Earthquakes

  • Japan - Hōei Earthquake

    Japan - Hōei Earthquake
    The 1707 Hōei earthquake, which occurred at 14:00 local time on October 28, 1707, was the largest earthquake in Japanese history until the 2011 Tōhoku earthquakethis, with a surpassed it. It caused moderate to severe damage throughout southwestern Honshu, Shikoku and southeastern Kyūshū. The earthquake, and the resulting destructive tsunami, caused more than 5,000 casualties.
  • Chile - Valparaiso Earthquake

    Chile - Valparaiso Earthquake
    The 1730 Valparaíso earthquake occurred at 03:45 local time (08:45 UTC) on July 8. It had an estimated magnitude of 8.7 and triggered a major tsunami with an estimated magnitude of Mt=8.75, that inundated the lower parts of Valparaíso. The earthquake caused severe damage from La Serena to Chillan, while the tsunami affected more than 1,000 km (621.37 mi) of Chile's coastline.
  • Indonesia - Sumatra Earthquake

    Indonesia - Sumatra Earthquake
    The 1833 Sumatra earthquake occurred on November 25, 1833, about 22:00 local time, with an estimated magnitude in the range Mw= 8.8–9.2. It caused a large tsunami that flooded the southwestern coast of the island. There are no reliable records of the loss of life, with the casualties being described only as 'numerous'. The magnitude of this event has been estimated using records of uplift taken from coral microatolls.
  • Chile - Concepción Earthquake

    Chile - Concepción Earthquake
    The 1835 Concepción earthquake occurred near the neighboring cities of Concepción and Talcahuano in Chile on February 20 at 15:30 local time (11:30 UTC) and has an estimated magnitude of 8.2 Mfa or 8.1 Ml. The earthquake triggered a tsunami which caused the destruction of Talcahuano. A total of at least 50 people died from the effects of the earthquake and the tsunami. The earthquake caused damage from San Fernando in the north to Osorno in the south.
  • Chile - Arica Earthquake

    Chile - Arica Earthquake
    The 1868 Arica earthquake was an earthquake that occurred on August 13, 1868, near Arica, then part of Peru, now part of Chile, at 21:30 UTC. It had an estimated magnitude between 8.5 and 9.0. A tsunami (or multiple tsunamis) in the Pacific Ocean was produced by the earthquake, which was recorded in Hawaii, Japan and New Zealand.
  • Chile - Iquique Earthquake

    The 1877 Iquique earthquake occurred at 21:16 local time on 9 May (0:59 on 10 May UTC). It had a magnitude of 8.5 on the surface wave magnitude scale. It has also been estimated to be a 9 magnitude earthquake. It had a maximum felt intensity of XI (Extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale and triggered a devastating tsunami. A total of 2,541 people died, mainly in Peru and what is now northernmost Chile, with some deaths also reported from Hawaii and Japan.
  • Russia - Kamchatka Earthquake

    Russia - Kamchatka Earthquake
    Three earthquakes, which occurred off the coast of Kamchatka Peninsula in far eastern Russia in 1737, 1923 and 1952, were megathrust earthquakes and caused tsunamis. They occurred where the Pacific Plate subducts under the Okhotsk Plate at the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench. The depth of the trench at the point of the earthquakes is 7,000–7,500 meters. Northern Kamchatka lies at the western end of the Bering fault, between the Pacific Plate and North American Plate, or the Bering plate.
  • Indonesia - Banda Sea Earthquake

    Indonesia - Banda Sea Earthquake
    The 1938 Banda Sea earthquake occurred in the Banda Sea region on February 1, 1938, and was the ninth largest earthquake in the 20th century. It had an estimated magnitude of 8.5 on the Moment magnitude scale, and intensities as high as VII (very strong). It generated Tsunamis of up to 1.5 metres, but no human lives appear to have been lost.
  • Alaska - Aleutian Islands Earthquake

    Alaska - Aleutian Islands Earthquake
    The 1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake was an earthquake near the Aleutian Islands, Alaska on April 1, 1946. It was followed by a Pacific-wide tsunami. The earthquake was a magnitude 8.6 (originally rated 7.8 but later revised), with its epicenter at 52.8°N, 163.5°W, and focal depth of 25 km. It resulted in 165 casualties (159 people on Hawaii and six in Alaska) and over $26 million in damages. Multiple destructive waves at heights ranging from 45–130 ft occurred.
  • India/China - Assam/Tibet Earthquake

    India/China - Assam/Tibet Earthquake
    The 1950 Assam – Tibet earthquake, also known as the Assam earthquake or Medog earthquake, occurred on August 15, 1950, and had a magnitude of 8.6. The epicentre was actually located near Rima, Tibet. The earthquake was destructive in both Assam and Tibet, and 1,526 people were killed. It was the 9th largest earthquake of the 20th century. It is also the largest known earthquake to have not been caused by an oceanic subduction. Instead, this quake was caused by two continental plates converging.
  • Alaska - Andreanof Islands

    Alaska - Andreanof Islands
    The 1957 Andreanof Islands earthquake was a magnitude 8.6 MW[1] (8.3 Ms) megathrust earthquake that took place on March 9, 1957. It was centered at 51.5°N 175.7°W in the Alaska-Aleutian megathrust, south of the Andreanof Islands group of the Aleutian Islands in the U.S. state of Alaska.
  • Chile - Valdivia Erthquake

    Chile - Valdivia Erthquake
    The 1960 Valdivia earthquake or Great Chilean Earthquake (Spanish: Terremoto de Valdivia/Gran terremoto de Chile) of Sunday, 22 May 1960 is to date the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Earth's history, rating 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale. It occurred in the afternoon (19:11 GMT, 15:11 local time) and its resulting tsunami affected southern Chile, Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, eastern New Zealand, southeast Australia, and the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.
  • Russia - Kuril Islands Earthquake

    The 1963 Kuril Islands earthquake occurred at 05:17 UTC, on October 13. The earthquake had a magnitude of 8.5 and was followed by a Mw=7.8 event seven days later. Both earthquakes triggered tsunamis that were observed around the northern part of the Pacific ocean.
  • Alaska Prince William Sound Earthquake

    Alaska Prince William Sound Earthquake
    The 1964 Alaskan earthquake, also known as the Great Alaskan Earthquake, the Portage Earthquake and the Good Friday Earthquake, was a megathrust earthquake that began at 5:36 P.M. AST on Good Friday, March 27, 1964. Across south-central Alaska, ground fissures, collapsing structures, and tsunamis resulting from the earthquake caused about 143 deaths.
  • Alaska - Rat Islands Earthquake

    Alaska - Rat Islands Earthquake
    The 1965 Rat Islands earthquake occurred at 05:01 UTC, on 4 February. It had a magnitude of 8.7 and triggered a tsunami of over 10 m on Shemya Island,[1] but caused very little damage.
  • Japan - Tōhoku Earthquake

    Japan - Tōhoku Earthquake
    This megathrust earthquake's hypocenter was reported to be off the Oshika Peninsula, the east coast of Tōhoku It was the strongest to hit Japan and one of the top five largest earthquakes in the world since seismological record-keeping began. It was followed by a tsunami with waves of up to 10 m (33 ft). The disaster left thousands dead and inflicted extensive material damage to buildings and infrastructure that led to significant accidents at four major nuclear power station