and caused significant damage to coastal communities. In some areas of Chile, the waves were so large that some houses were abandoned 3 kilometers deep into the continent.

6. Kobe earthquake

On January 17, 1995, one of the most destructive earthquakes in Japanese history occurred in the Kobo area. Although the force of the tremors was 7.2 points, the epicenter was located in a very densely populated area. The earthquake killed more than 5,000 people, injured 26,000 people and left about 10 million people homeless. Losses amounted to 200 billion dollars, a kilometer of expressway disappeared from the surface of the earth in a few minutes, several hundred thousand buildings were destroyed, and the work of the large transport company Hanshin Express was paralyzed for several weeks.

5. Earthquake in Kanto

The Kanto earthquake, which occurred 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, about one million people were left homeless, and about 200 thousand buildings were destroyed or burned down. Destroyed communications and damaged water supply did not allow the authorities to provide timely assistance to people and effectively combat the consequences of the disaster.

4. Earthquake off the coast of Sumatra

The earthquake off the western coast of Sumatra on December 26, 2004 affected all countries of the Indian Ocean. The force of the tremors was 9.1 on the Richter scale, but the deadliest was the tsunami, which killed at least 230,000 people. The reason for the large number of casualties was the undeveloped early warning system for tsunamis in the Indian Ocean. The previous earthquake near Sumatra occurred in 2002, according to experts this was preliminary seismic activity before a major shift of the Indian plate. Then, throughout 2005, there were several more shocks, which, however, did not cause much harm to the countries.

3. Earthquake in Haiti

The earthquake in Haiti, which occurred on January 12, 2012, almost completely destroyed the capital of this island state, Port-au-Prince. In just a few minutes, half 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. Tohoku earthquake

An earthquake at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean near the Japanese province of Tohoku turned into the second largest nuclear disaster after the explosion of the Chernobyl power plant. 108 kilometers of ocean day rose 8 meters in 6 minutes, which led to the appearance of a giant tsunami. Giant waves hit the northern islands of Japan, seriously damaging several units at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which led to radioactive contamination of large areas that became uninhabitable. During the tragedy, 15,889 people died and about 2,500 people went missing.

1. Tangshan earthquake

In the Chinese city of Tangshan, on July 28, 1976, an earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale occurred, which was destroyed almost to the ground. The scale of the tragedy was intensified by numerous mining operations. The cities of Tianjin and Beijing were also seriously damaged by the tremors. The Chinese authorities tried to limit as much as possible the leakage of information on the scale of the tragedy, which was not known abroad for a long time, and deliberately reduced the number of victims. According to official figures, about 250,000 people died, but they say that the real number of victims reaches 800,000 people. More than 5.3 million houses were also destroyed, rendering them uninhabitable.

In this article we have collected the most powerful earthquakes in human history, which became catastrophes on a universal scale.

Every year, experts record about 500,000 tremors. All of them have different strengths, but only some of them are really noticeable and cause damage, and a few have a strong destructive force.

1. Chile, May 22, 1960

One of the worst earthquakes occurred in 1960 in Chile. Its magnitude was 9.5. 1,655 people became victims of this natural phenomenon, more than 3,000 were injured of varying degrees of severity, and 2,000,000 were left homeless! Experts estimate that the damage from it amounted to $550,000,000. But besides this, this earthquake caused a tsunami that reached the Hawaiian Islands and killed 61 people.

2. Tien Shan, July 28, 1976

The magnitude of the earthquake in the Tien Shan was 8.2. This terrible incident, according to the official version alone, claimed the lives of more than 250,000 people, and unofficial sources put the figure at 700,000. And this may indeed be true, because during the earthquake, 5.6 million buildings were completely destroyed.

3. Alaska, March 28, 1964

This earthquake caused 131 deaths. Of course, this is not enough when compared with other disasters. But the magnitude of the tremors that day was 9.2, as a result of which almost all buildings were destroyed, and the damage caused amounted to $2,300,000,000 (adjusted for inflation).

4. Chile, February 27, 2010

This yet another devastating earthquake in Chile brought significant damage to the city: millions of destroyed homes, dozens of flooded settlements, broken bridges and highways. But most importantly, approximately 1,000 people died, 1,200 people went missing, and 1.5 million homes were damaged to varying degrees. Its magnitude was 8.8. Chilean authorities estimate the amount of damage to be more than $15,000,000,000.

5. Sumatra, December 26, 2004

The magnitude of the earthquake was 9.1. Massive earthquakes and the subsequent tsunami killed more than 227,000 people. Almost all the houses in the city were leveled to the ground. In addition to the huge number of local residents affected, over 9,000 foreign tourists vacationing in the regions affected by the tsunami were killed or missing.

6. Honshu Island, March 11, 2011

An earthquake that occurred on the island of Honshu shook the entire eastern coast of Japan. In just 6 minutes of a 9-point disaster, more than 100 km of the seabed was raised to an 8-meter height and collapsed on the northern islands. Even the Fukushima nuclear power plant was partially damaged, causing a radioactive release. Authorities have officially stated that the number of victims is 15,000; local residents claim that these figures are greatly underestimated.

The earthquake in Neftegorsk had a magnitude of 7.6. It completely destroyed the village in just 17 seconds! 55,400 people lived in the area affected by the disaster. Of these, 2,040 died and 3,197 were left homeless. Neftegorsk did not recover. The affected people were resettled to other settlements.

8. Alma-Ata, January 4, 1911

This earthquake is better known as the Kemin earthquake, since its epicenter was in the valley of the Bolshoi Kemin River. It is the strongest in the history of Kazakhstan. A characteristic feature of this catastrophe was the long duration of the destructive oscillation phase. As a result, the city of Almaty was almost completely destroyed, and huge relief gaps were formed in the river area, the total length of which was 200 km. In some places, entire houses were buried in the ruptures.

9. Kanto Province, September 1, 1923

This earthquake began on September 1, 1923 and lasted 2 days! In total, during this time, 356 tremors occurred in this province of Japan, the first of which were the strongest - the magnitude reached 8.3 points. Due to the change in the position of the seabed, it caused 12-meter tsunami waves. As a result of numerous aftershocks, 11,000 buildings were destroyed, fires started and strong winds quickly spread the fire. As a result, another 59 buildings and 360 bridges burned down. The official death toll was 174,000, with another 542,000 people still missing. Over 1,000,000 people were left homeless.

10. Himalayas, August 15, 1950

This earthquake occurred in the highlands of Tibet. Its magnitude was 8.6, and the energy corresponded to the force of the explosion of 100,000 atomic bombs. The stories of eyewitnesses about this tragedy were terrifying - a deafening roar erupted from the bowels of the earth, underground vibrations caused attacks of seasickness in people, and cars were thrown to a distance of 800 m. One section of the railway track sank 5 m underground. There were 1,530 victims people, but the damage from the disaster amounted to $20,000,000.

11. Haiti, January 12, 2010

The strength of the main shock of this earthquake was 7.1 points, but it was followed by a series of repeated vibrations, the magnitude of which was 5 points or more. This disaster killed 220,000 people and injured 300,000. More than 1,000,000 people lost their homes. Material damage from this disaster is estimated at 5,600,000,000 euros.

12. San Francisco, April 18, 1906

The magnitude of the surface waves of this earthquake was 7.7. The tremors were felt throughout California. The worst thing is that they provoked a huge fire, which destroyed almost the entire center of San Francisco. The list of disaster victims included more than 3,000 people. Half of San Francisco's population lost their homes.

13. Messina, December 28, 1908

This was one of the largest earthquakes in Europe. It struck both Sicily and southern Italy, killing approximately 120,000 people. The main epicenter of the tremors, the city of Messina, was virtually destroyed. This 7.5 magnitude earthquake was accompanied by a tsunami that hit the entire coast. The death toll was more than 150,000 people.

14. Haiyuan Province, December 16, 1920

This earthquake had a magnitude of 7.8. It destroyed almost all houses in the cities of Lanzhou, Taiyuan and Xi'an. More than 230,000 people died. Witnesses claimed that waves from the earthquake were visible even off the coast of Norway.

15. Kobe, January 17, 1995

This is one of the most powerful earthquakes in Japan. Its strength was 7.2 points. A significant part of the population of this densely populated region experienced the destructive force of this disaster. In total, more than 5,000 people were killed and 26,000 were injured. A huge number of buildings were razed to the ground. The American Geological Survey estimated all damage at $200,000,000.