What was the largest seismic event in recorded history?
1960 Valdivia earthquake
The 1960 Valdivia earthquake () or Great Chilean earthquake ("Gran terremoto de Chile") of 22 May is the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. Various studies have placed it at 9.4–9.6 on the moment magnitude scale. It occurred in the afternoon (19:11 GMT, 15:11 local time), and lasted approximately 10 minutes. The resulting tsunami affected southern Chile, Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, eastern New Zealand, southeast Australia and the Aleutian Islands.
1170 Syria earthquake
The 1170 Syria earthquake was one of the largest earthquakes to hit Syria. It occurred early in the morning of 29 June 1170. It formed part of a sequence of large earthquakes that propagated southwards along the Dead Sea Transform, starting with the 1138 Aleppo earthquake, continuing with the 1157 Hama, 1170 and 1202 Syria events. The estimated magnitude is 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale, with the maximum intensity of X ("extreme") on the Mercalli intensity scale.
Subduction
Nine of the ten largest earthquakes of the last 100 years were subduction zone events, which included the 1960 Great Chilean earthquake, which, at M 9.5, was the largest earthquake ever recorded; the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami; and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The subduction of cold oceanic crust into the mantle depresses the local geothermal gradient and causes a larger portion of Earth to deform in a more brittle fashion than it would in a normal geothermal gradient setting. Because earthquakes can occur only when a rock is deforming in a brittle fashion, subduction zones can cause large earthquakes. If such a quake causes rapid deformation of the sea floor, there is potential for tsunamis, such as the earthquake caused by subduction of the Indo-Australian Plate under the Euro-Asian Plate on December 26, 2004 that devastated the areas around the Indian Ocean. Small tremors which cause small, nondamaging tsunamis, also occur frequently.
List of earthquakes in 1974
This is a list of earthquakes in 1974. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Maximum intensities are indicated on the Mercalli intensity scale and are sourced from United States Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeMap data. Activity was once again below average with 11 events reaching magnitude 7+. The largest came in October in Peru when a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Lima. Other magnitude 7.0+ events shook the Caribbean, China and the southwest Pacific Islands. Two events dominated the 25,000 deaths during 1974. China was struck by a magnitude 6.8 event in May with upwards of 20,000 deaths. At the end of the year, Pakistan was struck by a modest 6.2 magnitude earthquake causing 5,300 deaths. Gabon in central Africa was hit by a rare earthquake in September.
1138 Aleppo earthquake
The 1138 Aleppo earthquake was among the deadliest earthquakes in history. Its name was taken from the city of Aleppo, in northern Syria, where the most casualties were sustained. The quake occurred on 11 October 1138 and was preceded by a smaller quake on the 10th. It is frequently listed as the third deadliest earthquake in history, following on from the Shensi and Tangshan earthquakes in China. However, the figure of 230,000 dead is based on a historical conflation of this earthquake with earthquakes in November 1137 on the Jazira plain and the large seismic event of 30 September 1139 in the Transcaucasian city of Ganja. The first mention of a 230,000 death toll was by Ibn Taghribirdi in the fifteenth century.
Canadian Medical Assistance Team
The largest earthquake in Japan's recorded history struck offshore on March 11, and police found as many as 300 bodies in the north-eastern coastal area that bore the brunt of the tremors and ensuing tsunami. The earthquake struck at 2:46 p.m. local time at a depth of 10 kilometres about 125 kilometres off the eastern coast, and was followed by at least 19 powerful aftershocks.
History of Dover
The Dover Straits earthquake of 1580, possibly the largest ever recorded in England, caused a great deal of devastation.
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
The earthquake was the third largest ever recorded and had the longest duration of faulting ever observed; between eight and ten minutes. It caused the planet to vibrate as much as , and it remotely triggered earthquakes as far away as Alaska. Its epicentre was between Simeulue and mainland Sumatra. The plight of the affected people and countries prompted a worldwide humanitarian response, with donations totaling more than US$14 billion. The event is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake.
1998 Pymatuning earthquake
The 1998 Pymatuning earthquake occurred in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania on September 25. With a magnitude of 5.2, it was the greatest recorded earthquake in Pennsylvania's history.
1968 Illinois earthquake
The 1968 Illinois earthquake (a "New Madrid event") was the largest recorded earthquake in the U.S. Midwestern state of Illinois. Striking at 11:02 a.m. on November 9, it measured 5.4 on the Richter scale. Although there were no fatalities, the event caused considerable structural damage to buildings, including the toppling of chimneys and shaking in Chicago, the region's largest city. The earthquake was one of the most widely felt in U.S. history, affecting 23 states over an area of . In studying its cause, scientists discovered the Cottage Grove Fault in the Southern Illinois Basin.
Earthquakes in Western Australia
The earthquake which occurred in 1906 about 400 km NW of Exmouth occurred before world earthquake monitoring had really developed. With an estimated magnitude of 7.5, it is probably the largest earthquake known to have occurred in the Australian region.
1980 Eureka earthquake
The left-lateral strike-slip earthquake was the largest to occur in California since the 1952 Kern County earthquake. The mainshock (which was described as a multiple-rupture, with four subevents in the initial 80 seconds) and its aftershocks occurred on a northeast-trending fault that extended from near the Mendocino Fault to a point northwest of Eureka. Movement along the fault is due to a north-south compressional regime and the resulting intraplate deformation of the Gorda Plate. Previous events in this area were the January 1922 7.3 and the January 1923 7.2 shocks.
1185 East Midlands earthquake
The earthquake of 15 April 1185 in the region of East Midlands was one of the largest and most damaging earthquakes the British Isles had ever encountered. The magnitude has been estimated at around 5 . Some think the epicentre of the earthquake was close to Nottingham in East Midlands. The epicentre has also been suggested to be in or around Lincolnshire. However, it could possibly be anywhere from Dogger Bank to the East Midlands. Some references talk of the earthquake happening somewhere offshore in the North Sea east of northern England; its effects may have been felt as far away as Norway.
List of earthquakes in 1950
This is a list of earthquakes in 1950. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. The main event which dominated the year in terms of magnitude and deaths was the earthquake which struck India in August. With a magnitude of 8.6, it was one of the largest earthquakes of all time, and affected the eastern part of the country. There were 1,530 deaths, which was around three quarters of the yearly total. A number of other deadly events struck Colombia, Venezuela and Peru. There were 21 magnitude 7.0+ quakes. Aside from India, Chile was hit by a magnitude 8.2 event in December that left one person dead. Aftershock sequences contributed to a large number of magnitude 6.0–6.9 events, especially in India and Vanuatu (which also saw four magnitude 7.0+ quakes). Monthly summaries are included for the first time due to a rise in events being recorded and will continue to be featured every year from now.
List of earthquakes in 1937
This is a list of earthquakes in 1937. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. The death toll of 497 was the lowest since 1921. China once again bore the brunt of the deadly events. The largest magnitude event was a 7.8 in January in China. Activity was fairly scattered across the planet with China, Indonesia, Mexico, South America, the southern Pacific Ocean islands and Alaska seeing large (7.0+ magnitude) events.
2002 Denali earthquake
The 2002 Denali earthquake occurred at 22:12:41 UTC (1:12 PM Local Time) November 3 with an epicenter 66 km ESE of Denali National Park, Alaska, United States. This 7.9 M earthquake was the largest recorded in the United States in 37 years (after the 1965 Rat Islands earthquake). The shock was the strongest ever recorded in the interior of Alaska. Due to the remote location, there were no fatalities and only a few injuries.
2009–19 Oklahoma earthquake swarms
A large earthquake of magnitude 5.0 occurred on the evening of November 6, with an epicenter located one mile (2 km) west of Cushing in Payne County. It was the fifth-largest earthquake recorded in state history. Following the quake, images of damage to buildings in Cushing began to surface on Twitter and local news reported that the Cushing Fire Department had been inundated with calls of damage, but no injuries had been reported. The Cimarron Tower assisted-living apartment building incurred damage, with part of the building collapsing, and all of its elderly residents were evacuated. Additional damage was inflicted on the First Presbyterian Church. Cushing Public Schools canceled Monday classes to allow for damage to be evaluated. The largest oil storage hub in the United States, located in Cushing, did not report any damage. According to the city manager of Cushing, 40 to 50 structures received damage.
1929 Grand Banks earthquake
The tsunami waves had an amplitude of , and a runup of along the Burin Peninsula. It destroyed many south coastal communities on the Peninsula, killing 27 or 28 people and leaving 1,000 or more homeless. All means of communication were cut off by the destruction, and relief efforts were further hampered by a blizzard that struck the day after. It was recorded as far away as Lagos, Portugal away, 06:47 after the earthquake.It took 02:23 hrs to strike Burin, Newfoundland, from the epicenter, and only two hours to be observed in Bermuda . This was Canada's largest submarine landslide ever recorded, up to 500 times the size of 1894 Saint-Alban landslide.
2017 Chiapas earthquake
The earthquake is the most powerful to be measured in Mexico since the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, and is comparable to the 1932 Jalisco earthquakes. Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto called the earthquake the "largest in at least a century" and claimed that it was felt by 50 million people.
List of earthquakes in 1922
This is a list of earthquakes in 1922. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. The dominant event of the year both in terms of magnitude and death toll was in Chile. In November a magnitude 8.5 earthquake struck the Atacama Region. This was one of the largest events of the 20th Century. In spite of the magnitude only 700 deaths were caused. Peru, Russia and Taiwan had several magnitude 7.0+ events.
List of earthquakes in 2006
Earthquakes in 2006 resulted in about 6,602 fatalities. The 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake was the deadliest with 5,749 fatalities. The 2006 Kuril Islands earthquake was the largest in 2006 at 8.3 on the moment magnitude scale. The 2006 Pangandaran earthquake and tsunami caused a significant tsunami that killed 730 people. Other significant earthquakes in 2006 struck Iran, Taiwan, China, Argentina, and Tajikistan.
Tsunami
While Japan may have the longest recorded history of tsunamis, the sheer destruction caused by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami event mark it as the most devastating of its kind in modern times, killing around 230,000 people. The Sumatran region is also accustomed to tsunamis, with earthquakes of varying magnitudes regularly occurring off the coast of the island.
1992 Cape Mendocino earthquakes
As the largest earthquake in California since the October 1989 event in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the mainshock near Petrolia produced some of the highest ground motions ever recorded (at that time) by the California Strong Motion Instrumentation Program (CSMIP). Fourteen existing CSMIP stations comprising 84 strong motion sensors recorded the event, ten of which were ground response stations. The remaining four were located on structures, including a Highway 101 overpass in Rio Dell, a dam, a one-story supermarket in Fortuna, and a 5-story residential building in Eureka. The supermarket, residential building, and dam were 28, 50, and 75 kilometers distant from the epicenter respectively, and recorded peak accelerations of .46"g", .34"g", and .15"g". An accelerograph at the Painter Street overpass (a concrete bridge, from the epicenter) recorded a free field acceleration of .55"g" and an instrument on the structure saw an amplified peak of 1.23"g" during the mainshock.
Grotta Gigante horizontal pendulums
The movements of the pendulums has contributed to identify the free oscillations of the Earth, and to show that the secular term tilting of the cave is towards the northwest. The marine tides of the Adriatic have a loading effect in the cave, as have also the underground carstic floods of the river Timavo that disappears at the Skocjanske Cave in Slovenia. The Grotta Gigante tiltmeters are the only existing instruments to have recorded four out of five greatest earthquakes in the recent 50 years, which are the earthquakes of Chile 1960 (the greatest earthquake ever instrumentally recorded) and Chile 2010 (the fifth in the scale of recorded worldwide mega-events) the tsunami-generating event of the Sumatra-Andaman islands of 2004 (third greatest event) and the event of Japan 2011 (fourth greatest event), allowing an absolute-amplitude comparison between these events.
1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake
Although magnitude estimates for the 1959 earthquake vary (the United States Geological Survey recorded the quake at both 7.3 and 7.5, now calculated by the ISC as 7.2 ) the 1959 earthquake is comparable to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake as one of the strongest earthquakes in North America, behind the 1964 magnitude 9.2 Good Friday earthquake in Alaska. The 1959 earthquake is also the most severe earthquake in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States along with the 6.9 magnitude earthquake which struck Idaho in 1983. The landslide caused by this quake was the largest since an earthquake in Wyoming in 1925 caused a landslide amounting to of rock and debris that left 28 people dead. The death toll from the quake was also the highest since the 1925 earthquake and most recent for the Northwestern United States since an earthquake in 1927 that left seven people dead. The 1959 earthquake was also the most damaging earthquake to occur in Montana since the 1935–36 earthquakes that left four people dead. The Hebgen Lake area also experienced earthquakes again in 1964, 1974, 1977 and 1985.
1088 Tmogvi earthquake
The Tmogvi earthquake was one of the largest recorded earthquakes in the history of Georgia, and was associated with the active faults of the Javakheti Plateau in the Lesser Caucasus.
1911 Sarez earthquake
The 1911 Sarez earthquake occurred at 18:41 UTC on 18 February (23:31 local time) in the central Pamir Mountains in the Rushon District of eastern Tajikistan (then part of the Russian Empire). It had an estimated magnitude of 7.4 on the surface wave magnitude scale and a maximum felt intensity of about IX ("Violent") on the Mercalli intensity scale. It triggered a massive landslide, blocking the Murghab River and forming the Usoi Dam, the tallest dam in the world, creating Sarez Lake. The earthquake and related landslides destroyed many buildings and killed about 100 people.
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
Since 1900, the only earthquakes recorded with a greater magnitude were the 1960 Great Chilean earthquake (Magnitude 9.5) and the 1964 Good Friday earthquake in Prince William Sound (Magnitude 9.2). The only other recorded earthquakes of magnitude 9.0 or greater were off Kamchatka, Russia, on 4 November 1952 (magnitude 9.0) and Tōhoku, Japan (magnitude 9.1) in March 2011. Each of these megathrust earthquakes also spawned tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean. However, in comparison to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, the death toll from these earthquakes was significantly lower, primarily because of the lower population density along the coasts near affected areas, the much greater distances to more populated coasts, and the superior infrastructure and warning systems in MEDCs (More Economically Developed Countries) such as Japan.
1833 Kunming earthquake
The 1833 Kunming earthquake was an 8.0 M earthquake that struck the provincial capital Kunming in Yunnan, China on September 6, 1833. The earthquake had its epicenter along the Xiaojiang Fault near the town of Songming, approximately northeast of Kunming's city centre. The earthquake destroyed many buildings, homes, and temples in Kunming and the nearby countryside. More than 6,000 people died as a result of the earthquake and another 80,000 were displaced. The Qing government at the time provided relief to the region and used the event to strengthen its administration in the province. The 1833 Kunming earthquake was the largest magnitude earthquake in Yunnan's recorded history.
Heisei period
On 11 March 2011, Japan suffered the strongest recorded earthquake in its history, affecting places in the northeast of Honshū, including the Tokyo area. The quake's magnitude of 9.0 approached that of the severe 2004 megathrust earthquake. A tsunami with waves of up to 10 meters (32.5 feet) flooded inland areas several kilometers from shore, causing a large number of considerable fires. The epicenter of the quake lay so close to coastal villages and towns that thousands could not flee in time, despite a tsunami warning system. At the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and three other nuclear power plants,serious problems occurred with the cooling systems, ultimately leading to the most serious case of radioactive contamination since the Chernobyl disaster (see Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster), as well as ongoing electric power shortages. Following the earthquake, for the first time, the Emperor addressed the nation in a pre-recorded television broadcast.
History of Valdivia
On May 22, 1960, south-central Chile suffered the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, rating 9.5 on the Moment magnitude scale, with Valdivia being the most affected city. The earthquake generated devastating tsunamis that affected Japan and Hawaii. Spanish-colonial forts around Valdivia were severely damaged, while soil subsidence destroyed buildings, deepened local rivers, and created wetlands of the Río Cruces y Chorocomayo - a new aquatic park north of the city.
Puyehue-Cordón Caulle
Like most stratovolcanoes in the Southern Volcanic Zone of the Andean Volcanic Belt, Puyehue and Cordón Caulle are along the intersection of a traverse fracture with the larger north-south Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault. The volcanic complex has shaped the local landscape and produced a huge variety of volcanic landforms and products over the last 300,000 years. Cinder cones, lava domes, calderas and craters can be found in the area apart from the widest variety of volcanic rocks in all the Southern Zone, for example both primitive basalts and rhyolites. Cordón Caulle erupted shortly after the 1960 Valdivia earthquake, the largest recorded earthquake in history.
List of earthquakes in 1975
This is a list of earthquakes in 1975. Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in damage and/or casualties, or are notable for some other reason. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Maximum intensities are indicated on the Mercalli intensity scale and are sourced from United States Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeMap data. The year was characterized by several large events which helped bring the number of magnitude 7.0+ events to 13. Six events were larger than the biggest event of 1974. Two events reached magnitude 7.9. Turkey had the deadliest event with 2,300 lives being lost in September. China had an earthquake in February which resulted in 300 deaths.
List of earthquakes in 1962
This is a list of earthquakes in 1962. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Maximum intensities are indicated on the Mercalli intensity scale and are sourced from United States Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeMap data. The year was characterized by fairly moderate activity. The largest of 10 magnitude 7.0 + earthquakes measured 7.5 and struck Fiji. Iran had the deadliest event with over 12,000 deaths in September. Apart from this there was few other deaths from earthquakes. Colombia had the most with 47 in July.
2017 Chiapas earthquake
The earthquake caused all of Mexico City to tremble, prompting people to evacuate after the early warning system was triggered. It also generated a tsunami with waves of above tide level; and tsunami alerts were issued for surrounding areas. Mexico's president called it the strongest earthquake recorded in the country, in a century. It was also the second strongest recorded in the country's history, behind the magnitude 8.6 earthquake in 1787, and the largest recorded globally in 2017.
1992 Cape Mendocino earthquakes
The Mendocino Fault is seismically active with mostly small and moderate earthquakes, but the largest event that was unequivocally associated with the fault was the M6.9 earthquake on September 1, 1994, at 125.8 W longitude. Aftershocks of that event with corresponding dextral strike-slip focal mechanisms occurred farther to the east and close to the Mendocino Triple Junction. Another large event (7.3–7.6) occurred on January 31, 1922 (with an aftershock of M7+ the next day) but the sources of these shocks could not be determined with any precision as the first seismographs did not arrive in the area until 1932. Due to their offshore epicenters all of these events caused little damage though were felt across a broad area. Previous Gorda plate events include the July 13 and August 17, 1991, shocks of 6.8 and 7.1 and the M7.3 event on November 10, 1980, west of Arcata.
1946 Vancouver Island earthquake
This earthquake is Canada's largest historic onshore earthquake. However, the greatest earthquake in Canadian history recorded by seismometers was the 1949 Queen Charlotte earthquake, an interplate earthquake that occurred on the ocean bottom just off the rugged coast of Graham Island, which reached magnitude 8.1 on the moment magnitude scale.
List of earthquakes in 1973
This is a list of earthquakes in 1973. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Maximum intensities are indicated on the Mercalli intensity scale and are sourced from United States Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeMap data. Both the number of large events and the death toll were substantially lower in 1973. There was 9 magnitude 7.0+ events. The largest of these was in Japan measuring 7.7. Russia and Vanuatu were active during the year with each country having 2 magnitude 7.0+ events. Of the 700 deaths during the year Mexico had the vast majority over 2 separate events. One deadly earthquake struck in January and the other in August. The latter contributing 600 deaths to the overall total.
Ruth A. M. Schmidt
The Great Alaska Earthquake was the most powerful earthquake recorded in North America, and the second most powerful to be recorded in history. Hitting Alaska about 5:30 PM on March 27, 1964, the earthquake registered 9.2. The damage was immense. The tsunami that followed devastated coastal communities from Alaska to northern California. Landslides demolished entire neighborhoods, railroads and highways were destroyed, and major utilities such as gas mains, electrical grids, and phone systems were obliterated. The USGS estimates that 143 people were killed, and thousands were more displaced. Property damages amounted to $2.3B in 2013 dollars.
2011 Oklahoma earthquake
In March 28, 2016 the USGS released the USGS National Seismic Hazard Map which concluded that the primary cause of the earthquake in Oklahoma in 2011 was pressure on fault lines from cumulative effects of injecting oil drilling wastewater under high pressure into the underground. Although the 2011 earthquake was the largest on record, the USGS reported that the central and eastern U.S. (CEUS) has undergone the most dramatic increase in seismic activity in the United States since 2009 with an average of 318 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 a year up from 24 a year from 1973 to 2008. In 2015 there were 1,010 earthquakes in the CEUS region. By mid-March 2016 there were already 226 earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 and larger in the CEUS. "Earthquake rates have recently increased markedly in multiple areas of the Central and Eastern United States (CEUS), especially since 2010, and scientific studies have linked the majority of this increased activity to wastewater injection in deep disposal wells."
List of earthquakes in 1918
This is a list of earthquakes in 1918. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. A couple of major events capped a fairly active year. The two major events came within weeks of each other. The largest was a magnitude 8.3 in the Philippines in August. In early September a magnitude 8.1 struck Russia. The deadliest event occurred in February in China when a magnitude 7.3 caused 2,000 deaths.
1984 Llŷn Peninsula earthquake
The 1984 Llŷn Peninsula earthquake struck the Llŷn Peninsula in Gwynedd, north-west Wales on Thursday 19 July 1984 at 06:56 UTC (07:56 BST). It measured 5.4 on the Richter scale, and is the largest onshore earthquake to occur in the UK since instrumental measurements began.
2011 Oklahoma earthquake
The 2011 Oklahoma earthquake was a 5.7 magnitude intraplate earthquake which occurred near Prague, Oklahoma on November 5 at 10:53 p.m. CDT (03:53 UTC November 6) in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The epicenter of the earthquake was in the vicinity of several active wastewater injection wells. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), it was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Oklahoma; this record was surpassed by the 2016 Oklahoma earthquake. The previous record was a 5.5 magnitude earthquake that struck near the town of El Reno in 1952. The quake's epicenter was approximately east-northeast of Oklahoma City, near the town of Sparks and was felt in the neighboring states of Texas, Arkansas, Kansas and Missouri and even as far away as Tennessee and Wisconsin. The quake followed several minor quakes earlier in the day, including a 4.7 magnitude foreshock. The quake had a maximum perceived intensity of VIII ("Severe") on the Mercalli intensity scale in the area closest to the epicenter. Numerous aftershocks were detected after the main quake, with a few registering at 4.0 magnitude.
Dogger Bank
The 1931 Dogger Bank earthquake took place below the bank, measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale and was the largest earthquake ever recorded in the United Kingdom. Its hypocentre was beneath the bank, and the quake was felt in countries all around the North Sea, causing damage across eastern England.
1960 Agadir earthquake
The 1960 Agadir earthquake occurred 29 February at 23:40 Western European Time near the city of Agadir, located in western Morocco on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. Despite the earthquake's moderate scale magnitude of 5.8, its relatively shallow depth (15.0 km) resulted in strong surface shaking, with a maximum perceived intensity of X ("Extreme") on the Mercalli intensity scale. Between 12,000 and 15,000 people (about a third of the city's population of the time) were killed and another 12,000 injured with at least 35,000 people left homeless, making it the most destructive and deadliest earthquake in Moroccan history. Particularly hard hit were Founti, the Kasbah, Yachech (iḥšaš) and the Talbordjt area. The earthquake's shallow focus, close proximity to the port city of Agadir, and unsatisfactory construction methods were all reasons declared by earthquake engineers and seismologists as to why it was so destructive.
Solar cycle 10
On September 1–2, 1859, the largest recorded geomagnetic storm on Earth occurred, known as the Carrington Event. Aurorae were seen around the world, even over the Caribbean; those over the Rocky Mountains were so bright that their glow awoke gold miners, who began preparing breakfast because they thought it was morning.
1940 El Centro earthquake
The 1940 El Centro earthquake (or 1940 Imperial Valley earthquake) occurred at 21:35 Pacific Standard Time on May 18 (05:35 UTC on May 19) in the Imperial Valley in southeastern Southern California near the international border of the United States and Mexico. It had a moment magnitude of 6.9 and a maximum perceived intensity of X ("Extreme") on the Mercalli intensity scale. It was the first major earthquake to be recorded by a strong-motion seismograph located next to a fault rupture. The earthquake was characterized as a typical moderate-sized destructive event with a complex energy release signature. It was the strongest recorded earthquake to hit the Imperial Valley, and caused widespread damage to irrigation systems and led to the deaths of nine people.
1909 Provence earthquake
The 1909 Provence earthquake occurred on June 11 in Provence. Measuring 6.2 on the surface wave magnitude scale, it is the largest ever recorded earthquake in metropolitan France.
1950 Assam–Tibet earthquake
One of the more westerly aftershocks, a few days later, was felt more extensively in Assam than the main shock. This led certain journalists to the belief that the later shock was 'bigger' and must be the greatest earthquake of all time. This is a typical example of the confusion between the essential concepts of magnitude and intensity. The extraordinary sounds heard by Kingdon-Ward and many others at the times of the main earthquake have been specially investigated. Seiches were observed as far away as Norway and England. (p. 63–64.)
List of earthquakes in 1929
This is a list of earthquakes in 1929. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Several large events occurred this year with the main focus of the activity being in Alaska with 4 magnitude 7.0 + events. The deadliest earthquake struck Turkmenistan in May with 3,800 of the years 3,972 deaths in this event. A rare earthquake struck the north Atlantic Ocean in November with the deaths of 28 in Canada being caused by a tsunami. Indonesia was notably quiet this year.
List of 21st-century earthquakes
The following is a list of significant earthquakes during the 21st century, listing earthquakes of magnitude 7 and above, or which caused fatalities. Deaths due to earthquake-caused tsunamis are included. In terms of fatalities, the 2010 Haiti earthquake was the most destructive event, followed by the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, 2005 Pakistan earthquake and 2008 Sichuan earthquake.
1880 Luzon earthquakes
The earthquakes of July 1880 in Luzon, the largest island of the Philippines, was one of the most destructive tremors on record in the history of the country. The shocks continued, with greater or less interruption, from the 14th to the 25th of the month, highlighted by three violent shaking events, which destroyed churches and other buildings, producing loss of life. Coinciding with the tectonic activity was an increased in volcanic activity in Taal Volcano in southwestern Luzon.
Induced seismicity
Large-scale fossil fuel extraction can generate earthquakes. Induced seismicity can be also related to underground gas storage operations. The 2013 September–October seismic sequence occurred 21 km off the coast of the Valencia Gulf (Spain) is probably the most known case of induced seismicity related to Underground Gas Storage operations (the Castor Project). In September 2013, after the injection operations started, the Spanish seismic network recorded a sudden increase of seismicity. More than 1,000 events with magnitudes () between 0.7 and 4.3 (the largest earthquake ever associated with gas storage operations) and located close the injection platform were recorded in about 40 days. Due to the significant population concern the Spanish Government halted the operations. By the end of 2014, the Spanish government definitively terminated the concession of the UGS plant. Since January 2015 about 20 people who took part in the transaction and approval of the Castor Project were indicted.
List of earthquakes in 1956
This is a list of earthquakes in 1956. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Again a fairly active year. 11 magnitude 7.0+ earthquakes were recorded with the largest of those striking Greece in the summer. The event in Greece measured 7.7 and was one of the largest ever to affect the country. In all earthquakes in 1956 resulted in 910 fatalities. Iran had the deadliest event of the year with 347 deaths in October. Burma, Lebanon, Afghanistan Greece and India also suffered from deadly events.
1556 Shaanxi earthquake
The 1556 Shaanxi earthquake or Huaxian earthquake () or Jiajing earthquake () was a catastrophic earthquake and is also the deadliest earthquake on record, killing approximately 830,000 people.
Geomagnetic storm
On September 1–2, 1859, the largest recorded geomagnetic storm occurred. From August 28 until September 2, 1859, numerous sunspots and solar flares were observed on the Sun, with the largest flare on September 1. This is referred to as the Solar storm of 1859 or the Carrington Event. It can be assumed that a massive coronal mass ejection (CME) was launched from the Sun and reached the Earth within eighteen hours—a trip that normally takes three to four days. The horizontal field was reduced by 1600 nT as recorded by the Colaba Observatory. It is estimated that Dst would have been approximately −1760 nT. Telegraph wires in both the United States and Europe experienced induced voltage increases (emf), in some cases even delivering shocks to telegraph operators and igniting fires. Aurorae were seen as far south as Hawaii, Mexico, Cuba and Italy—phenomena that are usually only visible in polar regions. Ice cores show evidence that events of similar intensity recur at an average rate of approximately once per 500 years.
List of earthquakes in 1976
This is a list of earthquakes in 1976. Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in damage and/or casualties, or are notable for some other reason. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Maximum intensities are indicated on the Mercalli intensity scale and are sourced from United States Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeMap data. The main point of note from this year was the devastation seen across the globe from several catastrophic events. Several countries experienced their worst ever natural disasters. Chronologically, Guatemala in February suffered 23,000 deaths. Indonesia in June had an earthquake causing 6,000 deaths. China in July had officially 242,000 deaths from the 1976 Tangshan earthquake. This was the worst toll from an earthquake for over 400 years. Shortly afterwards the Philippines had 8,000 fatalities. Towards the year end Turkey had an event resulting in 5,000 deaths. Although not as devastating Italy had nearly 1,000 deaths in May with subsequent aftershocks causing further destruction.
Valdivia
On May 22, 1960, Chile suffered the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, rating 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale, with Valdivia being the most affected city. The earthquake generated devastating tsunamis that affected Japan and Hawaii. Spanish-colonial forts around Valdivia were severely damaged, while soil subsidence destroyed buildings, deepened local rivers, and created wetlands of the Río Cruces y Chorocomayo – a new aquatic park north of the city.
Uiju County
Ŭiju earthquake was a 5.3 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Ŭiju County in 1980. It is the largest earthquake by magnitude recorded in the Korean Peninsula since South Korea began official earthquake observation in 1978.
1949 Queen Charlotte Islands earthquake
This earthquake, larger than the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, is Canada's largest earthquake recorded by seismometers. However, the greatest earthquake in Canadian history was the 1700 Cascadia earthquake, a megathrust earthquake that occurred along the Pacific Northwest coast from Northern California to southwestern British Columbia which reached magnitude 9 on the Richter magnitude scale.
List of earthquakes in 1946
This is a list of earthquakes in 1946. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Several great shocks affected the planet in 1946. The largest was one of the most significant in human terms. The quake itself was a magnitude 8.6 striking on April 1 in Alaska resulting in a tsunami mainly affecting Hawaii. The consequence of this apart from many deaths was the foundation of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. This organisation has helped to substantially reduce the death toll of tsunamis in the Pacific, although there have been a few exceptions, including the 2011 Japan event. Japan itself was heavily affected in 1946 by a large quake hitting in December, causing 1,362 deaths. The Dominican Republic was another nation that suffered great destruction in August. Turkey, Peru, and Turkmenistan all saw earthquakes causing many deaths. In general, 1946 was a busy year, with 21 events measuring above 7.0 and three exceeding a magnitude of 8.0.
Earthquakes in Western Australia
Western Australia's largest recorded earthquake to date was at Meeberrie station, north of Mullewa, in April 1941. See the separate section below.
The Cadoux earthquake of 1979 with magnitude 6.1 caused surface rupturing, about 15 km long.
1970 Ancash earthquake
The 1970 Ancash earthquake (also known as the Great Peruvian earthquake) occurred on 31 May off the coast of Peru in the Pacific Ocean at . Combined with a resultant landslide, it is the most catastrophic natural disaster in the history of Peru. Due to the large amounts of snow and ice included in the landslide and its estimated 66,794 to 70,000 casualties, it is also considered to be the world's deadliest avalanche.
List of earthquakes in 1938
This is a list of earthquakes in 1938. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. This was once again a very busy year with 22 events reaching 7.0+. Topping the list was a huge quake which struck the Banda Sea, Indonesia in February. At a magnitude of 8.5 this was one of the largest earthquakes of all time. Despite the large size no deaths were reported. Considering the array of large events, the death toll for the year was only 296. Turkey saw the majority of the deaths due to a 6.6 magnitude event in April. November 1938 saw a series of large quakes strike off the east coast of Honshu, Japan. Also in November was a magnitude 8.3 which struck Alaska. Generally Indonesia and Japan saw most of the large 7.0+ events.
List of earthquakes in 1969
This is a list of earthquakes in 1969. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Maximum intensities are indicated on the Mercalli intensity scale and are sourced from United States Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeMap data. Activity generally was slightly below average with 14 events reaching magnitude 7 or greater. The largest event was off the coast of Portugal in February and measured 7.8. Other parts experiencing large events were Indonesia and Russia. The Americas had no events above magnitude 7 which is an uncommon occurrence. Of the 4,000 deaths from earthquakes two events dominated. Southeastern China had an earthquake of magnitude 5.7 in July which contributed 3,000 of the total. Indonesia had the bulk of the rest of the death toll.
Puyehue-Cordón Caulle
Two days after the main shock of the 1960 Valdivia earthquake, the largest earthquake recorded in history, Cordón Caulle erupted. The eruption was believed to have been caused by the earthquake. The earthquake had struck the whole of Chile between Talca (30°S) and Chiloé (43°S) and had an estimated moment magnitude of 9.5. Being located between two sparsely populated and by then isolated Andean valleys the eruption had few eyewitnesses and received little attention by local media due to the huge damages and losses caused by the main earthquake. The eruption was fed by a long and north west-west (N135°) trending fissure along which 21 individual vents have been found. These vents produced an output of about 0.25 km³ DRE both in form of lava flows and tephra.
List of FIFA World Cup stadiums
The Valdivia earthquake, the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, occurred on 22 May 1960. With over 50,000 casualties and more than 2 million people affected, the earthquake forced the organising committee to completely modify the World Cup's calendar. Talca, Concepción, Talcahuano and Valdivia were severely damaged and discarded as venues. Antofagasta and Valparaíso declined to host any matches as their venues were not financially self-sustainable. Viña del Mar and Arica managed to rebuild their stadiums while Braden Copper Company, then an American company that controlled the El Teniente copper mine, allowed the use of its stadium in Rancagua. The most used stadium was the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, with 10 matches; the Estadio Sausalito in Viña del Mar hosted 8 matches, and the stadiums in Rancagua and far-away Arica (the only location that was not close to the other cities) both hosted 7 matches.
Ring of Fire
Earthquake activity in Chile is related to subduction of the Nazca Plate to the east. Chile notably holds the record for the largest earthquake ever recorded, the 1960 Valdivia earthquake. Villarrica, one of Chile's most active volcanoes, rises above Villarrica Lake and the town of Villarrica. It is the westernmost of three large stratovolcanoes that trend perpendicular to the Andean chain. A 6-km-wide caldera formed during the late Pleistocene, more than 0.9 million years ago.
List of earthquakes in Colombia
The most devastating earthquake for Colombia happened on August 15 and 16, 1868 off the coast of Ecuador, leading to approximately 70,000 fatalities. The strongest earthquake, with an estimated moment magnitude of 8.8 also happened offshore Ecuador in 1906. Other major earthquakes were the 1875 Cúcuta earthquake with around 10,000 deaths and the 1999 Armenia earthquake with an intensity of X. The deepest registered earthquake happened in the department of Amazonas in 1970 at an estimated depth of almost . The 1785 Viceroyalty of New Granada earthquake sparked the birth of journalism in Colombia, initiated by Manuel del Socorro Rodríguez, six years after the publication of the "Aviso del Terremoto" about the earthquake with its epicentre in La Calera, Cundinamarca.
5 August 2018 Lombok earthquake
The earthquake is the largest and the strongest earthquake to have hit Lombok in recorded history. With more than 560 deaths, it is also the deadliest earthquake in Lesser Sunda Islands since the 1992 Flores earthquake and tsunami. The earthquake later caused chains of earthquakes in West Nusa Tenggara with significant magnitude, which was deemed by officials as a rare event.
List of earthquakes in 2007
Earthquakes in 2007 resulted in about 712 fatalities. The 2007 Peru earthquake was the deadliest with 519 fatalities. The September 2007 Sumatra earthquake was the largest in 2007 with an 8.5 on the moment magnitude scale. The 2007 Solomon Islands earthquake caused a significant tsunami that killed 52 people. There were four 8.0 or higher earthquakes in 2007 which is the most ever recorded for a single year. Other significant earthquakes in 2007 struck Chile and Japan.
Frederick S. Lyman
Letters to his brother David Brainerd Lyman (1840–1914) describe a massive eruption of Mauna Loa on their ranch accompanied by a series of earthquakes from March 27 to March 31. His eyewitness observations, sometimes called the "best account" of the events, has been used by scientists for many years.
A few days later the powerful April 2, 1868 Hawaii earthquake, destroyed their house and most others in the area. A massive landslide triggered by the shock killed much of his livestock. From one of the letters:
"It was impossible to stand, we had to sit on the ground, bracing with hands and feet to keep from rolling over. In the midst of it we saw burst out... what we supposed to be an immense river of molten lava (which afterwards proved to be red earth), which rushed down its headlong course and across the plain below, ... swallowing up everything in its way, trees, houses, cattle, horses, goats and men. ... After the hard shaking had ceased, all along the sea-shore the sea was boiling and foaming furiously, all red, for about an eighth of a mile from the shore, and the shore was covered by the sea."
The resulting tsunami killed many of the witnesses who were living at lower elevations. It was the largest earthquake in modern recorded history of the Hawaiian Islands.
This convinced the family to return to town, where he looked for whatever employment he could.
1663 Charlevoix earthquake
The estimated length of the most active portion of the CSZ was and the fault area was put at . By comparison, the 7 February 1812 New Madrid event, which was thought to have taken place on the Reelfoot fault and was the largest event in that series, had a rupture zone that was less than that of the Charlevoix earthquake and caused chimney damage at distances of more than . These things together suggest that the Charlevoix earthquake was similar in size to the largest of the New Madrid earthquakes and was at least a magnitude 6.8 event. The estimation of the earthquake's intensity was based on the condition of the soil where the damage occurred. A lower magnitude range would be preferred if the soil in the area was soft and loosely compacted and a range based on firm ground or bedrock would be proportionately higher.
Sierra Madre Fault Zone
The 1971 event was the first in a series (1987 Whittier Narrows, 1991 Sierra Madre, 1994 Northridge) of damaging earthquakes which have occurred on reverse faults in the Los Angeles area. The events triggered discussions concerning the largest magnitude earthquake that could be generated by one of the faults, especially in the Transverse Ranges, but the focal point of earthquake hazard assessments in California are often the San Andreas Fault and other associated dextral faults. Although there is a lack of paleoseismic data on reverse faults in the Los Angeles area, a trench excavation at a site on the Sierra Madre-Cucamonga Fault revealed that two large historic earthquakes occurred in the last 15,000 years.
1627 Gargano earthquake
The 1627 Gargano earthquake struck Gargano, southern Italy, at about mid-day on 30 July 1627. A "very large earthquake" caused a major tsunami, the largest seismic event ever recorded in the Gargano region, which "produced severe damage in the whole promontory", killing about 5000 people. Four aftershocks were documented. The most extensive damage was noted between San Severo and Lesina.
List of earthquakes in 1963
This is a list of earthquakes in 1963. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Maximum intensities are indicated on the Mercalli intensity scale and are sourced from United States Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeMap data. A fairly active year with 17 events reaching above magnitude 7.0. The intensity of the events was stronger with 2 measuring above magnitude 8. Both events came within 3 weeks of each other. The strongest of 1963 was in the Kuril Islands, Russia and was magnitude 8.5. Macedonia had by far the most of the 1,488 fatalities. A fairly modest magnitude 6.0 event in July resulted in 1,070 deaths and substantial destruction. Libya had one of the worst events in its history in February. Again a fairly moderate magnitude 5.6 ended up with 300 deaths in the area.
Physical oceanography
The tsunami that occurred in Lituya Bay, Alaska on July 9, 1958 was high and is the biggest tsunami ever measured, almost taller than the Sears Tower in Chicago and about taller than the former World Trade Center in New York.
2008 Iwate–Miyagi Nairiku earthquake
The earthquake occurred in a region of upper-plate contraction, probably within the complicated tectonics of the Ou Backbone Range, known to have hosted several large earthquakes in historic times. The largest of these events occurred in 1896, approximately 70km north of the June 13th event, and killed over 200 people in the local area.
1964 Alaska earthquake
Lasting four minutes and thirty-eight seconds, the magnitude 9.2 megathrust earthquake remains the most powerful earthquake recorded in North American history, and the second most powerful earthquake recorded in world history. of fault ruptured at once and moved up to , releasing about 500 years of stress buildup. Soil liquefaction, fissures, landslides, and other ground failures caused major structural damage in several communities and much damage to property. Anchorage sustained great destruction or damage to many inadequately earthquake-engineered houses, buildings, and infrastructure (paved streets, sidewalks, water and sewer mains, electrical systems, and other man-made equipment), particularly in the several landslide zones along Knik Arm. southwest, some areas near Kodiak were permanently raised by . Southeast of Anchorage, areas around the head of Turnagain Arm near Girdwood and Portage dropped as much as , requiring reconstruction and fill to raise the Seward Highway above the new high tide mark.
1944 Cornwall–Massena earthquake
The 1944 Cornwall–Massena earthquake occurred on September 5 at 12:38:45 am EDT in Massena, New York. It registered 5.8 on the moment magnitude scale and had a maximum Mercalli intensity of VII ("Very strong"). This area is part of the Saint Lawrence River Valley and the seismically active zone known as the Saint Lawrence rift system. The earthquake is the largest known in New York's recorded history and was felt over great distances.
List of earthquakes in 1933
This is a list of earthquakes in 1933. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. The biggest event of the year was the great Japan earthquake which struck early in March. A little over a week later saw southern California's deadliest earthquake to date. China had the deadliest event in August with over 9,300 deaths.
Peldon
The strongest earthquake to ever strike the UK occurred on the 22nd April 1884. It measured to a 5.1 magnitude on the Richter scale and rendered much of the area around and including Peldon badly damaged. In total, it damaged around 1250 buildings including churches, houses and cottages. It was reported at the time that every single building in Peldon was damaged in some way, including the local church, causing heavy financial ramifications for the local area. The Peldon Rose, the village's 15th century inn, rumoured to have been connected by a smugglers tunnel to nearby Ray Island still exhibits earthquake damage. In 1984 a village festival was held at Kemps Farm, Peldon, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the earthquake.
New Madrid Seismic Zone
The largest NMSZ earthquake of the 20th century was a 5.4-magnitude quake (although it was reported as a 5.5 at the time) on November 9, 1968, near Dale, Illinois. The quake damaged the civic building at Henderson, Kentucky and was felt in 23 states. People in Boston said their buildings swayed. At the time of the quake, it was the biggest recorded quake with an epicenter in Illinois in that state's recorded history. In 2008 in the nearby Wabash Valley Seismic Zone, a similar magnitude 5.4 earthquake occurred with its epicenter in Illinois near West Salem and Mount Carmel.
1962 FIFA World Cup
The Valdivia earthquake, the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, occurred on 22 May 1960. With over 50,000 casualties and more than 2 million people affected, the earthquake forced the organising committee to completely modify the World Cup's calendar. Talca, Concepción, Talcahuano and Valdivia were severely damaged and discarded as venues. Antofagasta and Valparaíso declined to host any matches as their venues were not financially self-sustainable. Viña del Mar and Arica managed to rebuild their stadiums while Braden Copper Company, then an American company that controlled the El Teniente copper mine, allowed the use of its stadium in Rancagua. The most used stadium was the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, with 10 matches; the Estadio Sausalito in Viña del Mar hosted 8 matches, and the stadiums in Rancagua and far-away Arica (the only location that was not close to the other cities) both hosted 7 matches.
Seismo-electromagnetics
After 2006, VAN say that all alarms related to SES activity have been made public by posting at arxiv.org. One such report was posted on Feb. 1, 2008, two weeks before the largest earthquake in Greece during the period 1983–2011. This earthquake occurred on February 14, 2008, with magnitude () 6.9. VAN's report was also described in an article in the newspaper Ethnos on Feb. 10, 2008. However, Gerassimos Papadopolous complained that the VAN reports were confusing and ambiguous, and that "none of the claims for successful VAN predictions is justified."
List of earthquakes in 2016
This is a list of earthquakes in 2016. Only earthquakes of magnitude 6 or above are included, unless they result in damage and/or casualties, or are notable for some other reason. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Maximum intensities are indicated on the Mercalli intensity scale and are sourced from United States Geological Survey (USGS) ShakeMap data. Major events took place in Ecuador, Italy, Taiwan, Indonesia and New Zealand this year, while the strongest tremor was observed in Papua New Guinea. For the first time since 2008, no quake had a magnitude of 8 or higher.
Cremation
The magnitude 9.0–9.3 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake triggered a series of lethal tsunamis on 26 December 2004 that killed almost 300,000 people, making them the deadliest tsunamis in recorded history. The tsunamis killed people over an area ranging from the immediate vicinity of the quake in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Thailand, and the northwestern coast of Malaysia), to thousands of kilometers away in the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, the Maldives), the Horn of Africa (Somalia), and the African Great Lakes (Kenya and Tanzania).
2017 Valparaiso earthquake
Before this seismic event there was an unusual increase in seismic activity (seismic swarm) that began on Saturday, April 22 and before the event of magnitude 6.9 more than 180 earthquakes (precursor earthquakes) had been recorded, being one of the most strong that of magnitude 6.0 of the dawn of the April 22, 2017.
2009–19 Oklahoma earthquake swarms
A rise in seismicity in Oklahoma was observed in 2011. Early on the morning of November 5, 2011, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 struck an area east of Oklahoma City roughly centered between Sparks and Prague. At the time, it was the strongest earthquake associated with the rise in Oklahoma's seismicity. Less than a day later at 10:53 p.m., a 5.6 M earthquake occurred near the location of the preceding 4.8 magnitude earthquake, becoming the strongest earthquake observed with any of the swarms as well as the strongest earthquake in the history of Oklahoma. This also resulted in the reclassification of the magnitude 4.8 earthquake as a foreshock and the 5.6 magnitude earthquake as the mainshock. The earthquake received over 66,000 "Did You Feel It?" responses nationwide sent to the United States Geological Survey. It was believed that the earthquake had occurred along the Wilzetta Fault, also known as the Seminole Uplift. Following this earthquake, several portable seismograph stations were established by the USGS, OGS, and University of Oklahoma School of Geology and Geophysics to aid with detection of future earthquakes in the area. The 5.6 M mainshock was followed by a magnitude 4.8 aftershock slightly under two days later, and numerous other aftershocks occurred in the following months. Through the end of 2011, 64 earthquakes were recorded, nearly double the number recorded for 2010.
1947 Wisconsin earthquake
The 1947 Wisconsin earthquake took place on May 6, immediately south of Milwaukee at 15:25 (CST). It was the largest tremor to be historically documented in Wisconsin, but it was not recorded by seismographs.
1956 Amorgos earthquake
The 1956 Amorgos earthquake occurred at 03:11 UTC on July 9. It had a magnitude of 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale and a maximum perceived intensity of IX on the Mercalli intensity scale. The epicentre was to the south of the island of Amorgos, the easternmost island of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea. There was significant damage on Amorgos and the neighbouring island of Santorini. It was the largest earthquake in Greece in the 20th century. It was followed 13 minutes later by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake near Santorini. It triggered a major tsunami with a maximum run-up of 30 m. The combined effects of the earthquake shaking and the tsunami caused the deaths of 53 people with a further 100 injured.
1935 Shinchiku-Taichū earthquake
The 1935 Shinchiku-Taichū earthquake occurred with a Richter magnitude of 7.1 (7.0 M) in April 1935 with its epicenter in Shinchiku Prefecture, Japanese Taiwan (modern day Taichung). It was the deadliest earthquake in Taiwan's recorded history, claiming 3,276 lives and causing extensive damage. Twelve seconds after the mainshock, an aftershock of 6.0 occurred, centered on "Gabi Village" (present-day Emei Township, Hsinchu County).
1981 Dawu earthquake
China has an extensive history of catastrophic earthquakes that ranges back to 1290. The first verified earthquake took place in Chih-li, killing roughly 100,000 people. The next great earthquake was probably the 1556 Shaanxi earthquake, the most devastating earthquake of all time. Roughly 830,000 were killed by the event. Other earthquakes in 1917, 1918, 1920, 1923, 1925, 1927, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1948, 1950, 1966, 1969, 1970, 1974, 1975, 1976 each killed at least one thousand people. Since 1981, earthquake fatalities have diminished greatly, though have not been stopped. As recently as 2008, an earthquake in Sichuan killed nearly 90,000 people.
Impact event
Throughout recorded history, hundreds of Earth impacts (and exploding bolides) have been reported, with some occurrences causing deaths, injuries, property damage, or other significant localised consequences. One of the best-known recorded events in modern times was the Tunguska event, which occurred in Siberia, Russia, in 1908. The 2013 Chelyabinsk meteor event is the only known such incident in modern times to result in a large number of injuries, excluding the 1490 Ch'ing-yang event in China. The Chelyabinsk meteor is the largest recorded object to have encountered the Earth since the Tunguska event. The asteroid impact that caused Mistastin crater generated temperatures exceeding 2,370 °C, the highest known to have occurred on the surface of the Earth.
1949 Olympia earthquake
The 1949 Olympia earthquake occurred on April 13 at with a moment magnitude of 6.7 and a maximum Mercalli Intensity of VIII ("Severe"). The shock was located in the area between Olympia and Tacoma, and was felt throughout the state, as well as parts of Oregon, British Columbia, Idaho, and Montana. It is the largest recorded earthquake to occur in the Puget Sound region of Washington. Eight people were killed, a minimum of 64 people were injured, and the total damage is estimated at $25 million.
1988 Saguenay earthquake
The 1988 Saguenay earthquake struck Quebec, Canada with a moment magnitude of 5.9 on November 25. It is one of the largest recorded earthquakes in eastern Canada and eastern North America during the 20th century. The earthquake was felt by hundreds of thousands, and damaged some buildings. It could be felt as far as Toronto, Halifax, and Boston.
List of earthquakes in 1947
This is a list of earthquakes in 1947. Only magnitude 6.0 or greater earthquakes appear on the list. Lower magnitude events are included if they have caused death, injury or damage. Events which occurred in remote areas will be excluded from the list as they wouldn't have generated significant media interest. All dates are listed according to UTC time. Although a fairly busy year in terms of magnitude 7.0+ events, the death toll was relatively low at 745. Up to 733 deaths were attributed to two events in Iran and Peru. The largest events measured 7.6 which compared with recent years was quite modest. Magnitude 7.0+ earthquakes were generally spread around the world with Indonesia seeing the most.
AD 17 Lydia earthquake
The AD 17 Lydia earthquake caused the destruction of at least twelve cities in the region of Lydia in the Roman province of Asia in Asia Minor. The earthquake was recorded by the Roman historians Tacitus and Pliny the Elder, and the Greek historians Strabo and Eusebius. Pliny called it "the greatest earthquake in human memory". The city of Sardis, the former capital of the Lydian Empire, was the most affected and never completely recovered from the destruction.
1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens
An earthquake at 8:32:17 a.m. PDT (UTC−7) on Sunday, May 18, 1980, caused the entire weakened north face to slide away, creating the largest landslide ever recorded. This allowed the partly molten, high-pressure gas- and steam-rich rock in the volcano to suddenly explode northwards toward Spirit Lake in a hot mix of lava and pulverized older rock, overtaking the avalanching face.
1968 Belice earthquake
The 1968 Belice earthquake sequence took place in Sicily between 14 and 15 January. The largest shock measured 5.5 on the moment magnitude scale, with five others of magnitude 5+. The maximum perceived intensity was X ("Extreme") on the Mercalli intensity scale. The earthquake sequence, centred between the towns of Gibellina, Salaparuta and Poggioreale, killed at least 231 people, possibly more than 400, with between 632 and about 1,000 injured and left 100,000 homeless. It is known in Italy as Terremoto del Belice.
New Madrid Seismic Zone
The first known written record of an earthquake felt in the NMSZ was from a French missionary traveling up the Mississippi with a party of explorers. At 1 pm on Christmas Day 1699, at a site near the present-day location of Memphis, the party was startled by a short period of ground shaking.Hundreds of aftershocks of the 1811–1812 series followed over a period of several years. Aftershocks strong enough to be felt occurred until 1817. The largest earthquakes to have occurred since then were on January 4, 1843, and October 31, 1895, with magnitude estimates of 6.0 and 6.6, respectively. The 1895 had its epicenter near Charleston, Missouri. The quake damaged virtually all the buildings in Charleston, created sand volcanoes by the city, cracked a pier on the Cairo Rail Bridge and toppled chimneys in St. Louis, Missouri; Memphis, Tennessee; Gadsden, Alabama; and Evansville, Indiana.