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 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 most major earthquakes over the past half century. 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 others. 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 ever famous story 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 ever. natural disaster V 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 carried away large quantity 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. Huge waves caused severe damage around the world, killing 138 people in Japan, 61 people in Hawaii and 32 in the Philippines. The damage in 1960 prices was about half a billion dollars.
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 holes and cracks opened. The destruction affected areas 500 kilometers away from the epicenter. A large number of casualties were due to the fact that the overwhelming 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 suddenly 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 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 casualties were associated with early time earthquakes 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 late Baroque, known as "Sicilian Baroque". Many buildings of this style are protected by UNESCO monuments.
On April 25, 2015, one of the most destructive earthquakes on the planet occurred in Nepal, which claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people and turned many buildings and buildings into ruins. historical monuments. According to experts, Nepalese residents may experience new aftershocks in the coming week. In our review, the 10 most destructive earthquakes that have occurred on Earth over the past century.
1. Valdivia, Chile
This earthquake, which occurred in 1960, was the strongest recorded in history, reaching a maximum of 9.5 on the Richter scale. This can be compared to the simultaneous explosion of 1000 atomic bombs. The earthquake was felt not only in Valdivia, but also in the Hawaiian Islands - 700 km away. During the disaster, which destroyed Valvidia, Concepción and Puerto Montt, 6,000 people died. Material damage amounted to more than $1 billion.
2. Sumatra, Indonesia
On December 26, 2004, a magnitude 9.3 earthquake occurred at the bottom of the Indian Ocean, which caused a huge tsunami. It was the second most seismically active earthquake in the world, and the longest duration of tremors recorded. Even the Maldives and Thailand suffered from its consequences, as more than 5 tsunamis hit the entire coast of the Indian Sea. 225,000 people died, and in just the first 10 minutes of the disaster, the damage from it amounted to more than $7 billion.
3. Tanshan, China
On July 28, 1976, an earthquake occurred in the Chinese province of Hebei, leveling the city of Tangshan. 255,000 people died, although the Chinese government initially claimed 655,000 dead. The magnitude 8.2 earthquake lasted only 10 seconds but caused massive destruction in the area. Hebei is a region with a very low risk of earthquakes, so the buildings in Tangshan were not earthquake resistant. Total damage amounted to 10 billion yuan, or $1.3 billion.
4. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, USSR
In the early morning of April 26, 1966, an earthquake with a magnitude of 8 occurred in Tashkent. The zone of maximum destruction was 10 square meters. kilometers. 8 people died, 78 thousand families were left homeless. More than 2 million square meters of buildings were destroyed.
5. Port-au-Prince, Haiti
The strength of the earthquake in Haiti, which occurred on January 12, 2010, was 7.0 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the tremors was located near Leogane, 25 km west of the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince. At least 52 tremors were recorded, which were felt even after 12 days. The earthquake resulted in 316,000 deaths, 300,000 people were injured, and more than a million people were left homeless. 250,000 homes and 30,000 commercial buildings were also destroyed.
6. Tohoku, Japan
On March 11, 2011, the east coast of Japan was hit by a magnitude 9.03 earthquake, which was the strongest in the country's history. The earthquake, considered one of the world's five largest, resulted in 15,878 deaths, 6,126 injuries and 2,173 missing in 20 prefectures. It also destroyed 129,225 buildings, and the tsunami caused by the earthquake led to severe infrastructure damage and fires in many areas. The Fukushima nuclear power plant was severely damaged, leading to radioactive contamination. As a result, Japan faced its biggest crisis since World War II.
7. Ashgabat, USSR
This earthquake of magnitude 7.3 occurred on October 6, 1948 near Ashgabat. Due to censorship, it was not reported in the media, so there was no information about casualties or destruction. The number of victims is estimated at 110,000 people, and 98% of all buildings in Ashgabat were destroyed.
8. Sichuan, China
On May 8, 2008, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurred in the Chinese province of Sichuan. It was so strong that it was felt in neighboring countries, as well as in distant Beijing and Shanghai, where buildings swayed from the tremors. According to official data, the death toll was 69,197 people. 374,176 people were injured and 18,222 are considered missing. The Chinese government has allocated 1 trillion yuan or $146.5 billion to rebuild areas that were damaged by the earthquake.
9. Kashmir, Pakistan
On October 8, 2005, the disputed region of Pakistan and India, Kashmir, was hit by an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale. The disaster killed 85,000 people, injured more than 69,000, and left 4 million Kashmiris homeless.
10. Izmit, Türkiye
A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck northern Turkey on August 17, 1990. Although it lasted only 3.7 seconds, the city of Izmit was practically reduced to ruins. Officially there were 17,127 casualties and 43,959 wounded, although other sources put the actual death toll at 45,000. The earthquake destroyed 120,000 poorly designed houses and severely damaged 50,000 other buildings. More than 300,000 people were left homeless.
Fortunately, despite the time and the elements, there are places on the planet today that are definitely worth visiting.
The earthquake in Chile caused the collapse of 2.5 thousand buildings and partial destruction of urban infrastructure. The magnitude of the earthquake is estimated at 8.2 on the Richter scale.
Six people died from the earthquake, including those who died of heart attacks. Over 900 thousand people were evacuated - all from the coastal, most earthquake-prone areas of the country. Then on Thursday, another magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Chile, followed by about 20 aftershocks.
The history of Chile includes many earthquakes, one of which is considered the most powerful in the entire history of observations.
Great Chilean earthquake
On May 22, 1960, the Chilean city of Valdivia was almost completely destroyed. The disaster, which was later called the “Great Chilean Earthquake,” claimed the lives of about 6 thousand people and made about 2 million people homeless.
Moreover, a large mass of people suffered from a tsunami, the waves of which reached a height of 10 meters and caused significant damage to the city of Hilo in Hawaii, approximately 10 thousand kilometers from the epicenter; the remnants of the tsunami even reached the shores of Japan.
The magnitude of the earthquake, according to various estimates, ranged from 9.3 to 9.5 on the Richter scale. The damage in 1960 prices amounted to about half a billion dollars.
Great Alaska earthquake
On March 27, 1964, the second largest earthquake on record occurred in the northern Gulf of Alaska. The magnitude was 9.1-9.2 on the Richter scale.
The epicenter of the earthquake was in the College Fjord; of the major cities, Anchorage, located 120 km west of the epicenter, was the most affected. Valdez, Seward, and Kodiak Island experienced major shoreline changes.
Nine people died directly from the earthquake, but the tsunami also claimed the lives of 190 more people. The waves caused severe damage from Canada to California and Japan.
Such a low number of victims for a disaster of this scale is explained by the low population density in Alaska. The damage in 1965 prices was about $400 million.
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
On December 26, 2004, an undersea earthquake measuring between 9.1 and 9.3 on the Richter scale occurred in the Indian Ocean. This earthquake was the third most powerful in recorded history.
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.
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.
Tsunami in Severo-Kurilsk
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. The population of Severo-Kurilsk before the tragedy was approximately 6 thousand people. Three waves up to 15-18 meters high hit the city. Damage from the tsunami is estimated at $1 million.
Great East Japan Earthquake
On March 11, 2011, an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 to 9.1 on the Richter scale occurred in the east of the island of Honshu, 130 km east of the city of Sendai.
It became one of the strongest earthquakes in the entire known history of Japan. After 10-30 minutes, the tsunami reached the coast of Japan, and 69 minutes later the waves reached Sendai airport. As a result of the tsunami, about 16 thousand people died, about 6 thousand were injured and 2 thousand went missing.
A significant part of the island lost electricity as the earthquake caused the shutdown of 11 power units on nuclear power plant"Fukushima".
Damage from the earthquake and subsequent tsunami is estimated at $14.5-$36.6 billion.
Great Chinese earthquake
On January 23, 1556, an earthquake occurred that killed 830 thousand people, more than any other earthquake in human history. The disaster went down in history as the “Great Chinese Earthquake.”
The epicenter of the earthquake was in the Wei River Valley in Shaanxi Province, near the cities of Huaxian, Weinan and Huanin.
At the epicenter of the earthquake, 20-meter gaps and cracks opened. The destruction affected areas 500 km away from the epicenter. Some areas of Shaanxi were completely depopulated; in others, about 60% of the population died.
Great Kanto Earthquake
On September 1, 1923, an earthquake occurred 90 km southwest of Tokyo in the sea near Oshima Island in Sagami Bay, which eventually became known as the Great Kanto Earthquake.
In just two days, 356 tremors occurred, of which the first were the strongest. The earthquake caused a powerful tsunami, waves reaching 12 meters, they hit the coast and destroyed small settlements.
The earthquake also caused fires in major cities such as Tokyo, Yokohama, Yokosuka. Over 300 thousand buildings were destroyed in Tokyo; in Yokohama, 11 thousand buildings were destroyed by tremors. The infrastructure in the cities was also seriously damaged; out of 675 bridges, 360 were destroyed by fire.
The total number of deaths was 174 thousand, another 542 thousand are listed as missing. The damage is estimated at $4.5 billion, which at that time was twice the country's annual budget.
Tsunami in Ecuador
As a result of powerful tremors, a powerful tsunami arose that hit the entire coast of Central America. The first wave in the north reached San Francisco, and in the west - Japan.
However, due to the low population density, the death toll was minimal - about 1,500 people.
Earthquake in Chile
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 epicenter was located near the city of Bio-Bio Concepcion, which is the center of Chile's second largest agglomeration after Santiago. The main damage was suffered by the cities of Bio-Bio and Maule, the number of deaths was 540 and 64 people, respectively.
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.
Cascadia earthquake
On January 26, 1700, an earthquake occurred west of Vancouver Island in Canada, the magnitude of which is estimated at 8.7-9.2 on the Richter scale.
There is practically no data on this earthquake, since there were no written records in the region at that time. Only the oral traditions of the American Indians remain.
According to geology and seismology, strong earthquakes in Cascadia occur approximately once every 500 years and are almost always accompanied by a tsunami.
Despite the rapid development of technology, humans are still vulnerable and defenseless to natural disasters, and one of the most terrible natural disasters is an earthquake. In the conditions of modern megacities, vulnerability increases even more, but humanity continues to follow the path of urbanization, as if it does not remember or does not learn the lessons of history. People have never learned to truly predict earthquakes. What is known is that they can appear even in areas that are traditionally considered earthquake-resistant.
It is also known that the earth is currently entering a phase of high seismic activity. And this fact excites the minds of many people who are able to look ahead. All disaster films are not just fiction, they are a warning to humanity that history, unfortunately, repeats itself. What is the history of the strongest earthquakes on earth?
The greatest earthquakes in terms of power and catastrophic consequences in the entire history of mankind are officially recognized as the great Chilean earthquake (May 22, 1960) and the great Alaskan earthquake (March 27, 1964). The first one arose 435 km south of Santiago (Chile) and was so powerful that the resulting 10-meter tsunami destroyed the city of Hilo on the Hawaiian Islands, 10,000 km from the epicenter! The tsunami then even reached the shores of Japan. The human victims of that earthquake (officially - 6 thousand people) died mainly from the tsunami.
Alaska earthquake
The Alaskan earthquake occurred in good friday at a depth of 20,000 m in the north of the Gulf of Alaska. In addition to destroyed settlements in Alaska and disfigured terrain, this earthquake led to a shift in the earth's axis and an acceleration of the planet's movement. The most powerful earthquake on the Richter scale is considered to be in Japan in 1923, the epicenter of which was Tokyo and Yokohama, the force of the tremors reached a maximum of 12 points, and about 150 thousand people were injured.
Greatest loss of life
In China, as the most populous state, the most strong earthquake in the world in terms of human casualties. The earthquake in Shenxi, which occurred in the mid-16th century and claimed the lives of 800,000 people, is considered the most destructive to this day. No less catastrophic was the earthquake in northeast China on July 28, 1976, when 650,000 people died and more than 780,000 were injured.
Such dire consequences were explained by the fact that most of the victims lived in caves that were filled up and flooded by mudflows. All that was left of the million-strong city of Tangshan were ruins; even the trees looked like they had been left behind by a steam roller. This earthquake was preceded by an unusual celestial phenomenon - the heavens seemed to part and sparkle with a bright radiance. An earthquake that occurred on December 26, 2004 in the Indian Ocean (Sumatra Island) raised a giant tsunami that killed more than 300,000 people.
Chilean earthquake
Image by geokitta.blogspot.com
In terms of area coverage, the most powerful earthquake in the world occurred in India on August 15, 1960. This earthquake caused real panic among scientists because they could not determine either its strength (the instruments simply went off scale, so they officially declared a 9-magnitude element) or the epicenter. Some seismologists claimed that it was in India, others that it was in the USA, and still others that it was in Japan. In the end, it was agreed that the epicenter was in Assami, India.
For a whole week this city and the surrounding area were shaken by powerful tremors, giant holes formed in the ground, in which many villages disappeared without a trace, here and there giant pillars burst out of the ground hot water and a couple. Also, due to the destruction of river dams, many settlements were flooded. But, oddly enough, only 1,000 people were declared dead.
The greatest damage to an individual state
Image – yk24.ru
December 10, 1988. A 10-magnitude earthquake occurred on the territory of the Armenian SSR, which completely destroyed the city of Spitak and half destroyed the cities of Leninakan and Kirovokan; according to the most conservative estimates, 45 thousand people were injured. The Armenian nuclear power plant was shut down in an emergency, and in general this earthquake destroyed 40% of the Armenian economy in a matter of minutes; it was the most powerful earthquake in the world in terms of the amount of damage for a single country.
The most serious threat to the world
Image – loveopium.ru
March 11, 2011 Japan experienced the most powerful earthquake in the world in terms of global threat. Due to the destruction at the nuclear power plant, there was a threat of radioactive contamination of the entire world ocean, at the cost of incredible efforts and human casualties, the catastrophic consequences were minimized, but radiation leakage still occurred. After this, Germany completely abandoned the development of nuclear energy, and the United States began to actively develop alternative methods of energy production.
