Major Earthquakes in the World

Major Earthquakes around the world
Date	Location	Coordinates	Deaths	Magnitude
04/25/2015	East South East of Lamjung, Nepal	28.147, 84.708	6204	7.8
03/11/2011	Japan	38.297, 142.373	20896	9
04/13/2010	Southern Qinghai, China	33.165, 96.548	2200	6.9
01/12/2010	Haiti region	18.443, -72.571	316000	7
09/30/2009	Southern Sumatra, Indonesia	-0.720, 99.867	1117	7.5
05/12/2008	Eastern Sichuan, China	31.002, 103.322	87587	7.9
05/26/2006	Indonesia	-7.961, 110.446	5749	6.3
10/08/2005	Pakistan	34.53N, 73.58E	86000	7.6
03/28/2005	Northern Sumatra, Indonesia	2.07N, 97.01E	1313	8.6
12/26/2004	Sumatra	3.30N, 95.87E	227898	9.1
12/26/2003	Southeastern Iran	28.99N, 58.31E	31000	6.6
05/21/2003	Northern Algeria	36.90N, 3.71E	2266	6.8
03/25/2002	Hindu Kush Region, Afghanistan	35.9N, 69.2E	1000	6.1
01/26/2001	Gujarat, India	23.3N, 70.3E	20085	7.6
09/20/1999	Taiwan	23.7N, 121.0E	2400	7.6
08/17/1999	Turkey	40.7N, 30.0E	17118	7.6
01/25/1999	Colombia	4.46N, 75.82W	1185	6.1
07/17/1998	Papua New Guinea	2.96S, 141.9E	2183	7
05/30/1998	Afghanistan-Tajikistan Border Region	37.1N, 70.1E	4000	6.6
02/04/1998	Hindu Kush region, Afghanistan	37.1N, 70.1E	2323	5.9
05/10/1997	Northern Iran	33.9N, 59.7E	1567	7.3
05/27/1995	Sakhalin Island	52.6N, 142.8E	1989	7.5
01/16/1995	Kobe, Japan	34.6N, 135E	5502	6.9
09/29/1993	Latur-Killari, India	18.1N, 76.5E	9748	6.2
12/12/1992	Flores Region, Indonesia	8.5S, 121.9E	2500	7.5
10/19/1991	Northern India	30.8N, 78.8E	2000	7
07/16/1990	Luzon, Philippine Islands	15.7N, 121.2E	1621	7.7
06/20/1990	Western Iran	37.0N, 49.4E	50000	7.4
12/07/1988	Spitak, Armenia	41.0N, 44.2E	25000	6.8
08/20/1988	Nepal-India border region	26.8N, 86.6E	1000	6.8
03/06/1987	Colombia-Ecuador	0.2N, 77.8W	1000	7
10/10/1986	El Salvador	13.8N, 89.2W	1000	5.5
09/19/1985	Mexico, Michoacan	18.2N, 102.5W	9500	8
10/30/1983	Turkey	40.3N, 42.2E	1342	6.9
12/13/1982	Yemen	14.7N, 44.4E	2800	6
07/28/1981	southern Iran	30.0N, 57.8E	1500	7.3
06/11/1981	southern Iran	29.9N, 57.7E	3000	6.9
11/23/1980	southern Italy	40.9N, 15.3E	2735	6.5
10/10/1980	El Asnam, Algeria (formerly Orleansville)	36.1N, 1.4E	5000	7.7
09/16/1978	Iran	33.2N, 57.4E	15000	7.8
03/04/1977	Romania	45.8N, 26.8E	1500	7.2
11/24/1976	Turkey-Iran border region	39.1N, 44.0E	5000	7.3
08/16/1976	Mindanao, Philippines	6.3N, 124.0E	8000	7.9
07/27/1976	Tangshan, China	39.6N, 118.0E	242769	7.5
05/06/1976	northeastern Italy	46.4N, 13.3E	1000	6.5
02/04/1976	Guatemala	15.3N, 89.1W	23000	7.5
09/06/1975	Turkey	38.5N, 40.7E	2300	6.7
02/04/1975	Haicheng, China	40.6N, 122.5E	2000	7
12/28/1974	Pakistan	35.0N, 72.8E	5300	6.2
05/10/1974	China	28.2N, 104.0E	20000	6.8
12/23/1972	Nicaragua, Managua	12.4N, 86.1W	5000	6.2
04/10/1972	southern Iran	28.4N, 52.8E	5054	7.1
05/22/1971	Turkey	38.83N, 40.52E	1000	6.9
05/31/1970	Chimbote, Peru	9.36S, 78.87W	70000	7.9
03/28/1970	Gediz, Turkey	39.06N, 29.54E	1086	6.9
01/04/1970	Tonghai, Yunnan Province, China	24.12N, 102.49E	10000	7.5
07/25/1969	Yangjiang, Guangdong, China	21.61N, 111.83E	3000	5.9
08/31/1968	Dasht-e Bayaz, Iran	33.9N, 59.02E	12000	7.3
08/19/1966	Varto, Turkey	39.1N, 41.48E	2529	6.8
03/22/1966	Southeast of Ningjin, Hebei (Hopeh), China	37.5 115.1	1000	6.9
03/07/1966	East of Longyao, Hebei (Hopeh), China	37.35 114.92	1000	7
07/26/1963	Skopje, Former Yugoslav Rep. of Macedonia (Makedonija, Yugoslavia)	42.1N, 21.4E	1100	6
09/01/1962	Bu'in Zahra, Qazvin, Iran	35.6N, 49.9E	12225	7.1
05/22/1960	Temuco-Valdivia, Chile	38.29S, 73.05W	1655	9.5
02/29/1960	Agadir, Morocco	30.45N, 9.62W	15000	5.7
12/13/1957	Sahneh, Iran	34.35N, 47.67E	1130	7.1
07/02/1957	Near Sang Chai, Mazandaran, Iran	36.14N, 52.70E	1200	7.1
09/09/1954	Chlef (Orleansville, El Asnam), Algeria	36.28N, 1.47E	1250	6.8
03/18/1953	Yenice-Gonen, Turkey	40.01N, 27.49E	1070	7.3
08/02/1951	Cosiguina, Nicaragua	13.0N, 87.5W	1000	5.8
08/15/1950	Near Zhamo (Rima), Xizang (Tibet), China "Assam-Tibet" Earthquake	28.7N, 96.6E	1526	8.6
08/05/1949	Ambato, Ecuador	1.5S, 78.25W	5050	6.8
07/10/1949	Khait, Tajikistan (Tadzhikistan, USSR)	39.2N, 70.8E	12000	7.5
10/05/1948	Ashgabat (Ashkhabad), Turkmenistan (Turkmeniya, USSR)	37.95N, 58.32E	110000	7.3
06/28/1948	Fukui, Japan	36.1N, 136.2E	3769	7.3
12/20/1946	Nankaido, Japan	33.0N, 135.6E	1362	8.1
11/10/1946	Ancash, Peru	8.5S, 77.5W	1400	7.3
05/31/1946	Ustukran, Turkey	39.33N, 41.10E	1300	5.9
11/27/1945	Makran Coast, Pakistan (Baluchistan, India)	24.9N, 63.5E	4000	8
01/12/1945	Mikawa, Japan	34.7N, 137.0E	1961	7.1
02/01/1944	Gerede, Turkey	41.11N, 33.22E	2790	7.4
01/15/1944	San Juan, Argentina	31.5S, 68.6W	8000	7.4
11/26/1943	Ladik, Turkey	40.97N, 33.22E	4000	7.6
09/10/1943	Tottori, Japan	35.5N, 134.2E	1190	7.4
12/20/1942	Erbaa, Turkey	40.9N, 36.5E	1100	7.3
11/10/1940	Vrancea, Romania (Rumania)	45.8N, 26.7E	1000	7.3
12/26/1939	Erzincan, Turkey	39.8N, 39.38E	32700	7.8
01/25/1939	Chillan, Chile	36.25S, 72.25W	28000	7.8
07/16/1935	Hsin-chu (Shinchiku), Taiwan (Formosa)	24.6N, 120.8E	2740	6.5
05/30/1935	Quetta, Pakistan (Baluchistan, India)	29.6N, 66.5E	30000	7.6
04/20/1935	Miao-li, Taiwan (Formosa)	24.3N, 120.8E	3270	7.1
01/15/1934	Bihar, India-Nepal	26.5N, 86.5E	10700	8.1
08/25/1933	North of Maowen, Sichuan (Szechwan), China	32.0N, 103.7E	9300	7.5
03/02/1933	Sanriku, Japan	39.25N, 144.5E	3000	8.4
08/10/1931	Near Fuyun (Koktokay), Xinjiang (Sinkiang), China	46.8N, 89.9E	10000	8
04/27/1931	Zangezur Mountains, Armenia-Azerbaijan border (Armeniya-Azerbaydzhan, USSR)	39.2N, 46.0E	2800	5.7
03/31/1931	Managua, Nicaragua	12.15N, 86.28W	2500	6
07/23/1930	Irpinia, Italy	41.05N, 15.37E	1404	6.5
05/06/1930	Salmas, Iran (Persia)	38.15N, 44.70E	2500	7.2
05/01/1929	Koppeh Dagh, Iran (Persia)	37.85N, 57.75E	3800	7.2
05/22/1927	Gulang, Gansu (Kansu), China	37.5N, 102.7E	40900	7.6
03/07/1927	Tango, Japan	35.8N, 134.8E	3020	7.6
03/16/1925	Near Dali (Talifu, Ta-li), Yunnan, China	25.7N, 100.2E	5800	7
09/01/1923	Kanto (Kwanto), Japan	35.3N, 139.5E	142800	7.9
05/25/1923	Torbat-e Heydariyeh, Iran (Persia)	35.2N, 59.2E	2200	5.7
03/24/1923	Near Luhuo, Sichuan (Szechwan), China	31.3N, 100.8E	3500	7.3
12/16/1920	Haiyuan, Ningxia (Ning-hsia), China	36.5N, 105.7E	200000	7.8
02/13/1918	Nan'ao, Guangdong (Kwangtung), China	23.5N, 117.2E	1000	7.4
07/30/1917	North of Daguan, Yunnan, China	28.0N, 104.0E	1800	7.5
01/20/1917	Bali, Indonesia	9.0S, 115.8E	1500
01/13/1915	Avezzano, Italy	41.98N, 13.65E	32610	7
10/03/1914	Burdur, Turkey (Ottoman Empire)	37.82N, 30.27E	4000	7
08/09/1912	Murefte, Turkey (Ottoman Empire)	40.75N, 27.20E	2800	7.4
01/23/1909	Silakhor, Iran (Persia)	33.4N, 49.1E	6000	7.3
12/28/1908	Messina, Italy	38.15N, 15.68E	72000	7.2
10/21/1907	Qaratog (Karatag), Tajikistan (Turkestan, Russia)	38.5N, 67.9E	12000	8
01/14/1907	Kingston, Jamaica	18.2N, 76.7W	1000	6.5
08/17/1906	Valparaiso, Chile	33S, 72W	3882	8.2
04/18/1906	San Francisco, California	37.75N, 122.55W	3000	7.8
03/16/1906	Chia-i, Taiwan	23.6N, 120.5E	1250	6.8
01/31/1906	Off coast of Esmeraldas, Ecuador	1N, 81.5W	1000	8.8
04/04/1905	Kangra, India	33.0N, 76.0E	19000	7.5
05/28/1903	Gole, Turkey (Ottoman Empire)	40.9N, 42.7E	1000	5.8
04/28/1903	Malazgirt, Turkey (Ottoman Empire)	39.1N, 42.6E	3500	7
12/16/1902	Andijon (Andizhan), Uzbekistan (Turkestan, Russia)	40.8N, 72.3E	4700	6.4
04/19/1902	Quezaltenango and San Marcos, Guatemala	14N, 91W	2000	7.5

What Causes Earthquakes
Earthquakes occur when the rocks (or plates) lying under earth's surface push against each other and break. This can happen with the rocks lying under the landmass, or those under the seawater. This causes earthquakes, during which the rocks move against each other until they settle again. This process releases tremendous amounts of energy that causes the ground to shake violently. Any destruction that follows is a direct result of this.

Some important terms related to an earthquake:

• Plates:The underground rocks of earth's surface.
• Fault:Discontinuity along the rock's edge that causes damage to the plates.
• Focus:The point where the rock fault occurs.
• Epicenter:The point on the earth's surface directly above the focus.
• Magnitude:The measure of earthquake energy (expressed in terms of the Richter scale). A unit increase in magnitude corresponds to a ten-fold increase in the earthquake's destructive power.

What can be done to safeguard against earthquakes?
Since earthquakes are natural phenomenon, these can't be avoided, let alone predicted. Certain parts of the world are earthquake-prone (like Japan), and hence the infrastructure there is usually designed to be quake-resistant. This, however, is no defense against the severe natural calamities.

How does the Richter scale work?
In order to compare the various earthquakes occurring in the world, a measuring unit has been devised based on the Richter scale. In simple terms each occurring earthquake is measured by an instrument known as a seismograph, and the resulting spread of the earthquake waves is assigned a value based on its peak height on the graph. The scale grows by a factor of 10. That is, an earthquake measured 8.0 on the Richter scale is 10 times as powerful as a 7.0 earthquake; 100 times more than a 6.0 one; 1000 times more than a 5.0 one; and so on.

Why is it called "Richter" scale?
It is called Richter scale because it was developed by Charles Richter in 1935 at the California Institute of Technology. The scale was found convenient to use, and was therefore adopted universally.

Earthquakes and Tsunamis
Earthquakes and tsunamis have caused much damage to human life and property in history.

In March 2011, a major 8.9-magnitude earthquake occurred in Japan, followed by a tsunami, which together have resulted in the worst catastrophe in over 100 years. To know how earthquakes can cause so much damage, it is important to understand their origin.

Tsunamis
When earthquakes occur in the ocean-beds, the released energy comes out through the water. This causes waves to be created on the water's surface, which move farther and farther away from the epicenter as they carry energy to the shores. Naturally, the more the magnitude of the earthquake, the higher the wave height will be. When these waves reach the land, they can cause destruction on any scale.

Last Updated on: June 30, 2020