Famous earthquakes. The largest earthquakes in the world

Tectonic processes in the earth's crust almost daily cause underground vibrations in some part of the globe. The most powerful earthquakes are usually associated with strong seismic displacements of the seafloor, causing tsunamis. Earthquakes associated with volcanic eruptions also cause serious consequences. Humanity is unable to prevent strong earthquakes. People have only learned to determine their onset and duration with greater probability, and to build more earthquake-resistant buildings and structures to reduce the amount of damage and human casualties.

Five most destructive earthquakes

Of the huge number of destructive earthquakes known to modern science and history, the following caused horrific damage:

• 1976 Tangshan earthquake
• Ashgabat 1948
• what happened in the Indian Ocean at the end of 2004
• earthquake in Haiti in early 2010
• Sendai earthquake in Japan

The Soviet Union had barely begun to recover from the war when, in October 1948, the capital of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, was struck by a terrible disaster. A magnitude nine earthquake, covering an area of ​​more than a thousand square kilometers, tore the entire city and nearby villages to pieces. Residential buildings were built by poor residents of the city mainly from adobe and were completely destroyed. New government institutions were also completely or partially demolished, since the construction did not take into account experience and calculations to ensure a sufficient level of seismic resistance of buildings.

The number of human victims has not yet been determined, but according to known historical data it exceeded one hundred thousand people. Frightened residents at night mistook the earthquake for the start of a nuclear war and were completely at a loss. All communications and electricity supplies were instantly disabled. Only a day later, doctors, rescuers, and law enforcement officials began to arrive from Moscow and other cities to restore Ashgabat, rescue the wounded, and restore order.

In July 1976, the worst natural disaster of the twentieth century occurred. In the Chinese city of Tangshan, a powerful shock from a depth of twenty-two kilometers destroyed almost all the buildings in the city and over half a million residents in a few seconds.

The aftershock sixteen hours later led to further destruction and numerous casualties. Destruction also hit neighboring Tianjin and reached the outskirts of Beijing, located more than a hundred kilometers from the epicenter of the earthquake. In total, more than five million houses were destroyed. Chinese communist authorities at the time carefully concealed the scale of the incident. These days, his picture is recreated in the heartbreaking Chinese feature film "Tangshan Earthquake", released in 2010.

Before the new year 2005, at a depth of twenty kilometers in the Indian Ocean near the island of Sumatra, a powerful underwater earthquake with a length of more than one thousand kilometers occurred, causing a tsunami of crazy destructive power and engulfing several Asian countries at once. Shifts of the seabed at the epicenter of the earthquake reached a height of 10 meters and caused huge destructive waves on the Indian Ocean coast.

The speed of the waves at the epicenter of the tremors exceeded seven hundred kilometers per hour, gradually weakening as the coast approached. A quarter of an hour later, the ocean waves completely swept away the coastal settlements on Simeulue and Sumatra; it took them a little more than an hour to destroy the coast of Thailand.

Two hours after the earthquake began, suffering and horror overtook the inhabitants of Sri Lanka and India, and then the tsunami reached the shores of Africa and swept across the entire world's oceans. As a result of this disaster, more than two hundred thousand inhabitants died.

More than one hundred thousand buildings were destroyed in Indonesia alone. In Sri Lanka, an eight-meter wave instantly destroyed a passenger train carrying 1,700 passengers. Residents of Somalia, the Maldives, and Malaysia were also severely affected.

Earthquake in Haiti in early 2010

The international community organized and provided humanitarian and financial assistance to the affected Haitians for several years, restored communications and infrastructure. Doctors from all over the world, including Russia, arrived in Haiti and successfully treated the wounded and sick residents.

At a depth of 32 kilometers in the Pacific Ocean, seventy kilometers from the Japanese island of Honshu, another global catastrophe began in March 2011. Intense tremors lasted several days, a three-meter tsunami destroyed several northern Japanese islands. In some coastal places, waves reached seven meters in height.

Despite the good preparedness of the Japanese for various natural disasters, 28 thousand people died and 15 thousand buildings were destroyed. The scale of the disaster was significantly increased by the location of four nuclear power plants near the earthquake and threatened to develop into a radiation doomsday. Most of the power units were automatically shut down. The civilian population was evacuated throughout all coastal areas of the Pacific Ocean.

Scientific progress and modern technical means allow scientists all over the world to monitor possible zones and locations of new earthquakes, and promptly warn people about the need to quickly leave dangerous nearby areas.

On January 11, 1693, the Sicilian earthquake occurred during the eruption of Mount Etna. It literally turned several cities in southern Italy, Sicily and Malta into dust, and the rubble of buildings became the grave of 100 thousand people. RG recalls the deadliest earthquakes.

Chinese earthquake - 830 thousand victims

This earthquake, which occurred in 1556, is also called the Great China. It was truly catastrophic. Its magnitude, according to today's estimates, reached 11 points. The epicenter of the disaster was in the valley of the Wei River in Shaanxi province, near the cities of Huaxian, Weinan and Huanin. All three cities were reduced to a pile of rubble in less than 8 minutes.

At the epicenter of the earthquake, 20-meter gaps and cracks opened. The destruction affected areas 500 kilometers away from the epicenter. The large number of victims was due to the fact that the vast majority of the population of the province lived in limestone caves, which either collapsed after the first tremors or were flooded by mudflows.

Chinese historical records contain the following data about the earthquake: “Mountains and rivers changed their location, roads were destroyed. In some places the ground unexpectedly rose and new hills appeared, or vice versa - parts of the former hills went underground, floated and became new plains. In in other places there were constant mudflows, or the ground was splitting and new ravines appeared.”

Tangshan earthquake - 800 thousand victims

The earthquake in the Chinese city of Tangshan is recognized by experts as the largest natural disaster of the 20th century. In the early morning of July 28, 1976, at a depth of 22 kilometers, an 8.2 magnitude shock occurred, which killed from 240 to 800 thousand people in a matter of minutes. Subsequent tremors with a magnitude of 7 completely destroyed 6 million residential buildings.

The Chinese government still refuses to give exact numbers of human casualties, because more than half a million people are still missing.

The Tangshan tragedy formed the basis of the feature film "Earthquake", which is one of the most expensive in the history of cinema of the Republic.

Indian Ocean earthquake - 227,898 victims

Let's dilute our peculiar "rating" with an underwater earthquake. It occurred in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004, and the tsunami that followed, according to various estimates, killed up to 300 thousand people. The exact number of victims is still unknown - ocean waves washed away thousands of people from the coastal area. The dead were found even in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 6,900 km from the epicenter.

The energy released by the earthquake is estimated to be approximately 2 exajoules. This energy would be enough to boil 150 liters of water for every inhabitant of the Earth, or the same amount of energy that humanity uses in 2 years. The Earth's surface oscillated within 20-30 centimeters, which is equivalent to tidal forces acting from the Sun and Moon. The shock wave passed through the entire planet: vertical vibrations of 3 millimeters were recorded in the American state of Oklahoma.

The earthquake shortened the length of the day by about 2.68 microseconds, that is, by about one-billionth, due to the decrease in the oblateness of the Earth.

Earthquake in Haiti - 222,570 victims

The earthquake occurred on January 12, 2010 in the immediate vicinity of the capital of the Republic - Port-au-Prince. The force of the shock, according to various estimates, did not exceed 7 points, but the extreme population density in this area led to colossal casualties.

Immediately after the main shock, aftershocks with a force of up to 5 points followed, which completed the destruction. Thousands of residential buildings and almost all hospitals were destroyed. About 3 million people were left homeless. The country's capital was devastated by an earthquake, the water supply was destroyed, epidemics and looting began.

Ashgabat earthquake - 176 thousand victims

On the night of October 5-6, 1948, an earthquake occurred in the capital of the Turkmen SSR, Ashgabat, which is recognized by experts as one of the most destructive. The strength in the epicentral region was 9-10 points, Ashgabat was destroyed by 98 percent, and 3⁄4 of the city’s population died.

In 1948, very little was reported about the disaster in the official Soviet press. It was only said that “the earthquake resulted in human casualties.” Later, information about the victims in the media stopped publishing altogether. A large number of victims was associated with the early time of the earthquake and architectural features: Ashgabat was built up with houses with flat roofs.

To combat the consequences of the earthquake, carry out search and rescue operations and bury the victims, 4 divisions of the Red Army were transferred to the city. The disaster claimed the lives of the mother of a major political figure, Saparmurat Niyazov, and his brothers, Muhammetmuraat and Niyazmurat.

Sicilian earthquake - 100 thousand victims

Well, and finally - the Sicilian earthquake of 1693 or the Great Sicilian - one of the largest in the history of all of Italy. It occurred on January 11, 1693 during the eruption of Etna and caused destruction in southern Italy, Sicily and Malta. The earthquake itself and subsequent aftershocks and landslides killed about 100 thousand people.

South-eastern Sicily suffered the most: many architectural monuments were destroyed here. It was in the Val di Noto area, almost completely destroyed, that a new architectural style of the late Baroque, known as the "Sicilian Baroque", was born. Many buildings of this style are protected by UNESCO monuments.

The power of tremors is estimated by the amplitude of oscillations of the earth's crust from 1 to 10 points. Areas in mountainous areas are considered the most earthquake-prone. We present to you the most powerful earthquakes in history.

The worst earthquakes in history

The large number of victims is associated not so much with the strength of the tremors, but with their duration. Modern researchers can judge the consequences of the destruction of the earthquake in the 2nd century only from the surviving chronicles, according to which the cities of Catania, Messina and Ragusa in Sicily were practically destroyed, and the coastal cities of Akratiri and Paralimni in Cyprus were also covered by a strong wave.

Earthquake on the island of Haiti

Despite the fact that the earthquake occurred in 2010, Haitians still need humanitarian assistance and are also rebuilding settlements on their own. This is the second most powerful earthquake in Haiti, the first occurred in 1751 - then the cities had to be rebuilt over the next 15 years.

Earthquake in China

Within 6 months after the main earthquake, so-called aftershocks were repeatedly felt - repeated seismic tremors with a power of 1-2 points. This disaster occurred during the reign of Emperor Jiajing, so it is called the Great Jiajing Earthquake in Chinese history.

The most powerful earthquakes in Russia

Earthquake on Sakhalin

The most significant consequences were felt in Neftegorsk, which was 30 kilometers from the epicenter of the earthquake. Within 17 seconds, almost all houses were destroyed. The damage caused amounted to 2 trillion rubles, and the authorities decided not to restore the settlements, so this city is no longer indicated on the map of Russia.

More than 1,500 rescuers were involved in eliminating the consequences. 2,040 people died under the rubble. A chapel was built and a memorial was erected on the site of Neftegorsk.

Earthquake in Japan

Tremors in the Pacific Ocean caused a powerful tsunami, the height of the waves was 10 meters. As a result of the collapse of a large flow of water on the coast of Japan, a radiation accident occurred at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. Subsequently, for several months, residents of nearby areas were prohibited from drinking tap water due to its high cesium content.

In addition, the Japanese government ordered TEPCO, which owns the nuclear power plant, to compensate moral damages to 80 thousand residents forced to leave the contaminated areas.

The most powerful earthquake in the world

The strongest tremors were felt in the state of Assam, which was reduced to ruins as a result of the earthquake - more than two thousand houses were destroyed and more than six thousand people were killed. The total area of ​​the territories caught in the destruction zone was 390 thousand square kilometers.

According to the site, earthquakes also often occur in volcanically active areas. We present to you an article about the highest volcanoes in the world.
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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 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 claimed the lives of more than 1,000 people and caused serious damage to the region that 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