Top 10 Strongest Earthquakes Worldwide

1. 1960 Valdivia Earthquake; Magnitude 9.5

It is also known as Great Chilean earthquake where in 1000 - 6000 people died. It occurred on May 22 and lasted estimatedly 10 minutes and it triggered a tsunami as high as 25 meters.

2. 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake; Magnitude - 9.2

Occurred on March 27 and it lasted for 4.5 minutes. It caused tsunami (8.2 meters) and underwater landslide. This earthquake caused the lives of 139 people.

3. 2004 Sumatra Earthquake; Magnitude - 9.1

It is also known as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake. It occurred on December 26. It caused a tsunami which reached 30 meters high and 230,000 – 280,000 deaths.

4. 2011 Tōhoku Earthquake; Magnitude 9.1

It occurred on March 11. It triggered a tsunami that reached 40.5 meters high and a nuclear accident on three reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant complex. It caused 15, 894 deaths.

5. 1952 Kamchatka, Russia Earthquake; Magnitude 9.0

The earthquake occurred on November 4. It triggered a tsunami with 15 meters high waves. It was estimated that 10,000 to 15,000 died.

6. 2010 Maule Earthquake; Magnitude 8.8

It is also known as the 2010 Chile earthquake which occurred on February 27 and caused the death of 525 people. The shaking of the ground lasted for 3 minutes and it also triggered a tsunami.

7. 1906 Ecuador – Colombia Earthquake; Magnitude 8.8

It happened on January 31 which caused the death of at least 500 people. It produced a tsunami which is up to 5 meters high.

8. 1965 Rat Islands Earthquake; Magnitude 8.7

The earthquake occurred on February 4. It triggered a tsunami of 10 meters high. No death was reported.

9. 1950 Assam – Tibet Earthquake; Magnitude 8.6

It is also known as 1950 Assam–Tibet earthquake, or simply the Assam earthquake which happened on August 15. Landslides and breakage of dam occurred. 1,500 - 3,300 people died.

10. 2012 Sumatra Earthquake; Magnitude 8.6

It happened on April 11. It produced a 0.8 tsunami and caused the death of 10 people.

Reference/s

Nerves, O. (2017). Top 10 Most Powerful Earthquake in Recorded History. Retrieved from https://ourplnt.com/top-10-most-powerful-earthquakes-in-recorded-history/#axzz6E5cwWzRo