10 worst earthquakes of all time

Nature works in mysterious ways. By providing the best possible conditions for life, it also provides the world with various disasters, probably in order to maintain a balance between good and evil. She gives oxygen to breathe and shows her strength through thunderstorms. She shows her kindness, and at the same time, how evil she can be. One way to show your anger is with an earthquake.

As one of the worst forms of natural disasters, it certainly takes a huge toll.
Earthquakes are usually caused by the displacement of tectonic plates located below the Earth's surface. When tectonic plates collide, they vibrate the Earth's surface, resulting in earthquakes.

The place where the earthquake occurs is called the epicenter, and the device for measuring the frequency of the earthquake is the seismometer. The basic principle of a seismometer is to measure the frequency of vibrations generated at a specific location. He prints a zigzag drawing on a sheet of paper and calculates the value on the Richter scale using mathematical calculations.

The earth experiences many earthquakes throughout the year. Most of them are rather weak and not felt. Usually their magnitude is less than 4, but some earthquakes are strong enough and can cause huge destruction. The magnitude of such earthquakes is above 8 points.

The earthquake with the highest recorded magnitude was 9.5. Together with strong vibrations on the surface of the Earth, causing buildings to fall and causing huge losses, earthquakes are the main cause of tsunamis and other natural disasters.

Generally, earthquakes occurring under the sea or ocean are the most common causes of tsunamis. The earthquakes that are considered the most powerful are described below.

10. Assam, Tibet

Magnitude: 8.6
Date: 15 Aug 1950

Despite the fact that it is known as the Assam Earthquake, the epicenter was in Tibet. About 800 people became victims of the disaster. The earthquake not only affected Assam and the Tibet region, but also damaged the outskirts of China.

800 deaths are known from the records, but in reality there were many more. A huge number of people suffered from severe injuries, so this earthquake was among the ten worst.

9. North Sumatra, Indonesia

Magnitude: 8.6
Date: March 28, 2005

One of the most devastating consequences of an earthquake is that it occurs near water bodies. It causes the water to form tides and waves, leading to another natural disaster called a tsunami.

This is exactly what happened on the islands of Sumatra when the earthquake struck in the popular month for tourists - March. Since this is an island state, the earthquake led to the formation of a tsunami and spread throughout the regions as far as Sri Lanka.

The number of victims of the earthquake was 1,500 people, more than 400 were injured, including the victims of the tsunami.

8. Rat Islands, Alaska

Magnitude: 8.7
Date: April 2, 1965

This earthquake occurred exclusively under water, which caused tsunami waves, from which there was a loss. Occurring in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, the earthquake caused a huge tsunami, resulting in damage estimated at thousands of dollars. There were no reports of casualties or injuries from the islands, as there is no population in those areas.

7. Coast of Ecuador

Magnitude: 8.8
Date: January 31, 1906

Much time has passed since this catastrophe. The earthquake struck underwater, leading to the infamous tsunami. The waves hit the coast of Colombia, the United States, and even the islands of Japan, bringing the death toll to about 1,500.

Following the tsunami, various coastal areas began to take preventive measures to prevent losses caused by the tsunami.

6. Bio Bio, Chile

Magnitude: 8.8
Date: February 27, 2010

One of the worst days in Chile's earthquake-prone history. As a result of this earthquake, more than 500 people were killed. The tsunami caused by this earthquake added to the effect, displacing hundreds of thousands of people, of which 50 are still missing.

The number of injured people was 12,000. Thus, this earthquake became one of the most powerful in the history of mankind.

5. Kamchatka, Russia

Magnitude: 9.0
Date: 4th November 1952

Imagine a 9 meter high wave approaching you at a very high speed! What would you do? Wouldn't you feel helpless! A similar situation occurred in Kamchatka, Russia in 1952, when a huge tsunami caused by an earthquake measuring 9 on the Richter scale left people feeling helpless.

They left their property and tried to find a safe place. Fortunately, no one was killed in the earthquake.

4. Sendai, Japan

Magnitude: 9.0
Date: 11 March 2011

Who can forget the earthquake that caused the tsunami, as well as the destruction of thermal power units in Japan, due to which this area became exposed to the harmful radiation of uranium and thorium? Occurring just a few years ago, this earthquake is considered one of the most powerful.

The area of Japan is small, but this country is rich in knowledge and technology. This earthquake challenged thousands of Japanese minds. Despite suffering such enormous losses, the government and the people came together to mitigate the impact of such an earthquake and tsunami, and within a short time, they re-established themselves the title of superpower!

3. Sumatra, Indonesia

Magnitude: 9.1
Date: December 26, 2004

Mentioned twice on the list, it is clear that Sumatra is one of the most earthquake prone regions. Just three months before the magnitude 8.6 earthquake, the quake claimed many more lives and property damage than what came later.

It caused a devastating tsunami, which killed about 300 thousand people in the countries of South Africa and South Asia. It is known that after several days of the earthquake, a volcano erupted in Andaman.

2. Great Alaska earthquake

Magnitude: 9.2
Date: 28 March 1964

The name speaks for itself! One of the largest earthquakes in history because of its strength. The victims were 150 people, and the damage was estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars.

The tremor was felt only in parts of New America, but the resulting tsunami traveled to different places, causing enormous damage.

1. Valdivia, Chile

Magnitude: 9.5
Date: May 22, 1960

The lands of Chile can be renamed into the Land of Volcanoes, since this is where the maximum number of earthquakes occurs. This is the second time a country name has been mentioned on this list. This earthquake claimed the lives of 1,700 people, and the tsunami caused by it - 2 million lives.

More than 3,000 people were seriously injured. The total amount of damage is $ 600 million, which, of course, is not a small amount. The country is trying to take many steps to prevent any losses caused by earthquakes, and to some extent these efforts are paying off!