Lists of earthquakes facts for kids
Earthquakes are caused by movements within the Earth's crust and uppermost mantle. They range from events too weak to be detectable except by sensitive instrumentation, to sudden and violent events lasting many minutes which have caused some of the greatest disasters in human history. Below, earthquakes are listed by period, region or country, year, magnitude, cost, fatalities and number of scientific studies.
Contents
Lists by time period
By century
- Before 1901
- 1901–2000
- 2001–present
By decade
- 2001–2010
- 2011–2020
- 2021–2030
By year
- 1900
- 1901
- 1902
- 1903
- 1904
- 1905
- 1906
- 1907
- 1908
- 1909
- 1910
- 1911
- 1912
- 1913
- 1914
- 1915
- 1916
- 1917
- 1918
- 1919
- 1920
- 1921
- 1922
- 1923
- 1924
- 1925
- 1926
- 1927
- 1928
- 1929
- 1930
- 1931
- 1932
- 1933
- 1934
- 1935
- 1936
- 1937
- 1938
- 1939
- 1940
- 1941
- 1942
- 1943
- 1944
- 1945
- 1946
- 1947
- 1948
- 1949
- 1950
- 1951
- 1952
- 1953
- 1954
- 1955
- 1956
- 1957
- 1958
- 1959
- 1960
- 1961
- 1962
- 1963
- 1964
- 1965
- 1966
- 1967
- 1968
- 1969
- 1970
- 1971
- 1972
- 1973
- 1974
- 1975
- 1976
- 1977
- 1978
- 1979
- 1980
- 1981
- 1982
- 1983
- 1984
- 1985
- 1986
- 1987
- 1988
- 1989
- 1990
- 1991
- 1992
- 1993
- 1994
- 1995
- 1996
- 1997
- 1998
- 1999
- 2000
- 2001
- 2002
- 2003
- 2004
- 2005
- 2006
- 2007
- 2008
- 2009
- 2010
- 2011
- 2012
- 2013
- 2014
- 2015
- 2016
- 2017
- 2018
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
- 2023
- 2024
Number of earthquakes m > 4 per country by year
Country | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Indonesia | 2233 | 2207 | 2307 | 2082 | 2907 | 1928 |
Mexico | 1838 | 1791 | 1873 | 2105 | 2090 | 1915 |
Philippines | 1473 | 921 | 831 | 851 | 950 | 470 |
Chile | 936 | 905 | 970 | 993 | 846 | 856 |
Japan | 903 | 1253 | 1122 | 819 | 776 | 875 |
Turkey | 879 | 188 | 231 | 363 | 166 | 123 |
Papua New Guinea | 819 | 549 | 637 | 596 | 645 | 1024 |
Guatemala | 759 | 568 | 589 | 619 | 795 | 609 |
Syria | 740 | 26 | 23 | 81 | 17 | 18 |
Peru | 580 | 615 | 626 | 536 | 501 | 404 |
China | 473 | 437 | 423 | 432 | 353 | 357 |
Afghanistan | 414 | 260 | 281 | 298 | 243 | 266 |
Argentina | 402 | 378 | 435 | 434 | 381 | 386 |
Tajikistan | 356 | 249 | 274 | 284 | 243 | 280 |
Tonga | 354 | 430 | 272 | 315 | 270 | 276 |
El Salvador | 338 | 338 | 369 | 304 | 366 | 326 |
Iran | 305 | 321 | 310 | 264 | 263 | 356 |
Nicaragua | 299 | 304 | 299 | 271 | 306 | 314 |
India | 275 | 303 | 248 | 303 | 218 | 147 |
Honduras | 270 | 296 | 272 | 243 | 286 | 265 |
Russia | 253 | 218 | 320 | 193 | 226 | 147 |
Timor Leste | 243 | 281 | 295 | 264 | 263 | 214 |
Pakistan | 221 | 230 | 220 | 287 | 218 | 219 |
Kyrgyzstan | 214 | 128 | 153 | 184 | 115 | 165 |
Uzbekistan | 197 | 112 | 139 | 147 | 108 | 156 |
Taiwan | 193 | 358 | 294 | 211 | 169 | 217 |
Fiji | 191 | 178 | 191 | 180 | 174 | 264 |
Costa Rica | 190 | 271 | 263 | 245 | 243 | 229 |
Guam | 186 | 230 | 149 | 164 | 129 | 156 |
Bolivia | 182 | 182 | 194 | 185 | 166 | 164 |
Greece | 181 | 244 | 380 | 523 | 357 | 425 |
Colombia | 167 | 148 | 165 | 140 | 125 | 154 |
Northern Mariana Islands | 162 | 173 | 112 | 153 | 109 | 129 |
Panama | 156 | 183 | 161 | 136 | 142 | 134 |
Myanmar | 143 | 128 | 137 | 119 | 98 | 126 |
Ecuador | 138 | 167 | 173 | 136 | 147 | 126 |
Lebanon | 137 | - | - | - | - | - |
New Zealand | 137 | 141 | 547 | 172 | 93 | 98 |
United States | 128 | 181 | 190 | 193 | 242 | 245 |
Cyprus | 127 | 26 | - | - | - | - |
Lists by location
By country
- Afghanistan
- Albania
- Algeria
- Argentina
- Mendoza
- Armenia
- Australia
- Azerbaijan
- Bangladesh
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- China
- Sichuan
- Yunnan
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Croatia
- Cuba
- Cyprus
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Dominican Republic
- East Timor
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- France
- Fiji
- Georgia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece
- Guam
- Guatemala
- Haiti
- Iceland
- India
- Indonesia
- Iran
- Italy
- Irpinia
- Japan
- Kosovo
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Malaysia
- Mexico
- Morocco
- Myanmar
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Pakistan
- Palestine
- Panama
- Papua New Guinea
- Peru
- Philippines
- Portugal
- Azores
- Romania
- Vrancea
- Russia
- Samoa
- Saudi Arabia
- Slovenia
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Tonga
- Turkey
- United States
- Alaska
- California
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Montana
- Nevada
- Oklahoma
- Puerto Rico
- South Carolina
- Texas
- Utah
- Washington
- Vanuatu
- Venezuela
- Yemen
By region
- British Isles
- Caribbean
- Levant
- South Asia
Deadliest earthquakes by year
Year | Magnitude | Location | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Event | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1937 | 6.9 | China, Shandong Province | 25.0 | IX | 3,252 people were killed and 12,701 were injured. | 1937 Heze earthquakes | July 31 |
1938 | 6.6 | Turkey, Kırşehir Province | 10.0 | IX | 224 people were killed. | 1938 Kırşehir earthquake | April 19 |
1939 | 7.8 | Turkey, Erzincan Province | 20.0 | XII | At least 32,700 people were killed. | 1939 Erzincan earthquake | December 27 |
1940 | 7.7 | Romania, Vrancea County | 133.0 | X | 1,000 people were killed in Romania and Moldova. Also known as Bucharest earthquake. | 1940 Vrancea earthquake | November 10 |
1941 | 5.8 | Yemen, Razih District | 35.0 | VIII | 1,200 people were killed. | 1941 Jabal Razih earthquake | January 11 |
1942 | 7.0 | Turkey, Erbaa | 10.0 | IX | 3,000 people were killed. | 1942 Niksar–Erbaa earthquake | December 20 |
1943 | 7.5–7.7 | Turkey, Çankırı | 20.0 | XI | Between 2,824 and 5,000 people were killed. | 1943 Tosya–Ladik earthquake | November 27 |
1944 | 7.0 | Argentina, San Juan | 15.0 | IX | 10,000 people were killed. | 1944 San Juan earthquake | January 15 |
1945 | 8.1 | British India, Makran Coast | 15.0 | X | Between 300 and 4,000 people were killed. | 1945 Balochistan earthquake | November 28 |
1946 | 7.8 | Dominican Republic, Samana | 15.0 | IX | 2,550 people were killed. | 1946 Dominican Republic earthquake | August 4 |
1948 | 7.3 | Soviet Union, Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic | 15.0 | X | Between 10,000 and 110,000 people were killed and the city of Ashgabat was completely destroyed. | 1948 Ashgabat earthquake | October 6 |
1949 | 7.5 | Soviet Union, Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic | 18.0 | IX | 12,000 people were killed, mostly due to landslides that buried the city of Khait. | 1949 Khait earthquake | July 10 |
1950 | 8.6 | India, Assam | 15.0 | XI | It is the largest earthquake on land and the largest one to occur due to continental collision rather than plate subduction. 4,800 people were killed. | 1950 Assam–Tibet earthquake | August 15 |
1951 | 6.5 | El Salvador offshore | 85.0 | 1,100 people were killed. | 1951 El Salvador earthquake | May 6 | |
1952 | 9.0 | Soviet Union, Russian Soviet Socialist Republic | 21.6 | XI | Between 2,336 and 20,000 people were killed and a tsunami with a maximum height of 18 metres (59 ft). | 1952 Severo-Kurilsk earthquake | November 5 |
1953 | 7.3 | Turkey, Balıkesir Province | 10.0 | IX | 1,070 people killed and US$3,570,000 in damages. | 1953 Yenice–Gönen earthquake | March 18 |
1954 | 6.7 | France, Chlef Province, Algeria | 15.0 | XI | 1,243 people were killed and 5,000 injured. 6,000 homes collapsed. | 1954 Chlef earthquake | September 9 |
1955 | 7.4 | Philippines, Western Mindanao | 35.0 | VIII | At least 465 people were killed and severe damage along Lanao Lake. | 1955 Lanao earthquake | March 31 |
1956 | 6.4 | Iran, Hormozgan | 15.0 | VII | 347 people killed. | 1956 Hormozgan earthquake | October 31 |
1957 | 6.7 | Iran, Hamadan | 15.0 | VII | 1,200 people killed and major damage. | 1957 Farsinaj earthquake | December 13 |
1958 | 6.7 | Iran, Lorestan | 15.0 | VII | 158 people were killed as well as major damage was reported. | 1958 Lorestan earthquake | August 16 |
1959 | 7.3 | United States, Montana | 5.0 | X | 28 people were killed. Most of the deaths occurred due to landslides. | 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake | August 18 |
1960 | 5.8 | Morocco, Souss-Massa | 15.0 | X | Worst earthquake in Moroccan history. Between 12,000 and 15,000 were killed. | 1960 Agadir earthquake | February 29 |
1961 | 6.4 | Iran, Fars province | 15.0 | VIII | 60 people were killed. | 1961 Fars earthquake | June 11 |
1962 | 7.0 | Iran, Qazvin province | 10.0 | IX | 12,225 killed and major property damage. | 1962 Buin Zahra earthquake | September 1 |
1963 | 6.1 | Yugoslavia, Macedonia | 15.0 | X | 1,070 people killed and 80 percent of Skopje was destroyed. | 1963 Skopje earthquake | July 26 |
1964 | 9.2 | United States, Alaska | 25.0 | XI | It is the largest earthquake ever recorded in North America and the second largest in history, behind only the 1960 Valdivia earthquake. 131 people were killed, all but nine died from the tsunami. | 1964 Alaska earthquake | March 27 |
1965 | 7.4 | Chile, Valparaíso Region | 70.0 | IX | 400 people were killed, mostly due to a dam failure caused by the quake. | 1965 Valparaíso earthquake and the El Cobre dam failures | March 28 |
1966 | 6.8 | China, Hebei | 20.0 | IX | 8,064 killed and 38,000 injured. Largest in an earthquake sequence affecting the area during the month of March that year. | 1966 Xingtai earthquakes | March 22 |
1967 | 6.6 | Venezuela, Vargas | 25.0 | VIII | 225 to 300 killed and 1,500+ injured. Major damage in Caracas. | 1967 Caracas earthquake | July 29 |
1968 | 7.1 | Iran, South Khorasan Province | 10.0 | X | 15,900 people were killed in the earthquake and the subsequent aftershock the next day. | 1968 Dasht-e Bayaz and Ferdows earthquakes | August 31 |
1969 | 6.4 | China, Guangdong | 20.0 | VIII | 3,000 killed. 46,700 houses damaged or destroyed. Felt in Hong Kong. | 1969 Yangjiang earthquake | July 25 |
1970 | 7.9 | Peru, Ancash | 45.0 | VIII | Worst earthquake in Peruvian history. Nearly 70,000 killed. Most of the deaths occurred as a result of an avalanche. | 1970 Ancash earthquake | May 31 |
1971 | 6.9 | Turkey, Bingöl | 10.0 | VIII | 875 killed. 5,583 houses heavily damaged, 3,418 houses moderately damaged, and 3,638 houses slightly damaged. | 1971 Bingöl earthquake | May 22 |
1972 | 6.6 | Iran, Fars | 10.0 | IX | The estimated number of deaths is 5,374, with a further 1,710 injured. Some sources say the death toll is as high as 30,000. | 1972 Qir earthquake | April 10 |
1973 | 7.6 | China, Sichuan | 11.0 | X | 2,199 killed and 2,743 injured. | 1973 Luhuo earthquake | February 6 |
1974 | 7.1 | China, Yunnan | 14.0 | IX | Between 1,641 and 20,000 were killed. | 1974 Zhaotong earthquake | May 10 |
1975 | 6.7 | Turkey, Diyarbakır | 26.0 | IX | 2,311 people were killed. The town of Lice was almost completely destroyed. | 1975 Lice earthquake | September 6 |
1976 | 7.6 | China, Hebei | 12.2 | XI | 242,719 people were officially counted as dead, while some sources say the death toll is as high as 655,000. This is the deadliest earthquake of the 20th century and the third deadliest in recorded history. | 1976 Tangshan earthquake | July 28 |
1977 | 7.5 | Romania, Vrancea | 85.3 | IX | 1,578 people were killed (1,424 of them in Bucharest) and 11,221 injured in Romania. In neighboring Bulgaria, 120 were killed and 165 were injured, while in Moldova (Moldovan SSR at the time), 2 people died. | 1977 Vrancea earthquake | March 4 |
1978 | 7.4 | Iran, Yazd | 33.0 | IX | Between 15,000 and 25,000 people were killed, 85 percent of them coming from Tabas. | 1978 Tabas earthquake | September 16 |
1979 | 8.2 | Colombia, Nariño | 33.0 | IX | Between 300 and 600 people were killed from the combined effects of the earthquake and tsunami, the latter causing most of the damage. | 1979 Tumaco earthquake | December 12 |
1980 | 7.3 | Algeria, Chlef | 10.0 | X | Between 2,633 and 5,000 people were killed and between 8,369 and 9,000 were injured. This is the largest earthquake to hit the Atlas Mountains since 1790. | 1980 El Asnam earthquake | October 10 |
1981 | 6.6 & 7.1 | Iran, Kerman | 33.0 | VIII & IX | Both earthquakes killed at least 3,000 people. The two events occurred six weeks from each other. | 1981 Golbaf earthquake and 1981 Sirch earthquake | June 11 and July 28 |
1982 | 6.2 | North Yemen, Dhamar | 10.0 | VIII | 2,800 people were killed, 1,500 injured and 700,000 homeless. | 1982 North Yemen earthquake | December 13 |
1983 | 6.6 | Turkey, Erzurum | 15.0 | IX | 1,340 people were killed and 50 settlements destroyed. | 1983 Erzurum earthquake | October 30 |
1984 | 6.3 | Japan, Nagano | 2.0 | VIII | 14 people were killed, 10 were injured, and 15 missing. | 1984 Nagano earthquake | September 13 |
1985 | 8.0 | Mexico, Michoacán | 20.0 | IX | Between 5,000 and 45,000 were killed and 30,000 were injured. Mexico City was the worst hit, despite being relatively far from the epicenter. | 1985 Mexico City earthquake | September 19 |
1986 | 5.7 | El Salvador, San Salvador | 10.0 | IX | 1,000–1,500 were killed and 10,000–20,000 injured. 200,000 were left homeless and extensive damage in San Salvador. | 1986 San Salvador earthquake | October 10 |
1987 | 7.1 | Ecuador, Sucumbíos | 10.0 | IX | More than 1,000 were killed and 5,000 missing. | 1987 Ecuador earthquakes | March 6 |
1988 | 6.8 | Soviet Union, Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic | 5.0 | X | Between 25,000 and 50,000 were killed and up to 130,000 were injured. An aftershock of ML 5.8 occurred shortly after. Four people were also killed in Turkey. | 1988 Armenian earthquake | December 7 |
1989 | 5.3 | Soviet Union, Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic | 33.0 | VII | More than 274 people were killed. Most of the casualties occurred due to landslides that buried three villages. | 1989 Gissar earthquake | January 23 |
1990 | 7.4 | Iran, Gilan | 18.5 | X | Between 35,000 and 40,000 people were killed, between 60,000 and 108,000 injured and 105,000 to 450,000 displaced throughout Northern Iran, most especially in the Manjil-Rudbar area and in Tehran. Slight damage also occurred in Azerbaijan (part of the Soviet Union at the time). | 1990 Manjil–Rudbar earthquake | June 21 |
1991 | 6.8 | India, Uttar Pradesh | 11.6 | IX | Between 768 and 2,000 people were killed, more than 1,800 injured and 18,000 buildings destroyed in the Chamoli-Uttarkashi area. Some damage occurred at Chandigarh and New Delhi. | 1991 Uttarkashi earthquake | October 20 |
1992 | 7.8 | Indonesia, Flores Sea offshore | 27.7 | VIII | At least 2,500 people killed or missing in the Flores region, including 1,490 at Maumere and 700 on Babi. More than 500 people were injured and 90,000 were left homeless. Nineteen people killed and 130 houses destroyed on Kalaotoa. Severe damage, with approximately 90 percent of the buildings destroyed at Maumere by the earthquake and tsunami; 50 to 80 percent of the structures on Flores were damaged or destroyed. Damage also occurred on Sumba and Alor. The tsunami on Flores ran inland as much as 300 meters with wave heights of 25 meters. Landslides and ground cracks were reported at several locations on the island. | 1992 Flores earthquake and tsunami | December 12 |
1993 | 6.3 | India, Maharashtra | 10.0 | VIII | At least 9,748 people were killed, about 30,000 were injured and extreme devastation in the Latur-Osmanabad area. Nearly all buildings were destroyed in the village of Khillari. | 1993 Latur earthquake | September 29 |
1994 | 6.8 | Colombia, Cauca | 12.1 | IX | At least 1,100 people killed, 500 missing, 13,000 homeless and severe damage caused to houses, highways and bridges by the earthquake and ensuing landslides in Cauca, Huila, Tolima and Valle departments. At least 200 homes were destroyed, including 25 at Toribio and 15 at Piendamo. Moderate structural damage occurred at Bogotá and Cali. | 1994 Páez River earthquake | June 6 |
1995 | 6.9 | Japan, Kobe | 21.9 | XI | 6,434 people were killed, 43,792 injured and extensive damage occurred in the Kobe area and on Awaji-shima. Over 90 percent of the casualties occurred along the southern coast of Honshu between Kobe and Nishinomiya. At least 28 people were killed by a landslide at Nishinomiya. About 310,000 people were evacuated to temporary shelters. Over 200,000 buildings were damaged or destroyed. Numerous fires, gas and water main breaks and power outages occurred in the epicentral area. | 1995 Kobe earthquake | January 17 |
1996 | 6.6 | China, Yunnan | 10.0 | X | 322 people were killed and 16,925 were injured. About 358,000 houses collapsed and 654,000 others were damaged. More than 320,000 people were left homeless. | 1996 Lijiang earthquake | February 3 |
1997 | 7.3 | Iran, Khorasan | 10.0 | X | 2,394 people were killed, 2,300 were injured, 50,000 left homeless, 10,533 houses were destroyed, 5,474 houses damaged and landslides occurred in the Birjand-Qayen area. | 1997 Qayen earthquake | May 10 |
1998 | 6.6 | Afghanistan, Takhar | 33.0 | VII | At least 4,500 people were killed, many thousands injured and homeless in Badakhshan and Takhar Provinces. | May 1998 Afghanistan earthquake | May 30 |
1999 | 7.6 | Turkey, İzmit | 17.0 | X | At least 17,127 people were killed, 43,953 injured. More than 250,000 people were left homeless in the affected cities. | 1999 İzmit earthquake | August 17 |
2000 | 7.9 | Indonesia, Enggano Island offshore | 44.0 | VI | This earthquake killed at least 103 people and injured 2,585 others. | 2000 Enggano earthquake | June 4 |
2001 | 7.7 | India, Bhuj | 16.0 | X | 20,085 people were killed, 166,800 people were injured and over a million buildings damaged or destroyed, this was the 3rd largest earthquake in India since 1900. | 2001 Gujarat earthquake | January 26 |
2002 | 7.4 & 6.1 | Afghanistan, Baghlan Province | 8.0 | VII | 1,166 people were killed and 200 people were injured. A 45 meter wide fissure opened in Xiker Reservoir in Xinjiang, China. | 2002 Hindu Kush earthquakes | March 3–25 |
2003 | 6.6 | Iran, Bam | 10.0 | IX | 26,271 people were killed and 30,000 people were injured. The city of Bam was catastrophically impacted with many buildings, including the Bam Citadel completely destroyed. | 2003 Bam earthquake | December 26 |
2004 | 9.1 | Indonesia, Sumatra offshore | 30.0 | IX | This is the third largest earthquake in the world since 1900 and is the largest since the 1964 Alaska earthquake. In total, at least 227,898 people were killed, many more injured and 1,126,900 were displaced by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 14 countries in South Asia and East Africa. | 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake | December 26 |
2005 | 7.6 | Pakistan, Balakot | 15.0 | XI | At least 87,351 people killed, more than 138,000 injured and extensive damage in Pakistan and India. The heaviest damage occurred in the Muzaffarabad area, Pakistan where entire villages were destroyed. In addition, approximately 250,000 farm animals died due to the collapse of stone barns, and more than 500,000 large animals required immediate shelter from the harsh winter. | 2005 Kashmir earthquake | October 8 |
2006 | 6.4 | Indonesia, Yogyakarta | 10.0 | IX | At least 5,749 people were killed, over 38,000 were injured and at least 600,000 people were displaced in the Bantul-Yogyakarta area. More than 127,000 houses were destroyed and an additional 451,000 were damaged in the area, with the total loss estimated at 3.1 billion U.S. dollars. | 2006 Yogyakarta earthquake | May 27 |
2007 | 8.0 | Peru, Ica offshore | 39.0 | IX | At least 519 people killed, 1,090 injured and more than 39,700 buildings damaged or destroyed. | 2007 Peru earthquake | August 15 |
2008 | 7.9 | China, Sichuan | 19.0 | XI | At least 87,587 people killed, 374,643 injured and 18,392 missing and presumed dead. More than 45.5 million people in 10 provinces and regions were affected. At least 15 million people were evacuated from their homes and more than 5 million were left homeless. An estimated 5.36 million buildings collapsed and more than 21 million buildings were damaged. The total economic loss was estimated at 86 billion US dollars. | 2008 Sichuan earthquake | May 12 |
2009 | 7.6 | Indonesia, Padang offshore | 90.0 | VII | At least 1,115 people killed, 2,181 injured, 181,665 buildings destroyed or damaged and about 451,000 people displaced in Padang. Damage estimated at 2.3 billion U.S. dollars. | 2009 Sumatra earthquake | September 30 |
2010 | 7.0 | Haiti, Léogâne | 13.0 | X | The earthquake killed between 92,000 and 316,000 people, and injured 300,000. With 1.3 million displaced, 97,294 houses were destroyed and 188,383 were damaged in the Port-au-Prince area and in much of southern Haiti. | 2010 Haiti earthquake | January 12 |
2011 | 9.1 | Japan, Sendai offshore | 29.0 | IX | At least 19,747 people killed, 2,556 missing, 6,242 injured, 130,927 displaced and at least 332,395 buildings, 2,126 roads, 56 bridges and 26 railways destroyed or damaged by the earthquake and tsunami along the entire east coast of Honshu from Chiba to Aomori. | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | March 11 |
2012 | 6.4 | Iran, East Azerbaijan | 9.0 | VIII | At least 306 people killed, 3,037 injured, 4 villages destroyed and 60 heavily damaged in the epicentral area | 2012 East Azerbaijan earthquakes | August 11 |
2013 | 7.7 | Pakistan, Balochistan | 15.0 | IX | At least 825 people killed, 700 people were injured and 21,000 houses destroyed or damaged in Balochistan | 2013 Balochistan earthquakes | September 24 |
2014 | 6.2 | China, Ludian County | 10.0 | IX | At least 729 people killed, 3,143 injured and 42,000 houses damaged or destroyed. | 2014 Ludian earthquake | August 3 |
2015 | 7.8 | Nepal, Gorkha District | 8.2 | X | At least 9,182 people killed, 25,482 injured, and 769,817 houses damaged or destroyed in Nepal in this earthquake and the M 7.3 aftershock on May 12. | April 2015 Nepal earthquake | April 25 |
2016 | 7.8 | Ecuador, Esmeraldas | 20.6 | VIII | At least 676 people killed, 27,732 injured and 7,000 buildings damaged or destroyed including most of the town of Pedernales and its surrounding urban areas. | 2016 Ecuador earthquake | April 16 |
2017 | 7.3 | Iran–Iraq border Region | 19.0 | IX | At least 630 people killed, more than 8,100 injured, 70,000 displaced, 12,000 buildings destroyed and 15,000 buildings damaged. | 2017 Iran–Iraq earthquake | November 12 |
2018 | 7.5 | Indonesia, Palu | 20.0 | X | At least 4,340 people killed, 10,679 people injured, 667 people missing, and 206,524 people made refugees. most of the casualties and damage were caused by a tsunami up to 7 m (23 ft) in Donggala. | 2018 Sulawesi earthquake and tsunami | September 28 |
2019 | 6.4 | Albania, Durrës | 10.0 | VIII | At least 51 people killed, 3,000 people injured and many buildings damaged or destroyed. | 2019 Albania earthquake | November 26 |
2020 | 7.0 | Greece Turkey Aegean Sea |
21.0 | VIII | At least 119 people killed, 1,096 people were injured and a 6-meter (20 ft) high tsunami. Most of the casualties and damage occurred in Turkey | 2020 Aegean Sea earthquake | October 30 |
2021 | 7.2 | Haiti, Nippes | 10.0 | IX | At least 2,248 people killed, 12,763 people were injured and 136,800 buildings destroyed in Les Cayes | 2021 Haiti earthquake | August 14 |
2022 | 6.0 | Afghanistan, Khost | 10.0 | VIII | At least 1,163 people were killed and 6,027 others injured. Many homes were destroyed. | June 2022 Afghanistan earthquake | June 21 |
2023 | 7.8 | Turkey, Southeastern Anatolia Syria, Aleppo and Idlib Governorates |
17.9 10.0 |
XII | At least 59,488 people were killed and 121,704 people were injured after a Mw 7.8 earthquake hit Turkey and Syria, followed by a Mw 7.7 aftershock occurring a few hours later. | 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake | February 6 |
2024 | 7.5 | Japan, Ishikawa | 10.0 | X | At least 245 people were killed, 1,299 were injured, and 2 are missing. A tsunami reaching up to 6.58 m (21.6 ft) tall was generated and affected the Sea of Japan. It was the deadliest earthquake in Japan since 2016. | 2024 Noto earthquake | January 1 |
Largest earthquakes by year
Year | Magnitude | Location | Depth (km) | MMI | Notes | Deaths | Injuries | Event | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1937 | 7.8 | China, Qinghai | 15.0 | VIII | – | 0 | 0 | January 7 | |
1938 | 8.5–8.6 | Dutch East Indies, Maluku offshore | 60.0 | VII | A damaging tsunami up to 1.5 meters high was reported across the Banda Sea region. | 0 | 0 | 1938 Banda Sea earthquake | February 1 |
1939 | 8.1 | Dutch East Indies, Central Sulawesi offshore | 150.0 | VII | – | 0 | 0 | December 21 | |
1940 | 8.2 | Peru, Lima | 45.0 | VIII | A tsunami up to 2 meters high was generated without major damage. | 179–300 | 3,500 | 1940 Lima earthquake | May 24 |
1941 | 8.0 | Japan, Miyazaki offshore | 35.0 | VII | A tsunami up to 1.2 meters high was observed in Kyushu and Shikoku. | 2 | 0 | 1941 Hyūga-nada earthquake | November 18 |
1942 | 8.2 | Peru, Ica | 35.0 | IX | In Callao, the amplitude of the tsunami's oscillations was 1.6 meters. | 30 | 25 | 1942 Peru earthquake | August 24 |
1943 | 7.9–8.2 | Chile, Coquimbo | 35.0 | VIII | A minor tsunami caused local damage along the coast. | 11 | 0 | 1943 Ovalle earthquake | April 6 |
1944 | 8.1 | Japan, Wakayama offshore | 30.0 | VIII | A destructive tsunami which had a height of 10 meters caused severe damage in the Tōkai region. | 1,223 | 2,135 | 1944 Tonankai earthquake | December 7 |
1945 | 8.1 | India, Balochistan offshore | 15.0 | X | A destructive 15-metre high tsunami was observed in the Makran Coast. | 4,000 | 0 | 1945 Balochistan earthquake | November 27 |
1946 | 8.6 | United States, Alaska offshore | 15.0 | VI | Most of the casualties and damage occurred in Hawaii, where a 17-metre high tsunami was observed. At least five people also died in Unimak Island. | 173 | 0 | 1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake | April 1 |
1947 | 7.6 | Dutch East Indies, Papua offshore | 15.0 | VI | – | 0 | 0 | May 27 | |
Peru, Junin | 20.0 | IX | Severe damage and landslides. Felt as far away as Lima. | 2,233 | 0 | 1947 Satipo earthquake | November 1 | ||
1948 | 7.8 | Philippines, Panay | 15.0 | X | Extensive damage. A 2-meter tsunami was also triggered. | 50 | 0 | 1948 Lady Caycay earthquake | January 24 |
1949 | 8.0 | Canada, Haida Gwaii | 10.0 | VIII | Minor damage was reported and a 0.6 meter tsunami was triggered. | 0 | 0 | 1949 Queen Charlotte Islands earthquake | August 22 |
1950 | 8.6 | India–China, Assam–Tibet border region | 15.0 | XI | This was the strongest earthquake ever recorded on land. | 4,800 | 0 | 1950 Assam–Tibet earthquake | August 15 |
1951 | 7.8 | Taiwan, East Rift Valley | 30.0 | VII | This was the strongest earthquake in a sequence of events. | 85 | 1,200 | 1951 East Rift Valley earthquakes | November 24 |
1952 | 9.0 | Soviet Union, Kamchatka | 21.6 | XI | The death toll from this earthquake and resulting tsunami may be as high as 17,000. | 2,336 | 0 | 1952 Severo-Kurilsk earthquake | November 4 |
1953 | 7.9 | Japan, Yokohama | 25.0 | V | – | 1 | 0 | November 25 | |
1954 | 7.8 | Spain, Andalusia | 626.2 | IV | – | 0 | 0 | March 29 | |
1955 | 7.5 | New Zealand, Kermadec Islands | 15.0 | I | – | 0 | 0 | February 27 | |
1956 | 7.7 | Greece, Dodecanese Islands | 20.0 | IX | The earthquake triggered a 30 m (98 ft) high tsunami. | 56 | 0 | 1956 Amorgos earthquake | July 9 |
1957 | 8.6–9.1 | United States, Aleutian Islands, Alaska | 25.0 | VIII | A 10 meter high tsunami led to most of the damage. | 2 | 0 | 1957 Andreanof Islands earthquake | March 9 |
1958 | 8.3 | Soviet Union, Kuril Islands | 35.0 | X | A tsunami up to 5 m (16 ft) high caused most of the damage. | 0 | 51 | 1958 Kuril Islands earthquake | November 6 |
1959 | 7.9 | Soviet Union, Kamchatka | 55.0 | VIII | A tsunami up to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) high occurred in the Aleutian Islands. | 1 | 13 | 1959 Kamchatka earthquake | May 4 |
1960 | 9.5 | Chile, Valdivia | 25.0 | XII | This is the most powerful earthquake recorded since 1900. A tsunami up to 25 m (82 ft) high occurred. | 6,000 | 11,000 | 1960 Valdivia earthquake | May 22 |
1961 | 7.6 | Peru, Madre de Dios Region | 612.2 | IV | – | 0 | 0 | August 19 | |
1962 | 7.5 | Fiji offshore | 390.0 | I | – | 0 | 0 | May 21 | |
1963 | 8.5 | Soviet Union, Kuril Islands | 35.0 | IX | – | 0 | 0 | 1963 Kuril Islands earthquake | October 13 |
1964 | 9.2 | Alaska, Prince William Sound | 25.0 | XI | Most of the deaths were caused by a tsunami, which was the largest earthquake-produced tsunami ever recorded at a height of 67.0 m (219.8 ft). This is the second most powerful earthquake in modern times and the most powerful in North America. | 131 | 0 | 1964 Alaska earthquake | March 27 |
1965 | 8.7 | Alaska, Aleutian Islands | 30.3 | VI | A tsunami up to 10.7 m (35 ft) occurred, but caused little damage. This is the second most powerful earthquake in Alaska and the United States as a whole. | 0 | 0 | 1965 Rat Islands earthquake | February 3 |
1966 | 8.1 | Peru, Arequipa | 38.0 | IX | A 3.4 m (11 ft) high tsunami occurred. | 125 | 3,000 | 1966 Peru earthquake | October 17 |
1967 | 7.4 | Turkey, Sakarya Province | 30.0 | X | – | 86 | 0 | 1967 Mudurnu earthquake | July 22 |
1968 | 8.3 | Japan, Hokkaidō | 26.0 | VIII | A majority of the casualties were from a 6 m (20 ft) high tsunami. | 52 | 330 | 1968 Tokachi earthquake | May 16 |
1969 | 8.2 | Soviet Union, Kuril Islands | 30.0 | VIII | – | 0 | 0 | August 11 | |
1970 | 8.0 | Colombia, Amazonas Department | 644.8 | IV | This was one of the most powerful deep-focus earthquakes ever recorded. | 1 | 4 | 1970 Colombia earthquake | July 31 |
1971 | 8.1 | Papua New Guinea, Kokopo | 37.0 | IX | An 8.0 event occurred 12 days earlier. | 3 | 5 | 1971 Solomon Islands earthquakes | July 26 |
1972 | 8.0 | Philippines, Mindanao | 60.0 | VII | – | 0 | 0 | December 2 | |
1973 | 7.8 | Japan, Hokkaidō | 43.3 | VIII | A 5.98 m (19.6 ft) high tsunami occurred. | 0 | 27 | 1973 Nemuro earthquake | June 17 |
1974 | 8.1 | Peru, Lima | 13.0 | IX | Severe damage in the Lima area. | 78 | 2,400 | 1974 Lima earthquake | October 3 |
1975 | 7.9 | north Atlantic Ocean | 33.0 | VI | Some damage was reported in Madeira, Portugal. The tsunami measured 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in). | 0 | 0 | 1975 North Atlantic earthquake | May 26 |
Papua New Guinea, Bougainville Island | 49.0 | VIII | A 2 m (6 ft 7 in) tsunami destroyed a few homes. | 0 | 0 | July 20 | |||
1976 | 8.0 | Philippines, Moro Gulf | 33.0 | VIII | Further casualties from a 9 m (30 ft) tsunami. | 8,000 | 10,000 | 1976 Moro Gulf earthquake | August 17 |
New Zealand, Kermadec Islands offshore | 33.0 | VII | Some damage was reported in Raoul Island. | 0 | 0 | August 17 | |||
1977 | 8.3 | Indonesia, Bima | 25.0 | VI | The earthquake was felt as far away as Albany in Australia. The tsunami measured 5.8 m (19 ft). | 189 | 1,100 | 1977 Sumba earthquake | August 19 |
1978 | 7.7 | Japan, Miyagi | 44.0 | VIII | 6,757 buildings destroyed or badly damaged. The earthquake also triggered a 60 cm (2.0 ft) tsunami. | 28 | 1,325 | 1978 Miyagi earthquake | June 12 |
1979 | 8.2 | Colombia, Nariño offshore Ecuador, Esmeraldas offshore |
24.0 | IX | A tsunami up to 6 m (20 ft) high was triggered. | 600 | 0 | 1979 Tumaco earthquake | December 12 |
1980 | 7.9 | Solomon Islands, Santa Cruz Islands | 33.0 | VI | – | 0 | 0 | July 17 | |
1981 | 7.7 | Samoa, Apia | 25.0 | VI | One person drowned in a 1 m (3 ft 3 in) tsunami. | 1 | 0 | September 1 | |
1982 | 7.3 | El Salvador, Offshore | 73.0 | VII | – | 43 | 0 | 1982 El Salvador earthquake | June 19 |
1983 | 7.6 | Papua New Guinea, New Ireland | 88.8 | VII | In areas close to the epicentre, landslides occurred and trees were uprooted, and a 25 cm (0.82 ft) tsunami was observed. | 0 | 0 | March 18 | |
1984 | 7.6 | Solomon Islands, Honiara | 18.1 | VIII | Some landslides occurred. | 0 | 0 | February 7 | |
1985 | 8.0 | Mexico, Mexico City | 27.9 | IX | At least 3,536 buildings damaged or destroyed. A 3.0 m (9.8 ft) tsunami was observed on the Mexican coast, although some estimates put the height at 30 m (98 ft) | 10,000 | 30,000 | 1985 Mexico City earthquake | September 19 |
1986 | 8.0 | United States, Aleutian Islands, Alaska | 19.0 | VII | Minor damage was reported in areas near the epicenter. A 10 ft (3.0 m) tsunami struck Hawaii, more than 4,000 km (2,500 mi) away. | 0 | 0 | May 7 | |
1987 | 7.9 | United States, Gulf of Alaska | 10.0 | VI | Minor damage near the epicentre and a small tsunami was observed. | 0 | 0 | November 30 | |
1988 | 7.7 | Myanmar–China border region | 17.8 | X | Some damage was also reported in Myanmar and Thailand. | 938 | 7,700 | 1988 Lancang–Gengma earthquakes | November 6 |
1989 | 8.0 | Australia, Macquarie Island | 10.0 | V | – | 0 | 0 | May 23 | |
1990 | 7.8 | Philippines, Luzon | 24.4 | IX | – | 1,621 | 3,000 | 1990 Luzon earthquake | July 16 |
1991 | 7.7 | Costa Rica, Limón | 10.0 | IX | A 4 m (13 ft) tsunami was observed. | 127 | 759 | 1991 Limon earthquake | April 22 |
1992 | 7.8 | Indonesia, Sunda Islands | 23.5 | VIII | A 25 m (82 ft) tsunami occurred. | 2,500 | 0 | 1992 Flores earthquake and tsunami | December 12 |
1993 | 7.8 | Guam, Offshore | 59.3 | IX | 71 people were injured and a 2.1 m (6 ft 11 in) tsunami was observed. | 0 | 71 | 1993 Guam earthquake | August 8 |
1994 | 8.3 | Russia, Kuril Islands | 3.0 | IX | A 3.5 m (11 ft) tsunami was observed. | 12 | 1,742 | 1994 Kuril Islands earthquake | October 5 |
1995 | 8.0 | Chile, Antofagasta | 30.5 | VII | – | 3 | 59 | 1995 Antofagasta earthquake | July 30 |
1996 | 8.2 | Indonesia, Biak | 11.5 | VIII | A 7 m (23 ft) tsunami occurred. | 166 | 423 | 1996 Biak earthquake | February 17 |
1997 | 7.7 | Russia, Kamchatka Peninsula | 23.5 | VIII | An 8.2 m (27 ft) tsunami was observed. | 0 | 0 | 1997 Kamchatka earthquake | December 5 |
1998 | 8.1 | Antarctica, Balleny Islands | 10.0 | – | Believed to be the largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in this area to date. | 0 | 0 | 1998 Balleny Islands earthquake | March 25 |
1999 | 7.7 | Taiwan, Nantou County | 15.5 | IX | At least 105,479 buildings damaged or destroyed. | 2,444 | 11,305 | 1999 Jiji earthquake | September 21 |
2000 | 8.0 | Papua New Guinea, New Ireland | 13.0 | VII | One person killed in a landslide, another from a heart attack. Two 7.8 Mw aftershocks occurred the following day. | 2 | 0 | 2000 New Ireland earthquakes | November 16 |
2001 | 8.4 | Peru, Arequipa | 33.0 | VIII | At least 90 drowned in a 7 m (23 ft) tsunami. | 145 | 2,713 | 2001 southern Peru earthquake | June 23 |
2002 | 7.9 | United States, Alaska | 4.2 | IX | It is the largest earthquake in Alaska in 16 years. | 0 | 1 | 2002 Denali earthquake | November 3 |
2003 | 8.3 | Japan, Hokkaidō | 23.5 | IX | Two missing. A 4 m (13 ft) tsunami observed. | 0 | 849 | 2003 Tokachi earthquake | September 26 |
2004 | 9.1–9.3 | Indonesia, Sumatra | 10.0 | IX | Majority of the deaths associated a tsunami that devastated parts of Southeast Asia and Eastern Africa. The tsunami measured 51 m (167 ft) in Banda Aceh. | 227,898 | 125,000 | 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami | December 26 |
2005 | 8.6 | Indonesia, Simeulue | 21.0 | IX | Ten fatalities in Sri Lanka due to evacuations. A 3 m (9.8 ft) tsunami damaged an airport. | 1313 | 300 | 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake | March 28 |
2006 | 8.3 | Russia, Kuril Islands | 10.0 | VI | 1 person injured when a tsunami struck with heights of 15 m (49 ft). | 0 | 1 | 2006 Kuril Islands earthquake | November 15 |
2007 | 8.4 | Indonesia, Sumatra | 34.0 | VIII | A 3 m (9.8 ft) tsunami observed. | 23 | 0 | September 2007 Sumatra earthquakes | September 12 |
2008 | 7.9 | China, Sichuan | 19.0 | XI | – | 87,587 | 374,177 | 2008 Sichuan earthquake | May 12 |
2009 | 8.1 | Samoa, Offshore | 18.0 | VII | A tsunami up to 14 m (46 ft) struck the Samoan coast. | 189 | 7 | 2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami | September 29 |
2010 | 8.8 | Chile, Concepción | 22.9 | IX | A 10 m (33 ft) tsunami struck the Chilean coast. | 550 | 12,000 | 2010 Chile earthquake | February 27 |
2011 | 9.1 | Japan, Honshu | 29.0 | IX | A tsunami up to 40.5 m (133 ft) struck the Tohoku coast. | 19,747 | 6,000 | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | March 11 |
2012 | 8.6 | Indonesia, Indian Ocean | 20.0 | VII | An 8.2 Mw aftershock occurred a few hours later. | 10 | 12 | 2012 Indian Ocean earthquakes | April 11 |
2013 | 8.3 | Russia, Sea of Okhotsk | 598.1 | VI | Felt as far away as Moscow. | 0 | 0 | 2013 Okhotsk Sea earthquake | May 24 |
2014 | 8.2 | Chile, Iquique | 25.0 | VIII | – | 6 | 9 | 2014 Iquique earthquake | April 1 |
2015 | 8.3 | Chile, Coquimbo | 22.4 | IX | – | 21 | 34 | 2015 Illapel earthquake | September 16 |
2016 | 7.9 | Papua New Guinea, New Ireland | 94.5 | VII | – | 0 | 0 | 2016 Solomon Islands earthquakes#December 17 earthquake | December 17 |
2017 | 8.2 | Mexico, Chiapas | 47.4 | IX | – | 98 | 250 | 2017 Chiapas earthquake | September 7 |
2018 | 8.2 | Fiji, Offshore | 600.0 | V | – | 0 | 0 | 2018 Fiji earthquake | August 19 |
2019 | 8.0 | Peru, Loreto | 122.6 | VIII | – | 2 | 0 | 2019 Peru earthquake | May 26 |
2020 | 7.8 | United States, Alaska Peninsula offshore | 28.0 | VII | Foreshock to the 8.2 in 2021, along with an event in October. | 0 | 0 | July 2020 Alaska Peninsula earthquake | July 22 |
2021 | 8.2 | United States, Alaska Peninsula offshore | 32.2 | VII | This is the largest earthquake in the United States since 1965. | 0 | 0 | 2021 Chignik earthquake | July 28 |
2022 | 7.6 | Papua New Guinea, Morobe | 61.4 | VIII | Extensive damage. Felt as far away as Indonesia. | 21 | 42 | 2022 Papua New Guinea earthquake | September 11 |
Mexico, Michoacán | 25.5 | VIII | Extensive damage. Felt as far away as Mexico City. A magnitude 6.8 aftershock two days later caused three additional fatalities. | 2 | 35 | 2022 Michoacán earthquake | September 19 | ||
2023 | 7.8 | Turkey, Southeastern Anatolia | 17.9 | XII | Felt as far as Beirut; another 7.7 Mw earthquake followed hours after. | 59,488–62,013 | 121,704 | 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake | February 6 |
2024 | 7.5 | Japan, Ishikawa | 10.0 | X | Deadliest in Japan since 2016. | 245 | 1,299 | 2024 Noto earthquake | January 1 |
Largest earthquakes by magnitude
45 earthquakes with an estimated magnitude of 8.5 or higher have occurred since 1501. For those which occurred before the development and deployment of seismographs – starting around 1900 – magnitudes are estimated from historical reports of the extent and severity of damage.
Rank | Date | Location | Event | Magnitude |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | May 22, 1960 | Valdivia, Chile | 1960 Valdivia earthquake | 9.4–9.6 |
2 | June 11, 1585 | Pacific Ocean, Aleutian Islands (now Alaska, United States) | 1585 Aleutian Islands earthquake | 9.25 (est.) |
3 | July 8, 1730 | Valparaiso, Chile (then part of the Spanish Empire) | 1730 Valparaíso earthquake | 9.1–9.3 (est.) |
4 | March 27, 1964 | Prince William Sound, Alaska, United States | 1964 Alaska earthquake | 9.2 |
5 | December 26, 2004 | Sumatra, Indonesia | 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake | 9.1–9.3 |
6 | March 11, 2011 | Pacific Ocean, Tōhoku region, Japan | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake | 9.1 |
7 | October 17, 1737 | Kamchatka Peninsula, Russian Empire | 1737 Kamchatka earthquake | 9.0–9.3 (est.) |
8 | November 17, 1837 | Valdivia, Chile | 1837 Valdivia earthquake | 8.8–9.5 (est.) |
9 | December 16, 1575 | Valdivia, Chile (then part of the Spanish Empire) | 1575 Valdivia earthquake | 9.0 (est.) |
10 | November 24, 1604 | Arica, Chile (then part of the Spanish Empire) | 1604 Arica earthquake | 9.0 (est.) |
11 | October 28, 1707 | Pacific Ocean, Shikoku region, Japan | 1707 Hōei earthquake | 8.7–9.3 (est.) |
12 | November 25, 1833 | Sumatra, Indonesia (then part of the Dutch East Indies) | 1833 Sumatra earthquake | 8.8–9.2 (est.) |
13 | May 17, 1841 | Kamchatka, Russian Empire | 1841 Kamchatka earthquake | 9.0 (est.) |
14 | November 4, 1952 | Kamchatka, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union | 1952 Severo-Kurilsk earthquake | 9.0 |
15 | January 26, 1700 | Pacific Ocean, US and Canada (then claimed by the Spanish Empire and the British Empire) | 1700 Cascadia earthquake | 8.7–9.2 (est.) |
16 | August 13, 1868 | Arica, Chile (then Peru) | 1868 Arica earthquake | 8.5–9.3 (est.) |
17 | March 9, 1957 | Andreanof Islands, Alaska, United States | 1957 Andreanof Islands earthquake | 8.6–9.1 |
18 | November 26, 1852 | Banda Islands, Indonesia (then part of the Dutch East Indies) | 1852 Banda Sea earthquake | 8.8 (est.) |
19 | May 9, 1877 | Iquique, Chile (then Peru) | 1877 Iquique earthquake | 8.7–8.9 (est.) |
20 | January 31, 1906 | Ecuador – Colombia | 1906 Ecuador–Colombia earthquake | 8.8 |
21 | February 27, 2010 | Maule, Chile | 2010 Chile earthquake | 8.8 |
22 | November 1, 1755 | Atlantic Ocean, Lisbon, Portugal | 1755 Lisbon earthquake | 8.5–9.0 (est.) |
23 | October 20, 1687 | Lima, Peru (then part of the Spanish Empire) | 1687 Peru earthquake | 8.7 (est.) |
24 | October 28, 1746 | 1746 Lima–Callao earthquake | 8.6–8.8 (est.) | |
25 | February 3, 1965 | Rat Islands, Alaska, United States | 1965 Rat Islands earthquake | 8.7 |
26 | April 2, 1762 | Chittagong, Bangladesh (then Kingdom of Mrauk U) | 1762 Arakan earthquake | 8.5–8.8 (est.) |
27 | March 28, 1787 | Oaxaca, Mexico (then part of the Spanish Empire) | 1787 New Spain earthquake | 8.6 (est.) |
28 | February 2, 1816 | Atlantic Ocean, Lisbon, Portugal | 1816 North Atlantic earthquake | 8.6 (est.) |
29 | April 1, 1946 | Aleutian Islands, Alaska, United States | 1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake | 8.6 |
30 | August 15, 1950 | Assam, India – Tibet, China | 1950 Assam–Tibet earthquake | 8.6 |
31 | March 28, 2005 | Sumatra, Indonesia | 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake | 8.6 |
32 | April 11, 2012 | Sumatra, Indonesia | 2012 Indian Ocean earthquakes | 8.6 |
33 | November 10, 1922 | Atacama Region, Chile | 1922 Vallenar earthquake | 8.5–8.6 |
34 | February 1, 1938 | Banda Sea, Indonesia (then part of the Dutch East Indies) | 1938 Banda Sea earthquake | 8.5–8.6 |
35 | May 13, 1647 | Santiago, Chile (then part of the Spanish Empire) | 1647 Santiago earthquake | 8.5 (est.) |
36 | July 25, 1668 | Shandong, China | 1668 Shandong earthquake | 8.5 (est.) |
37 | May 24, 1751 | Concepción, Chile (then part of the Spanish Empire) | 1751 Concepción earthquake | 8.5 (est.) |
38 | March 31, 1761 | Atlantic Ocean, Lisbon, Portugal | 1761 Lisbon earthquake | 8.5 (est.) |
39 | April 4, 1819 | Copiapó, Chile | 1819 Copiapó earthquake | 8.5 (est.) |
40 | November 19, 1822 | Valparaíso, Chile | 1822 Valparaíso earthquake | 8.5 (est.) |
41 | February 20, 1835 | Concepción, Chile | 1835 Concepción earthquake | 8.5 (est.) |
42 | February 8, 1843 | Guadeloupe region, Lesser Antilles | 1843 Guadeloupe earthquake | 8.5 (est.) |
43 | February 16, 1861 | Sumatra, Indonesia (then part of the Dutch East Indies) | 1861 Sumatra earthquake | 8.5 (est.) |
44 | June 15, 1896 | Pacific Ocean, Tōhoku region, Empire of Japan | 1896 Sanriku earthquake | 8.5 (est.) |
45 | October 13, 1963 | Kuril Islands, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union | 1963 Kuril Islands earthquake | 8.5 |
Century | Number of magnitude ≥8.5 |
---|---|
1501–1600 | 2 |
1601–1700 | 5 |
1701–1800 | 9 |
1801–1900 | 13 |
1901–2000 | 11 |
2001–present | 5 |
Total | 45 |
Historical records are known to be incomplete. Earthquakes that occurred in remote areas prior to the advent of modern instrumentation in the early to mid 1900s were not well-reported, and exact locations and magnitudes of such events are often unknown. Therefore, the apparent increase in large earthquake frequency over the last few centuries is unlikely to be accurate, with the better interpretation that, had the list been more complete, then a dozen or so per century would be average.
Largest earthquakes by country/territory
- This list is a work in progress. Information is likely to be changed.
- The list refers to current country boundaries rather than those at the date of the earthquake.
- Please note, multiple countries could have the same earthquake listed, such as the 1906 Ecuador–Colombia earthquake being listed for both Ecuador and Colombia.
- Unless otherwise noted, magnitudes are reported on the Moment magnitude scale (Mw).
Country/Territory | Magnitude | Date | More information |
---|---|---|---|
Afghanistan | 7.8 | November 15, 1921 | |
Albania | 6.7 | November 30, 1967 | |
Algeria | 7.1 | October 10, 1980 | 1980 El Asnam earthquake |
American Samoa | 6.4 | October 11, 1944 | |
Andorra | Me | 6.7February 2, 1428 | 1428 Catalonia earthquake |
Angola | 6.0 | May 24, 1914 | |
Anguilla | 6.3 | February 16, 1906 | |
Antarctica | 8.1 | March 25, 1998 | 1998 Balleny Islands earthquake |
Antigua and Barbuda | 8.0 Ms | April 16, 1690 | |
Argentina | 7.5 Ms | October 27, 1894 | 1894 San Juan earthquake |
Armenia | 6.8 Ms | December 7, 1988 | 1988 Armenian earthquake |
Australia | 8.1 | December 23, 2004 | 2004 Tasman Sea earthquake |
Austria | 5.6–6.5 | September 15, 1590 | 1590 Neulengbach earthquake |
Azerbaijan | 7.0–7.3 | September 30, 1139 | 1139 Ganja earthquake |
Bangladesh | 8.5–8.8 | April 2, 1762 | 1762 Arakan earthquake |
Barbados | 6.5 | February 18, 2014 & July 16, 2015 | |
Belgium | 6.0–6.5 Ms | September 18, 1692 | 1692 Northwestern Europe earthquake |
Belize | mb | 4.7June 28, 1985 | |
Benin | mb | 4.4September 11, 2009 | |
Bhutan | 7.6–8.6 | May 4, 1714 | 1714 Bhutan earthquake |
Bolivia | 8.2 | June 9, 1994 | 1994 Bolivia earthquake |
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 6.1 | October 27, 1969 | 1969 Banja Luka earthquake |
Botswana | ML | 6.7October 11, 1952 | |
Brazil | 7.6 | November 9, 1963 | |
British Indian Ocean Territory | 7.3 | November 30, 1983 | 1983 Chagos Archipelago earthquake |
Brunei | mb | 5.2February 22, 1992 | |
Bulgaria | 7.2 | March 31, 1901 & April 4, 1904 | 1901 Black Sea earthquake & 1904 Kresna earthquakes |
Burundi | 5.4 | October 30, 1966 | |
Cameroon | 5.9 | September 12, 1945 | |
Canada | 8.7–9.2 | January 26, 1700 | 1700 Cascadia earthquake |
Cape Verde | 6.5 | August 15, 1941 | |
Caribbean Netherlands | 5.2 | March 10, 2017 | |
Cayman Islands | 7.7 | January 28, 2020 | 2020 Caribbean earthquake |
Central African Republic | mb | 4.9February 6, 1994 | |
Chile | 9.4–9.6 | May 22, 1960 | 1960 Valdivia earthquake |
China | 8.6 | August 15, 1950 | 1950 Assam–Tibet earthquake |
Cocos Islands | 7.9 | June 18, 2000 | |
Colombia | 8.8 | January 31, 1906 | 1906 Ecuador–Colombia earthquake |
Comoros | 6.2 | August 23, 1918 | |
Congo | 5.2 | April 26, 1998 | |
Costa Rica | 7.7 | April 22, 1991 | 1991 Limon earthquake |
Croatia | 6.7 | July 2, 1898 | 1898 Trilj earthquake |
Cuba | 7.1 | February 20, 1917 | |
Cyprus | 7.0–7.5 | May 11, 1222 | 1222 Cyprus earthquake |
Czech Republic | ML | 4.8December 23, 1985 | |
Democratic Republic of the Congo | 6.9 | December 13, 1910 | |
Denmark | mb | 4.4February 19, 2010 | |
Djibouti | 6.5 | August 20, 1989 | |
Dominica | 6.4 | January 8, 1959 | |
Dominican Republic | 7.8 | August 4, 1946 | 1946 Dominican Republic earthquake |
East Timor | 7.2 | September 29, 1905 | |
Ecuador | 8.8 | January 31, 1906 | 1906 Ecuador–Colombia earthquake |
Egypt | 7.3 | November 22, 1995 | 1995 Gulf of Aqaba earthquake |
El Salvador | MI | 8.0December 19, 1862 | |
Equatorial Guinea | mb | 4.9March 28, 1999 | |
Eritrea | 6.6 | December 28, 1977 | |
Estonia | mb | 4.5–4.7October 25, 1976 | Osmussaar earthquake |
Eswatini | mb | 4.4August 4, 1987 | |
Ethiopia | 6.5 | August 25, 1906 | |
Fiji | 8.2 | August 19, 2018 | 2018 Fiji earthquakes |
Finland | 4.7 Muk | November 4, 1898 | |
France | 6.4–6.5 Muk | January 25, 1799 | 1799 Vendée earthquake |
French Guiana | 6.9 | August 4, 1885 | |
French Polynesia | 5.6 | March 6, 1965 | |
Gabon | 6.0 | September 23, 1974 | |
Georgia | 7.0 | April 29, 1991 | 1991 Racha earthquake |
Germany | ML | 6.4February 18, 1756 | 1756 Düren earthquake |
Ghana | 6.4 | June 22, 1939 | |
Greece | 8.5+ | July 21, 365 | 365 Crete earthquake |
Greenland | 7.4 | November 20, 1933 | 1933 Baffin Bay earthquake |
Grenada | 7.0 Ms | December 3, 1831 | |
Guadeloupe | 8.5 Muk | February 8, 1843 | 1843 Guadeloupe earthquake |
Guam | 7.8 | August 8, 1993 | 1993 Guam earthquake |
Guatemala | 7.7 | August 6, 1942 | 1942 Guatemala earthquake |
Guinea | 6.3 | December 22, 1983 | 1983 Guinea earthquake |
Guyana | 5.5 | January 31, 2021 | |
Haiti | 8.1 Ms | May 7, 1842 | 1842 Cap-Haïtien earthquake |
Honduras | 7.5 | January 10, 2018 | 2018 Swan Islands earthquake |
Hong Kong | ML | 3.8January 5, 2020 | |
Hungary | 6.2–6.5 | June 28, 1763 | 1763 Komárom earthquake |
Iceland | 7.0 | January 22, 1910 | |
India | 8.6 | August 15, 1950 | 1950 Assam–Tibet earthquake |
Indonesia | 9.1–9.3 | December 26, 2004 | 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake |
Iran | 7.9 Ms | December 22, 856 | 856 Damghan earthquake |
Iraq | 7.0 | September 22, 1666 | |
Ireland | ML | 4.0June 6, 2012 | |
Israel | 7.3 | December 5, 1033 | 1033 Jordan Rift Valley earthquake |
Italy | 7.4 | January 11, 1693 | 1693 Sicily earthquake |
Jamaica | 7.7 | January 28, 2020 | 2020 Caribbean earthquake |
Japan | 9.0–9.1 | March 11, 2011 | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake |
Jersey | 5.4 | July 30, 1926 | |
Jordan | 7.3 | December 5, 1033 | 1033 Jordan Rift Valley earthquake |
Kazakhstan | 8.0 | July 11, 1889 & January 3, 1911 | 1889 Chilik earthquake & 1911 Kebin earthquake |
Kenya | 6.7 | January 6, 1928 | |
Kiribati | mb | 5.9May 23, 1982 | |
Kosovo | ML | 6.1February 26, 1755 & August 10, 1921 | |
Kuwait | mb | 4.7June 2, 1993 & November 11, 2020 | |
Kyrgyzstan | 8.0 | July 11, 1889 & January 3, 1911 | 1889 Chilik earthquake & 1911 Kebin earthquake |
Laos | 6.7 | December 22, 1925 | |
Lebanon | 7.5 | July 9, 551 | 551 Beirut earthquake |
Liberia | mb | 4.5November 25, 1995 | |
Libya | 6.8 | April 19, 1935 | |
Liechtenstein | 3.6 | December 12, 2013 | |
Luxembourg | ML | 2.9September 3, 1986 | |
Madagascar | 6.2 | July 4, 1919 | |
Malawi | 6.3 | March 10, 1989 | 1989 Malawi earthquake |
Malaysia | 6.6 | August 11, 1923 | |
Maldives | 7.4 | February 29, 1944 | |
Mali | mb | 4.2January 11, 1999 | |
Malta | 5.5 | April 21, 2023 | |
Marshall Islands | 5.7 | March 22, 1982 | |
Martinique | 7.5–8.0 | January 11, 1839 | 1839 Martinique earthquake |
Mauritania | mb | 4.6September 3, 1993 & March 1, 2012 | |
Mauritius | 6.4 | June 19, 1976 | |
Mayotte | 5.9 | May 15, 2018 | |
Mexico | 8.6 | March 28, 1787 | 1787 New Spain earthquake |
Micronesia | 7.8 | August 16, 1911 | |
Moldova | mb | 3.9April 2, 1988 | |
Monaco | 6.3 | July 19, 1963 | |
Mongolia | 8.3 | July 23, 1905 | 1905 Bolnai earthquake |
Montenegro | 6.9 | April 15, 1979 | 1979 Montenegro earthquake |
Morocco | 6.8 | November 27, 1755 & September 8, 2023 | 1755 Meknes earthquake & 2023 Al Haouz earthquake |
Mozambique | 7.0 | February 22, 2006 | 2006 Mozambique earthquake |
Myanmar | 8.5–8.8 | April 2, 1762 | 1762 Arakan earthquake |
Namibia | 5.4 | April 4, 2021 | |
Nepal | 8.2–8.8 | June 6, 1505 | 1505 Lo Mustang earthquake |
Netherlands | 5.3 | April 13, 1992 | 1992 Roermond earthquake |
New Caledonia | 7.9 | August 9, 1901 | |
New Zealand | 8.2 | January 23, 1855 & May 1, 1917 | 1855 Wairarapa earthquake |
Nicaragua | 7.7 | September 2, 1992 | 1992 Nicaragua earthquake |
Niger | mb | 4.6January 18, 2017 | |
Nigeria | mb | 4.5March 7, 2000 | |
North Korea | 7.7 | September 29, 1973 | |
North Macedonia | 6.7 | March 8, 1931 | |
Northern Mariana Islands | 7.7 | December 28, 1940 & July 29, 2016 | |
Norway | 6.8 | August 30, 2012 | |
Oman | 5.7 | March 30, 1966 | |
Pakistan | 8.1 | November 28, 1945 | 1945 Balochistan earthquake |
Palau | 6.5 | May 31, 1982 | |
Palestine | 7.3 | December 5, 1033 | 1033 Jordan Rift Valley earthquake |
Panama | 7.9–8.3 Ms | September 7, 1882 | 1882 Panama earthquake |
Papua New Guinea | 8.2 | May 6, 1919 | |
Paraguay | 6.5 | February 28, 1989 | |
Peru | 8.5–9.3 | August 13, 1868 | 1868 Arica earthquake |
Philippines | 8.3 | August 15, 1918 | 1918 Celebes Sea earthquake |
Poland | 5.6 | December 3, 1786 | |
Portugal | 8.5–9.0 | November 1, 1755 | 1755 Lisbon earthquake |
Puerto Rico | 8.0 | May 2, 1787 | 1787 Boricua earthquake |
Réunion | mb | 5.3April 6, 2007 | |
Romania | 7.9 | October 26, 1802 | 1802 Vrancea earthquake |
Russia | 9.0–9.3 | October 16, 1737 | 1737 Kamchatka earthquake |
Rwanda | 5.9 | February 3, 2008 | 2008 Lake Kivu earthquake |
Saint Barthélemy | 5.4 | November 18, 1990 | |
Saint Kitts and Nevis | 6.5 | March 16, 1985 | |
Saint Lucia | 7.3 | March 19, 1953 | |
Saint Martin | 5.0 | July 4, 2012 | |
Saint Pierre and Miquelon | 7.2 | November 18, 1929 | 1929 Grand Banks earthquake |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 6.1 | July 6, 1940 | |
Samoa | 8.3–8.5 | June 25, 1917 | 1917 Samoa earthquake |
São Tomé and Príncipe | 5.5 | December 19, 2019 | |
Saudi Arabia | 7.3 | November 22, 1995 | 1995 Gulf of Aqaba earthquake |
Senegal | 5.5 | May 21, 1986 | |
Serbia | 6.0 | May 15, 1927 | |
Seychelles | mb | 5.2April 28, 1995 | |
Slovakia | 6.2–6.5 | June 28, 1763 | 1763 Komárom earthquake |
Slovenia | ML | 6.1April 14, 1895 | 1895 Ljubljana earthquake |
Solomon Islands | 8.1 | April 1, 2007 | 2007 Solomon Islands earthquake |
Somalia | 6.0 | January 22, 1929 | |
South Africa | 6.8 | December 31, 1932 | |
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | 8.1–8.3 | August 12, 2021 | 2021 South Sandwich Islands earthquakes |
South Korea | 7.5 | June 26, 1681 | 1681 Yangyang earthquake |
South Sudan | 7.2 | May 20, 1990 | 1990 South Sudan earthquakes |
Spain | 7.8 | March 29, 1954 | |
Sri Lanka | 5.7 | August 30, 1973 | |
Sudan | 6.0 | May 12, 1938 | |
Sweden | mb | 4.9May 18, 2020 | |
Switzerland | 6.0–7.1 | October 18, 1356 | 1356 Basel earthquake |
Syria | 7.6 Ms | May 20, 1202 | 1202 Syria earthquake |
Taiwan | 8.2 | June 5, 1920 | 1920 Hualien earthquake |
Tajikistan | 7.5 | July 10, 1949 | 1949 Khait earthquake |
Tanzania | 7.0 | July 8, 1919 | |
Thailand | 6.1 | May 5, 2014 | 2014 Mae Lao earthquake |
Tonga | 8.3–8.5 | June 25, 1917 | 1917 Samoa earthquake |
Trinidad and Tobago | 6.7 | March 10, 1988 & April 22, 1997 | |
Tunisia | ≤ | 7.2October 9, 859 | |
Turkey | 7.8–8.0 Ms | August 17, 1668 | 1668 North Anatolia earthquake |
Turkmenistan | 7.3 Ms | October 6, 1948 | 1948 Ashgabat earthquake |
Tuvalu | mb | 5.8February 5, 1983 & March 8, 1983 | |
Uganda | 6.5 | June 30, 1952 | |
Ukraine | 6.7 | September 11, 1927 | 1927 Crimean earthquakes |
United Arab Emirates | 5.0 | March 11, 2002 | |
United Kingdom | ML | 6.1June 7, 1931 | 1931 Dogger Bank earthquake |
United States | 9.25 | June 11, 1585 | 1585 Aleutian Islands earthquake |
U.S. Virgin Islands | 7.2 | November 18, 1867 | 1867 Virgin Islands earthquake and tsunami |
Uruguay | 5.5 Ms | June 5, 1888 | 1888 Río de la Plata earthquake |
Uzbekistan | 7.4 Ms | October 21, 1907 | 1907 Qaratog earthquake |
Vanuatu | 8.1 | September 20, 1920 | |
Venezuela | 7.6–7.7 | October 29, 1900 | 1900 San Narciso earthquake |
Vietnam | 6.8 | November 1, 1935 | |
Wallis and Futuna | 7.6 | May 23, 1956 | |
Yemen | 6.7 | December 18, 1908 | |
Zambia | 6.5 | May 1, 1919 | |
Zimbabwe | 5.5 | September 25, 1963 |
Costliest earthquakes
This is the top ten major earthquakes by the dollar value of property (public and private) losses directly attributable to the earthquake.
Rank | Event | Location | Magnitude | Property damage |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | Japan | 9.1 | $360 billion |
2 | 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake | Japan | 6.9 | $200 billion |
3 | 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes | Turkey Syria |
7.8 | $163.6 billion |
4 | 2008 Sichuan earthquake | China | 7.9 | $150 billion |
5 | 2011 Christchurch earthquake | New Zealand | 6.3 | $40 billion |
6 | 2004 Chūetsu earthquake | Japan | 6.6 | $28 billion |
7 | 2011 Sikkim earthquake | India | 6.9 | $22.3 billion |
8 | 1999 İzmit earthquake | Turkey | 7.6 | $20 billion |
9 | 2009 L'Aquila earthquake | Italy | 6.3 | $16 billion |
10 | 2012 Northern Italy earthquakes | Italy | 6.1 | $15.8 billion |
Deadliest earthquakes
The following is a summary list of earthquakes with over approximately 100,000 deaths:
Rank | Event | Date | Location | Fatalities | Magnitude | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1556 Shaanxi earthquake | January 23, 1556 | Shaanxi, China | 100,000 (direct toll from quake), 820,000–830,000 (highest possible estimated death toll) | 8.0 | Estimated death toll in Shaanxi, China |
2 | 1976 Tangshan earthquake | July 28, 1976 | Hebei, China | 242,769–700,000+ | 7.8 | |
3 | 1920 Haiyuan earthquake | December 16, 1920 | Ningxia–Gansu, China | 273,400 | 7.8 | Major fractures, landslides. |
4 | 526 Antioch earthquake | May 21, 526 | Antioch, Byzantine Empire (modern-day Turkey) | 250,000 | 7.0 | Procopius (II.14.6), sources based on John of Ephesus. |
5 | 1139 Ganja earthquake | September 30, 1139 | Ganja, Seljuk Empire (modern-day Azerbaijan) | 230,000–300,000 | 7.0 Mw | Death toll may have been a historical conflation with earthquakes on November 1137 in the Jazira plain and the 1138 Aleppo earthquake. |
6 | 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami | December 26, 2004 | Sumatra, Indonesia | 227,898 | 9.1–9.3 | Became the deadliest tsunami on record, causing nearly 230,000 deaths from the earthquake and resulting tsunami across 14 countries. |
7 | 1138 Aleppo earthquake | October 11, 1138 | Aleppo, Seljuk Empire (modern-day Syria) | 130,000–230,000 | 7.1 | 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 on September 30, 1139, in the Azerbaijani city of Ganja. The first mention of a 230,000 death toll was by Ibn Taghribirdi in the fifteenth century. |
8 | 2010 Haiti earthquake | January 12, 2010 | Haiti | 100,000–316,000 (estimates) | 7.0 | Estimates vary from 316,000 (Haitian government) to 222,570 (UN OCHA estimate) to 158,000 (Medicine, Conflict and Survival) to between 85,000 and 46,000 (report commissioned by USAID). |
9 | 1303 Hongdong earthquake | July 25, 1303 | Shanxi, Yuan dynasty (modern-day China) | 200,000 | 8.0 | Taiyuan and Pingyang were leveled. |
10 | 856 Damghan earthquake | December 22, 856 | Damghan, Abbasid Caliphate (modern-day Iran) | 200,000 | 7.9 Ms | |
11 | 893 Ardabil earthquake | March 22, 893 | Ardabil, Abbasid Caliphate (modern-day Iran) | 150,000 | Unknown | Reports probably relate to the 893 Dvin earthquake, due to misreading of the Arabic word for Dvin, 'Dabil' as 'Ardabil'. This is regarded as a 'fake earthquake'. |
12 | 533 Aleppo earthquake | November 29, 533 | Aleppo, Byzantine Empire (modern-day Syria) | 130,000 | Unknown | |
13 | 1908 Messina earthquake | December 28, 1908 | Messina, Italy | 123,000 | 7.1 | The ground shook for 30 to 40 seconds around 5:20 am, and destruction occurred within a 300 km radius. 91% of structures in Messina were destroyed and ≈70,000 residents died. Rescuers searched for weeks, and whole families were pulled out alive days later. A 40-foot (12 m) tsunami struck nearby coasts. Reggio Calabria on the Italian mainland also suffered heavy damage. |
14 | 1948 Ashgabat earthquake | October 6, 1948 | Ashgabat, Turkmen SSR (modern-day Turkmenistan) | 10,000–110,000 | 7.3 Ms | |
15 | 1923 Great Kantō earthquake | September 1, 1923 | Kantō region, Japan | 105,385 | 7.9 | This earthquake with an epicenter beneath Izu Ōshima Island in Sagami Bay, shook the Kantō plain on the Japanese island of Honshū at 11:58 am. Shaking duration reported between 4 and 10 minutes, devastating Tokyo, Yokohama, Chiba, Kanagawa, and Shizuoka. Shaking slid the 93-ton Great Buddha statue at Kamakura almost 2 feet (0.61 m) forward. Casualty estimates range from 100,000 to 142,800, the latter figure including ≈40,000 missing later presumed dead. |
16 | 1290 Zhili earthquake | September 27, 1290 | Ningcheng, Yuan dynasty (modern-day China) | 100,000 | 6.8 Ms |
Most studied earthquakes
The 50 most studied earthquakes according to the International Seismological Centre (ISC), based on a count of scientific papers (mostly in English) that discuss that earthquake. The "Event #" is linked to the ISC Event Bibliography for that event.
Rank | Event origin time | ISC Event # | Papers | ISC code | Event |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2011-03-11 05:46:23 | 16461282 | 1992 | TOHOKU2011 | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami |
2 | 2008-05-12 06:28:00 | 13228121 | 1641 | WENCHUAN2008 | 2008 Sichuan earthquake |
3 | 2004-12-26 00:58:52 | 7453151 | 948 | SUMATRA2004 | 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami |
4 | 1999-09-20 17:47:16 | 1718616 | 753 | CHI-CHI1999 | 1999 Jiji earthquake |
5 | 1995-01-16 20:46:51 | 124708 | 536 | SHYOGO1995 | Great Hanshin earthquake |
6 | 1994-01-17 12:30:54 | 189275 | 530 | NORTHRIDGE1994 | 1994 Northridge earthquake |
7 | 2010-02-27 06:34:13 | 14340585 | 515 | MAULE2010 | 2010 Chile earthquake |
8 | 2009-04-06 01:32:42 | 13438018 | 511 | LAQUILA2009 | 2009 L'Aquila earthquake |
9 | 1989-10-18 00:04:14 | 389808 | 508 | LOMAPRIETA1989 | 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake |
10 | 2015-04-25 06:11:26 | 607208674 | 488 | GORKHA2015 | April 2015 Nepal earthquake |
11 | 1992-06-28 11:57:35 | 289086 | 429 | LANDERS1992 | 1992 Landers earthquake |
12 | 1999-08-17 00:01:38 | 1655218 | 415 | IZMIT1999 | 1999 İzmit earthquake |
13 | 2016-04-15 16:25:06 | 610289055 | 339 | KUMAMOTO2016 | 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes |
14 | 1964-03-28 03:36:13 | 869809 | 327 | ALASKA1964 | 1964 Alaska earthquake |
15 | 2013-04-20 00:02:47 | 607304721 | 307 | LUSHAN2013 | 2013 Lushan earthquake |
16 | 1960-05-22 19:11:20 | 879136 | 280 | VALDIVIA1960 | 1960 Valdivia earthquake |
17 | 2010-09-03 16:35:46 | 15155483 | 251 | DARFIELD2010 | 2010 Canterbury earthquake |
18 | 2001-01-26 03:16:40 | 1763683 | 251 | BHUJ2001 | 2001 Gujarat earthquake |
19 | 1985-09-19 13:17:50 | 516095 | 249 | MEXICOCITY1985 | 1985 Mexico City earthquake |
20 | 2016-08-24 01:36:33 | 611462212 | 248 | AMATRICE2016 | August 2016 Central Italy earthquake |
21 | 1971-02-09 14:00:40 | 787038 | 241 | SANFERNANDO1971 | 1971 San Fernando earthquake |
22 | 1976-07-27 19:42:53 | 711732 | 232 | TANGSHAN1976 | 1976 Tangshan earthquake |
23 | 2016-11-13 11:02:59 | 615035032 | 228 | KAIKOURA2016 | 2016 Kaikōura earthquake |
24 | 2003-09-25 19:50:07 | 7134409 | 221 | TOKACHI-OKI2003 | 2003 Tokachi earthquake |
25 | 1980-11-23 18:34:52 | 635924 | 210 | IRPINIA1980 | 1980 Irpinia earthquake |
26 | 2004-10-23 08:55:58 | 7421058 | 203 | MID-NIIGATA2004 | 2004 Chūetsu earthquake |
27 | 1976-05-06 20:00:12 | 713583 | 198 | FRIULI1976 | 1976 Friuli earthquake |
28 | 2012-05-20 02:03:53 | 601025379 | 197 | EMILIA2012A | 2012 Northern Italy earthquakes |
29 | 2011-02-21 23:51:42 | 16168897 | 197 | CHRISTCHURCH2011A | 2011 Christchurch earthquake |
30 | 2019-07-06 03:19:55 | 616203758 | 194 | RIDGECREST2019B | 2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes |
31 | 2005-03-28 16:09:35 | 7486110 | 192 | NIAS2005 | 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake |
32 | 2004-09-28 17:15:24 | 7406045 | 191 | PARKFIELD2004 | Parkfield earthquake |
33 | 2016-10-30 06:40:19 | 609624987 | 183 | NORCIA2016 | October 2016 Central Italy earthquakes |
34 | 1999-10-16 09:46:45 | 1643776 | 179 | HECTOR-MINE1999 | 1999 Hector Mine earthquake |
35 | 2005-10-08 03:50:37 | 7703077 | 171 | KASHMIR2005 | 2005 Kashmir earthquake |
36 | 2001-11-14 09:26:12 | 2331800 | 170 | KUNLUN2001 | 2001 Kunlun earthquake |
37 | 1923-09-01 02:58:35 | 911526 | 170 | KANTO1923 | 1923 Great Kantō earthquake |
38 | 2022-01-15 04:14:45 | 621831271 | 169 | HUNGATONGAHUNGAAPAI2022 | 2022 Hunga Tonga–Hunga Haʻapai eruption and tsunami |
39 | 1979-10-15 23:16:57 | 657282 | 163 | IMPERIAL1979 | 1979 Imperial Valley earthquake |
40 | 2015-09-16 22:54:30 | 611531714 | 161 | ILLAPEL2015 | 2015 Illapel earthquake |
41 | 2002-11-03 22:12:41 | 6123395 | 160 | DENALI2002 | 2002 Denali earthquake |
42 | 1999-11-12 16:57:19 | 1650092 | 159 | DUZCE1999 | 1999 Düzce earthquake |
43 | 2014-04-01 23:46:47 | 610102185 | 154 | IQUIQUE2014 | 2014 Iquique earthquake |
44 | 2010-01-12 21:53:10 | 14226221 | 153 | HAITI2010 | 2010 Haiti earthquake |
45 | 2017-08-08 13:19:49 | 610874246 | 151 | JUIZHAIGOU2017 | 2017 Jinghe earthquake |
46 | 1988-12-07 07:41:24 | 417441 | 151 | ARMENIA1988 | 1988 Armenian earthquake |
47 | 2019-07-04 17:33:50 | 616217956 | 150 | RIDGECREST2019A | 2019 Ridgecrest earthquakes |
48 | 2003-12-26 01:56:53 | 7217667 | 145 | BAM2003 | 2003 Bam earthquake |
49 | 2010-04-04 22:40:43 | 600257057 | 145 | EL-MAYOR-CUCAPAH2010 | 2010 Baja California earthquake |
50 | 2012-05-29 07:00:04 | 605482196 | 144 | EMILIA2012B | 2012 Northern Italy earthquakes |
modified from figure 2, "The most studied events", at the ISC's Overview of the ISC Event Bibliography.
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Terremotos de mayor magnitud para niños
- List of deadly earthquakes since 1900
- List of historical earthquakes
- List of natural disasters by death toll
- List of megathrust earthquakes