Parts of the world are regularly shaken by earthquakes. These earthquakes occur when the earth’s tectonic plates collide and pass into each other. This collision causes the accumulated energy to be released. As a result, various natural disasters such as giant earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, mountain displacement and tsunamis can occur. Scientists developed a method for measuring earthquake magnitude in the early 1900s, and many major earthquakes have been recorded since then. Most of these earthquakes occur in a seismically active region in the Pacific, also known as the “Ring of Fire”. The world’s 20 largest earthquakes seen in history and recorded;
1- 1960 Chile Earthquake, Magnitude 9.5
About 1,655 people died in the largest earthquake ever recorded in Valdivia, Chile, on May 22, 1960. Thousands were injured and millions were left homeless. The earthquake triggered a tsunami that killed 61 people in Hawaii, 138 people in Japan, and 32 people in the Philippines.
2- 1964 Alaska Earthquake, Magnitude 9.2
This massive earthquake and ensuing tsunami claimed 128 lives and caused approximately $311 million in property loss. The damage from the earthquake was heavy in several towns, including Anchorage, about 120 km northwest of the epicenter. The earthquake, which occurred on March 27, 1964, took place along a seismically active fault between the North American and Pacific plates. The shaking lasted about 3 minutes. In Anchorage, a landslide caused heavy damage. While major landslides occurred in the city center, the water network and natural gas, sewerage, telephone and electrical installations throughout the region malfunctioned.
3- 2004 Sumatra – Andaman Islands Earthquake, Magnitude 9.1
The earthquake of December 26, 2004 was the third largest in history and the largest since the Prince William Sound earthquake, Alaska in 1964. About 300,000 people died or were presumed dead, and about 1.2 million were displaced in more than 10 countries in Southeast Asia and East Africa due to the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Banda Aceh felt quite a strong shaking, but the deadliest of this earthquake was the tsunami, which caused more deaths than any other recorded in history.
4- 2011 Japan Earthquake, Magnitude 9.1
On March 11, 2011, the 9.1-magnitude earthquake recorded in Japan, according to the USGS, caused a massive tsunami that killed more than 15,700 people, killed more than 4,600, injured more than 5,300 and displaced more than 130,900 people. . The earthquake damaged more than 332,000 buildings, 2,100 roads, 56 bridges and 26 railroads.
Also, the earthquake damaged the nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, causing one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. This earthquake was the largest recorded in Japan, and for several weeks afterward, the area continued to shake with strong aftershocks. Aftershocks of magnitude 6.0 and 7.0 occurred. The earthquake sent tsunami waves to remote areas including Hawaii, California, and the Galapagos Islands. Even in distant Antarctica, the earthquake broke large chunks of ice from the Sulzberger Ice Shelf. The earthquake occurred along thrust faults in the Japan Trench and occurred at the boundary between the Pacific and North American plates.
5- 1952 Russia Earthquake, Magnitude 9.0
The earthquake that struck the east coast of Kamchatka on November 4, 1952 was the world’s first recorded 9.0 magnitude earthquake. The earthquake caused a 13-metre tsunami locally. No one was killed in Hawaii, but property damage occurred. The waves caused houses to collide, piers to collapse, and pavements to drift.
6- 2010 Chile Earthquake, Magnitude 8.8
On February 27, 2010, an earthquake and tsunami in central Chile killed at least 500 people and displaced 800,000. This natural disaster affected more than 1.8 million people and the total economic loss is estimated at $30 billion. The earthquake, like many others, occurred at the boundary of the Nazca and South American tectonic plates and took place just one month after the 7.0 magnitude Haiti earthquake.
7- 1906 Ecuador Earthquake, Magnitude 8.8
In 1906, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck the coasts of Ecuador and Colombia. This earthquake created a tsunami that killed between 500 and 1,500 people. The tsunami spread along the coasts of Central America and even hit the coasts of San Francisco and Japan. The earthquake took place at the boundary between the Nazca Plate and the South American Plate, and witnesses reported a large water wave in Honolulu Bay.
8- 1965 Alaska Earthquake, Magnitude 8.7
The major earthquake that struck Alaska in 1965 caused little damage to Alaska due to its remote location at the tip of the Aleutian Islands. However, the earthquake triggered a tsunami that exceeded 10 meters in height and created powerful waves that continued as far as Hawaii. Japan also reported a tsunami. The earthquake in the Alaska-Aleut mega-thrust, where the Pacific Plate subducted under the North American Plate, cracked wooden buildings and split an asphalt track in two.
9- 1950 Tibetan Earthquake, Magnitude 8.6
At least 1,500 people were killed in an earthquake in eastern Tibet and Assam, India on 15 August 1950. The earthquake struck the region with cracks in the ground, large landslides and sand volcanoes. It was felt as far as Sichuan and Yunnan provinces of China and Kolkata city of India.
Massive landslides caused by the earthquake blocked the rivers, and when the rivers overflowed, several villages were flooded and hundreds of people died. Although its epicenter is in Tibet, this earthquake, often called the Assam-Tibet earthquake or the Assam earthquake, occurred at the intersection of the most violent collision of the continental plates on the planet, where the Indian Plate collided with the Eurasian Plate and subducted under it.
10- 2012 North Sumatra Earthquake, Magnitude 8.6
On April 11, 2012, an 8.6 magnitude earthquake struck a few hundred kilometers off the coast of North Sumatra. Therefore, the intensity of the earthquake was felt only in a small number of settlements in Indonesia, such as Banda Aceh and Meulaboh.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake only caused minor structural damage in urban areas. Earthquake shaking was felt even in remote areas like Mumbai, India and Broome, Australia. Two people died directly in the earthquake, eight people died from heart attacks and 12 people were injured.
11- 2005 Indonesia Earthquake, Magnitude 8.6
The earthquake, which took place off the coast of Sumatra on March 28, 2005, was recorded as the sixth largest earthquake in history with a magnitude of 8.6. The earthquake and subsequent tsunamis killed more than 1300 people in total. Also, especially on the island of Nias, many buildings were destroyed and hundreds were injured. This region is considered one of the most active earthquake and volcanic regions in the world.
12- 1957 Alaska Earthquake, Magnitude 8.6
In 1957, the earthquake that took place on the Andreanof Islands of the Aleutian Islands on 9 March was 8.6. The earthquake occurred about 86 km southeast of Adak, Alaska, and affected a small village with a population of several hundred people and the state’s southernmost town. While there was no loss of life, two bridges collapsed in Adak, several meters of cracks appeared on a road and damaged houses. The earthquake also caused a 15-metre-high tsunami that hit the nearby Scotch Cap lighthouse and an 8-metre-high tsunami that destroyed the oil lines in Sand Bay. The tsunami then reached Hawaii and destroyed two villages, as well as damaged some properties. The tsunami also hit San Diego.
13- 1946 Alaska Earthquake, Magnitude 8.6
The 8.6 magnitude earthquake that occurred on Unimak Island on April 1, 1946, triggered a tsunami with a height of 35 meters, although it did not destroy any structures. This tsunami reached Hilo on Hawaii’s Big Island, dragging 159 people and causing $26 million in damage. Unimak Island, one of the Aleutian Islands, is located on the vibrant Ring of Fire.
14- 1938 Indonesia Earthquake, Magnitude 8.5
On February 1, 1938, an 8.5 magnitude earthquake struck near Tual, Indonesia. Despite this, the damage caused by the earthquake was quite minor. The shaking was felt by residents of Banda and Kai islands, while only glassware was broken in Tual city.
15- 1922 Chile Earthquake, Magnitude 8.5
On November 11, 1922, a massive 8.5 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Atacama Desert on the Argentina-Chile border. The epicenter was below land, but the shaking was so strong that it was reported to trigger a tsunami that killed hundreds.
16- 1963 Russia Earthquake, Magnitude 8.5
Little is known about the earthquakes that struck the remote Kuril Islands on October 13, 1963. No deaths, damage or injuries were reported as a result of this earthquake, which affected the volcanic archipelago between Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula and Japan’s Hokkaido. However, the earthquake triggered a tsunami that reached the northern Pacific Ocean.
17- 1923 Kamchatka Peninsula Earthquake, Magnitude 8.4
The 8.4 magnitude earthquake that struck the east coast of Kamchatka, Russia, is an event we know little about. This earthquake took place in the sparsely populated region of Russia’s Far East and occurred in the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench, located on the border of the Pacific Plate and the Okhotsk Plate. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported in the earthquake, but a modest tsunami did occur.
18- 2007 Sumatra Earthquake, Magnitude 8.4
The 8.4 magnitude earthquake that took place on the Indonesian island of Sumatra on April 12, 2007 occurred on the thrust fault between the Sunda and Australian plates. About 25 people lost their lives and more than 161 were injured. More than 20,000 buildings were damaged in the cities of Bengkulu and Sumatera Barat, the regions most affected by the earthquake.
19- 2001 Peru Earthquake, Magnitude 8.4
On June 23, 2001, a major earthquake struck about 6 km off the Peruvian coastal town of Atico. This earthquake was 8.4 magnitude and at least 74 people lost their lives. More than a third of those who died due to the tsunami caused by the earthquake lived in this town. In addition, nearly 2,600 people were injured and more than 50,000 homes were damaged.
According to the USGS, the earthquake occurred in the border region where the Nazca Plate is moving northeast at a rate of about 78 millimeters per year and colliding with the South American Plate. The Nazca and South American plates are known to be a region that can cause major earthquakes and even tsunamis when they come under each other and the accumulated energy is released.
20- 1933 Japan Earthquake, Magnitude 8.4
On March 2, 1933, a massive 8.4 magnitude earthquake struck near the Sanriku region of Japan. The earthquake occurred about 290 kilometers off the city of Honshu. Due to the tsunami created by the earthquake, most of the deaths occurred in the city of Honshu.
The tsunami was the result of the earthquake that swept 3,000 homes, destroyed 2,000 and created waves of about 29 metres. Nearly 50 years later, in 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake in the same area caused the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. This area is part of a horseshoe-shaped belt about 40,000 km long known as the Pacific Ring of Fire and is famous for both earthquakes and volcanic activity.
