Top 10 Greatest Earthquakes to date that can be recorded.

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

After the earthquake in New Zealand the other day, I got to thinking about Earthquakes and what the largest ones were. Obviously the Chili and Alaska earthquakes, but I was wondering about the rest as well. So anyhow here is the list of the top 10 earthquakes by magnitude that have been recorded.

This is only a list of those that were recorded, so not those that are believed to be or those who's magnitude could not be verified because it was before accurate verification methods existed.

1. 1960 Valdivia Earthquake, Valdivia, Chil

Date: May 22, 1960
Magnitude: 9.5
Death Toll: 6000

2. 1964 Good Friday Earthquake, Anchorage, Alaska

Date: March 27, 1964
Magnitude: 9.2
Death Toll: 131

3. 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake, Sumatra, Indonesia

Date: December 26, 2004
Magnitude: 9.1
Death Toll: 230,000+

4. 1952 Kamchatka Earthquake, Kamchatka, Soviet Union

Date: November 4. 1952
Magnitude: 9.0
Death Toll: ?

5. 1868 Arica Earthquake, Arica, Chile

Date: August 13, 1868
Magnitude: 9.0
Death Toll: 25,000+

6. 2010 Chile Earthquake, Maule, Chile

Date: February 27, 2010
Magnitude: 8.8
Death Toll: 521

7. 1965 Rat Islands Earthquake, Rat Islands, Alaska

Date: February 4, 1965
Magnitude: 8.7
Death Toll: 0

8. 2005 Sumatra Earthquake, Sumatra, Indonesia

Date: March 28, 2005
Magnitude: 8.6
Death Toll: 1300

9. 1957 Andreanof Islands Earthquake, Andreanof Islands, Alaska

Date: March 9, 1957
Magnitude: 8.6
Death Toll: 0

10. 1950 Medog Earthquake, Assam, India and Tibet, China

Date: August 15, 1950
Magnitude: 8.6
Death Toll: 1526

 

[Wayne Little]

Glad I've never been around or near anything like those beauties....

 

[Njaco]

I'm staying away from Chile and Alaska for the moment. Any idea what magnatude Pompeii was?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I'm staying away from Chile and Alaska for the moment. Any idea what magnatude Pompeii was?

I am sure it was upwards of around 9.0 or so. Unfortunately we will never actually know.

Alaska really is not that bad. They have hundreds of quakes a day including several that can actually be felt, but it really is not too bad. In the 6 months my wife was there, she only actually felt one.

 

[Gnomey]

Some pretty impressive quakes there. Remarkable how some of the big ones kill so few people, some people must be really lucky.

 

[tail end charlie]

Some pretty impressive quakes there. Remarkable how some of the big ones kill so few people, some people must be really lucky.

I saw a documentary on the empire of the Cartheginians, which was a rival to Rome (hannibal and his elephants etc), 2000 yrs ago North Africa was very fertile and rich but a series of earth quakes (so they said)among other things changed everything. Until the last few centuries a massive earthquake wouldnt kill many because the population was small and few lived in a building that would kill them. In Japan however they have a long held fear of a Tsunami.

 

[Marcel]

I'm staying away from Chile and Alaska for the moment. Any idea what magnatude Pompeii was?

Pompei is believed to have been an 7.5 Earthquake.