Earthquakes. The most powerful earthquakes in human history

The power of tremors is estimated by the amplitude of vibrations earth's crust from 1 to 10 points. Areas in mountainous areas are considered the most earthquake-prone. We present to you the most strong earthquakes in history.

The worst earthquakes in history

During the earthquake that occurred in Syria in 1202, more than a million people died. Despite the fact that the force of the tremors did not exceed 7.5 points, underground vibrations were felt along the entire length from the island of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea to Armenia.

The large number of victims is associated not so much with the strength of the tremors, but with their duration. Modern researchers can judge the consequences of the destruction of the earthquake in the 2nd century only from the surviving chronicles, according to which the cities of Catania, Messina and Ragusa in Sicily were practically destroyed, and the coastal cities of Akratiri and Paralimni in Cyprus were also covered by a strong wave.

Earthquake on the island of Haiti

The 2010 Haiti earthquake killed more than 220,000 people, injured 300,000, and left more than 800,000 missing. Material damage as a result of the natural disaster amounted to 5.6 billion euros. For a whole hour, tremors with a power of 5 and 7 points were observed.

Despite the fact that the earthquake occurred in 2010, the people of Haiti are still in need of humanitarian assistance, as well as on our own rebuilding settlements. This is the second most powerful earthquake in Haiti, the first occurred in 1751 - then the cities had to be rebuilt over the next 15 years.

Earthquake in China

About 830 thousand people died in the magnitude 8 earthquake in China in 1556. At the very epicenter of the tremors in the Weihe River valley, near Shaanxi province, 60% of the population died. The huge number of victims is due to the fact that people in the middle of the 16th century lived in limestone caves, which were easily destroyed even by minor tremors.

Within 6 months after the main earthquake, so-called aftershocks were repeatedly felt - repeated seismic tremors with a power of 1-2 points. This disaster occurred during the reign of Emperor Jiajing, so in Chinese history it is called the Great Jiajing Earthquake.

The most powerful earthquakes in Russia

Almost a fifth of Russia's territory is located in seismically active areas. These include the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin, Kamchatka, North Caucasus and the Black Sea coast, Baikal, Altai and Tyva, Yakutia and the Urals. Over the past 25 years, about 30 strong earthquakes with an amplitude of more than 7 points have been recorded in the country.

Earthquake on Sakhalin

In 1995, an earthquake of magnitude 7.6 occurred on Sakhalin Island, as a result of which the cities of Okha and Neftegorsk, as well as several villages located nearby, were damaged.

The most significant consequences were felt in Neftegorsk, which was 30 kilometers from the epicenter of the earthquake. Within 17 seconds, almost all houses were destroyed. The damage caused amounted to 2 trillion rubles, and the authorities decided not to restore the settlements, so this city is no longer indicated on the map of Russia.

More than 1,500 rescuers were involved in eliminating the consequences. 2,040 people died under the rubble. A chapel was built and a memorial was erected on the site of Neftegorsk.

Earthquake in Japan

The movement of the earth's crust is often observed in Japan, since it is located in the active zone of the Pacific Ocean volcanic ring. The most powerful earthquake in this country occurred in 2011, the amplitude of the vibrations was 9 points. According to a rough estimate of experts, the amount of damage after the destruction reached 309 billion dollars. More than 15 thousand people were killed, 6 thousand were injured and about 2,500 were missing.

Tremors in Pacific Ocean caused a powerful tsunami, the height of the waves was 10 meters. As a result of the collapse of a large flow of water on the coast of Japan, a radiation accident occurred at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. Subsequently, for several months, residents of nearby areas were prohibited from drinking tap water due to its high cesium content.

In addition, the Japanese government ordered TEPCO, which owns the nuclear power plant, to compensate moral damages to 80 thousand residents forced to leave the contaminated areas.

The most powerful earthquake in the world

A powerful earthquake caused by the collision of two continental plates occurred in India on August 15, 1950. According to official data, the strength of the tremors reached 10 points. However, according to the conclusions of the researchers, the vibrations of the earth's crust were much stronger, and the instruments were unable to establish their exact magnitude.

The strongest tremors were felt in the state of Assam, which was reduced to ruins as a result of the earthquake - more than two thousand houses were destroyed and more than six thousand people were killed. The total area of ​​the territories caught in the destruction zone was 390 thousand square kilometers.

According to the site, earthquakes also often occur in volcanically active areas. We present to you an article about the highest volcanoes in the world.
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Major earthquakes have occurred throughout human history, with the earliest recorded dating back almost 2,000 BC. But it is only in the last century that our technological capabilities have reached the point where the impact of these disasters can be fully measured. Our ability to study earthquakes has made it possible to avoid catastrophic casualties, such as in the case of a tsunami, when people have the opportunity to evacuate a potentially dangerous area. But unfortunately, the warning system does not always work. There are several examples of earthquakes where the greatest damage was caused by the subsequent tsunami, and not by the earthquake itself. People have improved building standards and improved early warning systems, but they have never been able to completely protect themselves from disasters. There are many different ways to estimate the strength of an earthquake. Some people rely on the Richter scale, others on the number of deaths and injuries, or even the monetary value of the damaged property. This list of the 12 strongest earthquakes combines all of these methods in one.

Lisbon earthquake

The Great Lisbon Earthquake struck the Portuguese capital on November 1, 1755, causing enormous destruction. They were made worse by the fact that it was All Saints' Day and thousands of people attended mass in the church. Churches, like most other buildings, could not withstand the elements and collapsed, killing people. Subsequently, a tsunami 6 meters high hit. An estimated 80,000 died due to fires caused by the destruction. Many famous writers and philosophers dealt with the Lisbon earthquake in their works. For example, Emmanuel Kant, who tried to find a scientific explanation for what happened.

California earthquake

A major earthquake struck California in April 1906. Etched into history as the San Francisco earthquake, it caused damage to a much wider area. Downtown San Francisco was destroyed by a huge fire that followed. Initial figures mentioned 700 to 800 dead, although researchers claim the actual death toll was more than 3,000. More than half of San Francisco's population lost their homes as 28,000 buildings were destroyed by the earthquake and fires.

Messina earthquake

One of Europe's largest earthquakes struck Sicily and southern Italy in the early hours of December 28th, 1908, killing an estimated 120,000 people. The main epicenter of the damage was Messina, which was virtually destroyed by the disaster. The magnitude 7.5 earthquake was accompanied by a tsunami that hit the coast. A recent study suggested that the size of the waves was so huge because of an underwater landslide. Most of The damage occurred due to the poor quality of buildings in Messina and other parts of Sicily.

Haiyuan earthquake

One of the deadliest earthquakes on the list occurred in December 1920, with its epicenter in Haiyuan Chingya. At least 230,000 people died. Measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, the earthquake destroyed almost every home in the region, causing extensive damage. major cities like Lanzhou, Taiyuan and Xi'an. Incredibly, waves from the earthquake were visible even off the coast of Norway. According to a recent study, Haiyuan was the strongest earthquake to hit China during the 20th century. Researchers have also questioned the official death toll, suggesting there may have been more than 270,000. This number represents 59 percent of the population in the Haiyuan area. The Haiyuan earthquake is considered one of the most destructive natural disasters in history.

Chilean earthquake

A total of 1,655 were killed and 3,000 were injured after a magnitude 9.5 earthquake struck Chile in 1960. Seismologists called it the strongest earthquake ever to occur. 2 million people were left homeless and economic losses amounted to $500 million. The force of the earthquake caused a tsunami, with casualties in places as far away as Japan, Hawaii and the Philippines. In some parts of Chile, waves have moved building ruins 3 kilometers inland. The massive Chilean earthquake of 1960 caused a giant rupture in the ground extending over 1,000 kilometers.

Earthquake in Alaska

On March 27th, 1964, a strong 9.2 earthquake struck the Prince William Sound region of Alaska. As the second most powerful earthquake on record, it caused a relatively low number of deaths (192 deaths). However, significant material damage took place in Anchorage, and the tremors were felt in all 47 US states. Due to significant improvements in research technology, the Alaska earthquake has provided scientists with valuable seismic data, allowing them to better understand the nature of such events.

Kobe earthquake

In 1995, Japan was hit by one of its most powerful earthquakes when a magnitude 7.2 shock struck the Kobe region in south-central Japan. Although it was not the strongest ever observed, it experienced the devastating effects Substantial part population - approximately 10 million people living in a densely populated area. A total of 5,000 were killed and 26,000 were injured. The US Geological Survey estimated damage at $200 billion, with infrastructure and buildings destroyed.

Sumatra and Andaman earthquake

The tsunami that struck across the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004 killed at least 230,000 people. It was caused by a large undersea earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. His strength was measured at 9.1 on the Richter scale. The previous earthquake in Sumatra occurred in 2002. It is believed to have been a seismic pre-shock, with several aftershocks occurring throughout 2005. The main reason huge amount casualties was the lack of any early warning system in Indian Ocean, capable of detecting an approaching Tsunami. A giant wave reached the shores of some countries, where tens of thousands of people died, for at least several hours.

Kashmir earthquake

Jointly administered by Pakistan and India, Kashmir was hit by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake in October 2005, killing at least 80,000 people and leaving 4 million homeless. Rescue efforts were hampered by conflicts between the two countries fighting over the territory. The situation was aggravated by the rapid onset of winter and the destruction of many roads in the region. Eyewitnesses spoke of entire areas of cities literally sliding off cliffs due to the destructive elements.

Disaster in Haiti

Port-au-Prince was hit by an earthquake on January 12, 2010, leaving half the capital's population without their homes. The death toll is still disputed and ranges from 160,000 to 230,000. A recent report highlighted that as of the fifth anniversary of the disaster, 80,000 people continue to live on the streets. The impact of the earthquake has caused severe poverty in Haiti, which is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Many buildings in the capital were not built in accordance with seismic requirements, and the people of the completely destroyed country had no means of subsistence other than the international aid provided.

Tohoku earthquake in Japan

The worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl was caused by a magnitude 9 earthquake near east coast Japan March 11, 2011. Scientists estimate that during the 6-minute earthquake of colossal force, 108 kilometers of the seabed rose to a height of 6 to 8 meters. This caused a large tsunami that damaged the coast of Japan's northern islands. Nuclear power plant in Fukushima was badly damaged and attempts to salvage the situation are still ongoing. The official death toll is 15,889 dead, although 2,500 people are still missing. Many areas have become uninhabitable due to nuclear radiation.

Christchurch

The worst natural disaster in New Zealand's history claimed 185 lives on February 22, 2011, when Christchurch was hit by a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake. More than half of the deaths were caused by the collapse of the CTV building, which was built in violation of seismic codes. Thousands of other houses were also destroyed, including the city's cathedral. The government introduced state of emergency in the country so that rescue operations proceed as quickly as possible. More than 2,000 people were injured, and reconstruction costs exceeded $40 billion. But in December 2013, the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce said that three years after the tragedy, only 10 per cent of the city had been rebuilt.

The earth's firmament has always been a symbol of security. And today a person who is afraid of flying on an airplane feels protected only when he feels a flat surface under his feet. Therefore, the worst thing is when the ground literally disappears from under your feet. Earthquakes, even the weakest ones, undermine the sense of security so much that many of the consequences are associated not with destruction, but with panic and are psychological rather than physical in nature. In addition, this is one of those disasters that humanity cannot prevent, and therefore many scientists are researching the causes of earthquakes, developing methods for recording tremors, forecasting and warning. The amount of knowledge already accumulated by humanity on this issue allows us to minimize losses in some cases. At the same time, examples of earthquakes recent years clearly indicate that there is still much to be learned and done.

The essence of the phenomenon

At the heart of every earthquake is a seismic wave that leads to it. It arises as a result of powerful processes of varying depth. Quite minor earthquakes occur due to surface drift, often along faults. The causes of earthquakes that are deeper in location often have devastating consequences. They flow in zones along the edges of shifting plates that are plunging into the mantle. The processes occurring here lead to the most noticeable consequences.

Earthquakes happen every day, but most of them go unnoticed by people. They are only recorded with special devices. Wherein greatest strength tremors and maximum destruction occur in the epicenter zone, the place above the source that generated the seismic waves.

Scales

Today there are several ways to determine the strength of a phenomenon. They are based on concepts such as the intensity of the earthquake, its energy class and magnitude. The last of these is a quantity that characterizes the amount of energy released in the form of seismic waves. This method of measuring the strength of a phenomenon was proposed in 1935 by Richter and is therefore popularly called the Richter scale. It is still used today, but, contrary to popular belief, each earthquake is assigned not points, but a certain magnitude value.

Earthquake scores, which are always given in the description of the consequences, are related to a different scale. It is based on a change in the amplitude of the wave, or the magnitude of the oscillations at the epicenter. The values ​​on this scale also describe the intensity of earthquakes:

• 1-2 points: fairly weak tremors, recorded only by instruments;
• 3-4 points: noticeable in high rise buildings, often noticeable by the swinging of the chandelier and the displacement of small objects, a person may feel dizzy;
• 5-7 points: tremors can be felt already on the ground, cracks may appear on the walls of buildings, plaster may fall off;
• 8 points: powerful tremors lead to deep cracks in the ground and noticeable damage to buildings;
• 9 points: walls of houses, often underground structures, are destroyed;
• 10-11 points: such an earthquake leads to collapses and landslides, collapse of buildings and bridges;
• 12 points: leads to the most catastrophic consequences, including severe changes in the landscape and even the direction of water movement in rivers.

Earthquake scores, which are given in various sources, are determined precisely on this scale.

Classification

The ability to predict any disaster comes from a clear understanding of what causes it. The main causes of earthquakes can be divided into two large groups: natural and artificial. The former are associated with changes in the subsoil, as well as with the influence of certain cosmic processes, the latter are caused by human activity. The classification of earthquakes is based on the cause that caused it. Among natural ones, tectonic, landslide, volcanic and others are distinguished. Let's look at them in more detail.

Tectonic earthquakes

The crust of our planet is constantly in motion. This is what underlies most earthquakes. The tectonic plates that make up the crust move relative to each other, collide, diverge and converge. In places of faults, where plate boundaries pass and a compression or tension force occurs, tectonic stress accumulates. As it grows, sooner or later it leads to the destruction and displacement of rocks, as a result of which seismic waves are born.

Vertical movements lead to the formation of failures or uplifting of rocks. Moreover, the displacement of the plates can be insignificant and amount to only a few centimeters, but the amount of energy released in this case is enough to cause serious destruction on the surface. Traces of such processes on earth are very noticeable. These could be, for example, displacements of one part of the field relative to another, deep cracks and failures.

Under the water column

The causes of earthquakes on the ocean floor are the same as on land - movements of lithospheric plates. Their consequences for people are somewhat different. Very often, the displacement of oceanic plates causes a tsunami. Having originated above the epicenter, the wave gradually gains height and often reaches ten meters, and sometimes fifty, near the shore.

According to statistics, over 80% of tsunamis hit the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Today, there are many services in seismic zones working to predict the occurrence and spread of destructive waves and notifying the population of the danger. However, people still have little protection from such natural disasters. Examples of earthquakes and tsunamis at the beginning of our century are further confirmation of this.

Volcanoes

When it comes to earthquakes, images of an eruption of hot magma that you once saw inevitably appear in your head. And this is not surprising: the two natural phenomena are interconnected. The cause of the earthquake may be volcanic activity. The contents of the fire mountains exert pressure on the surface of the earth. During the sometimes quite long period of preparation for an eruption, periodic explosions of gas and steam occur, which generate seismic waves. The pressure on the surface creates a so-called volcanic tremor (shaking). It consists of a series of small ground tremors.

Earthquakes are caused by processes occurring in the depths of both active and extinct volcanoes. In the latter case, they are a sign that the frozen mountain of fire may yet awaken. Volcanic researchers often use microearthquakes to predict eruptions.

In many cases, it can be difficult to unambiguously classify an earthquake as tectonic or volcanic. Signs of the latter are the location of the epicenter in close proximity to the volcano and a relatively small magnitude.

Collapses

An earthquake can also be caused by rock collapse. in the mountains arise as a result of both various processes in the subsoil and natural phenomena, and human activity. Voids and caves in the ground can collapse and generate seismic waves. Rock falls are caused by insufficient drainage of water, which destroys seemingly solid structures. The collapse could also be caused by a tectonic earthquake. The collapse of an impressive mass causes minor seismic activity.

Such earthquakes are characterized by low strength. Typically, the volume of collapsed rock is not sufficient to cause significant fluctuations. However, sometimes earthquakes of this type lead to noticeable damage.

Classification by depth of occurrence

The main causes of earthquakes are associated, as already mentioned, with various processes in the bowels of the planet. One of the options for classifying such phenomena is based on the depth of their origin. Earthquakes are divided into three types:

• Surface - the source is located at a depth of no more than 100 km; approximately 51% of earthquakes belong to this type.
• Intermediate - depth varies in the range from 100 to 300 km; the sources of 36% of earthquakes are located in this segment.
• Deep-focus - below 300 km, this type accounts for about 13% of such disasters.

The most significant offshore earthquake of the third type occurred in Indonesia in 1996. Its source was located at a depth of over 600 km. This event allowed scientists to “enlighten” the planet’s interior to a considerable depth. In order to study the structure of the subsoil, almost all deep-focus earthquakes that are not dangerous to humans are used. Much of the data on the structure of the Earth was obtained from the study of the so-called Wadati-Benioff zone, which can be represented as a curved inclined line indicating the place where one tectonic plate sets under another.

Anthropogenic factor

The nature of earthquakes has changed somewhat since the beginning of the development of human technical knowledge. In addition to natural causes that cause tremors and seismic waves, artificial ones also appeared. Man, mastering nature and its resources, as well as increasing technical power, through his activities can provoke a natural disaster. The causes of earthquakes are underground explosions, the creation of large reservoirs, and the production of large volumes of oil and gas, which result in voids underground.

One of the enough serious problems in this regard, earthquakes arising due to the creation and filling of reservoirs. Huge volumes and masses of water exert pressure on the subsoil and lead to changes in the hydrostatic equilibrium in the rocks. Moreover, the higher the dam created, the greater the likelihood of the occurrence of so-called induced seismic activity.

In places where earthquakes occur natural reasons, human activity often overlaps with tectonic processes and provokes natural disasters. Such data imposes a certain responsibility on companies involved in the development of oil and gas fields.

Consequences

Strong earthquakes cause great destruction over large areas. The catastrophic nature of the consequences decreases with distance from the epicenter. The most dangerous results of destruction are various Collapse or deformation of production facilities associated with hazardous chemicals, leading to their release into the environment. The same can be said about burial grounds and nuclear waste disposal sites. Seismic activity can cause contamination of vast areas.

In addition to numerous destructions in cities, earthquakes have consequences of a different nature. Seismic waves, as already noted, can cause landslides, mudflows, floods and tsunamis. After a natural disaster, earthquake zones often change beyond recognition. Deep cracks and failures, soil washout - these and other “transformations” of the landscape lead to significant environmental changes. They can lead to the death of the flora and fauna of the area. This is facilitated by various gases and metal compounds coming from deep faults, and simply by the destruction of entire sections of the habitat.

Strong and weak

The most impressive destruction remains after megaearthquakes. They are characterized by a magnitude greater than 8.5. Such disasters are fortunately extremely rare. As a result of similar earthquakes in the distant past, some lakes and river beds were formed. A picturesque example of the “activity” of a natural disaster is Lake Gek-Gol in Azerbaijan.

Weak earthquakes are a hidden threat. As a rule, it is very difficult to find out about the likelihood of their occurrence on the ground, while phenomena of more impressive magnitude always leave identification marks. Therefore, all industrial and residential facilities near seismically active zones are under threat. Such buildings include, for example, many nuclear power plants and power plants in the United States, as well as disposal sites for radioactive and toxic waste.

Earthquake areas

The uneven distribution of seismically dangerous zones on the world map is also associated with the peculiarities of the causes of natural disasters. In the Pacific Ocean there is a seismic belt, with which, one way or another, an impressive part of earthquakes is associated. It includes Indonesia, the west coast of Central and South America, Japan, Iceland, Kamchatka, Hawaii, Philippines, Kuril Islands and Alaska. The second most active belt is the Eurasian one: the Pyrenees, the Caucasus, Tibet, the Apennines, the Himalayas, Altai, the Pamirs and the Balkans.

The earthquake map is full of other potential danger zones. All of them are associated with places of tectonic activity, where there is a high probability of collision of lithospheric plates, or with volcanoes.

The Russian earthquake map is also complete sufficient quantity potential and existing outbreaks. The most dangerous zones in this sense are Kamchatka, Eastern Siberia, the Caucasus, Altai, Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands. The most destructive earthquake in recent years in our country occurred on Sakhalin Island in 1995. Then the intensity of the natural disaster was almost eight points. The disaster led to the destruction of a large part of Neftegorsk.

The enormous danger of a natural disaster and the impossibility of preventing it forces scientists around the world to study earthquakes in detail: the causes and consequences, “identifying” signs and forecasting possibilities. It is interesting that technical progress, on the one hand, helps to more accurately predict threatening events, to detect the slightest changes in the internal processes of the Earth, and on the other hand, it also becomes a source of additional danger: accidents at hydroelectric and nuclear power plants, in mining sites, are added to surface faults. fires at work that are terrible in scale. The earthquake itself is a phenomenon as controversial as scientific and technological progress: it is destructive and dangerous, but it indicates that the planet is alive. According to scientists, a complete cessation of volcanic activity and earthquakes will mean the death of the planet in geological terms. The differentiation of the interior will be completed, the fuel that has been warming the interior of the Earth for several million years will run out. And it is still unclear whether there will be a place for people on the planet without earthquakes.

Hello, dear reader! I am glad to see you on the blog, the author of which is me, Vladimir Raichev. And today I want to tell you about the most powerful earthquake. This earthquake has not happened yet, but scientists are already predicting its occurrence.

Friends, I recommend that you read about the most destructive earthquakes in human history, which I wrote about in this article. But scientists say the worst earthquake is yet to come.

As a result of this natural disaster, the earth will move more than 10 meters and rivers will begin to change their course.

A powerful earthquake and large floods threaten Bangladesh and India. More than 140 million people are at risk, geophysicists at Columbia University warn. Scientists have explored the boundaries of tectonic plates in Bangladesh. They argue that geophysical stresses in this region have been increasing for more than 400 years.

Scientists warn that Bangladesh and India are threatened by an earthquake measuring 9 (perhaps even much higher) on the Richter scale. As a result, the ground will move more than ten meters, and rivers will change flow directions, resulting in gigantic floods in the most densely populated region of the world.

When will the earthquake happen?

Scientists admit, however, that it is impossible to predict when disaster will come:

“We don’t know how long it takes for tectonic plates to release stress, because we don’t know exactly how much time has passed since the last earthquake.” It can be very a short time, the next decades or even years, but this could happen over the next 500 years, scientists admit.

Where else is an earthquake likely to occur?

Experts say a similar threat is emerging on the other side of the globe. Stresses on the San Andreas Fault, which runs through California, are also constantly increasing. Geophysicists are convinced that 99% of the earthquakes in this region will occur within the next 15-30 years, and its strength will reach 7 points.

Just imagine: a magnitude 9 earthquake! This is simply deadly for India and Bangladesh. When we were in Goa, I noticed that even in this relatively rich state of India there is no seismic protection for buildings. Roughly speaking, a powerful earthquake will simply wipe this beautiful country off the face of the Earth.

I think I'll stop scaring you for today. I hope that nothing bad will happen to our wonderful planet. Subscribe to blog updates so as not to miss anything interesting, share this article with your friends on in social networks. Until we meet again, bye-bye.

The danger of such natural phenomenon, like an earthquake, is estimated by most seismologists in points. There are several scales by which the strength of seismic shocks is assessed. The scale, adopted in Russia, Europe and the CIS countries, was developed in 1964. According to data from a 12-point scale, the greatest destructive force is typical for an earthquake of 12 points, and such strong tremors are classified as a “severe catastrophe.” There are also other methods for measuring the strength of shocks, which take into account fundamentally different aspects - the area where the shocks occurred, the time of “shaking” and other factors. However, no matter how the strength of tremors is measured, there are natural disasters that are among the most terrible.

The strength of earthquakes: has there ever been a magnitude 12?

Since the Kamori scale was adopted, and this made it possible to evaluate natural disasters that have not yet disappeared into the dust of centuries, at least 3 earthquakes with a magnitude of 12 have occurred.

1. Tragedy in Chile, 1960.
2. Destruction in Mongolia, 1957.
3. Tremors in the Himalayas, 1950.

In first place in the ranking, which contains the most powerful earthquakes in the world, is the 1960 cataclysm known as the “Great Chilean Earthquake.” The scale of destruction is estimated at the maximum known 12 points, while the magnitude of the ground vibrations exceeded 9.5 points. The most powerful earthquake in history occurred in May 1960 in Chile, near several cities. The epicenter was Valdivia, where the fluctuations reached a maximum, but the population was warned of the impending danger, since the tremors were felt in nearby provinces of Chile the day before. Those who died in this terrible disaster It is believed that 10 thousand people, a lot of people were carried away by the tsunami that began, but experts say that without prior notification there could have been many more victims. By the way, many people were saved due to the fact that the mass of people went to church for Sunday services. At the moment the shaking began, people were in churches that stood.

The most destructive earthquakes in the world include the Gobi-Altai disaster, which swept through Mongolia on December 4, 1957. As a result of the tragedy, the earth was literally turned inside out: fractures formed, demonstrating geological processes that would not be visible under normal circumstances. The high mountains in the mountain ranges ceased to exist, the peaks collapsed, and the usual pattern of the mountains was disrupted.

The tremors in populated areas were increasing and continued for quite a long time until they reached 11-12 points. People managed to leave their houses seconds before complete destruction. Dust flying from the mountains covered the cities of southern Mongolia for 48 hours, visibility did not exceed several tens of meters.

Another terrible cataclysm, estimated by seismologists at 11-12 points, occurred in the Himalayas, in the highlands of Tibet, in 1950. The terrible aftermath of the earthquake in the form of mudflows and landslides changed the relief of the mountains beyond recognition. With a terrible roar, the mountains folded like paper, and dust clouds spread from the epicenter to a radius of up to 2000 km.

Tremors from the depths of centuries: what do we know about ancient earthquakes?

The largest earthquakes that occurred in modern times, discussed and well covered in the media.

Thus, they are still widely known, the memory of them, of the victims and destruction, is still fresh. But what about earthquakes that occurred a long time ago - a hundred, two hundred or three hundred years ago? Traces of destruction have long been eliminated, and witnesses either survived the incident or died. Nevertheless, historical literature contains traces of the most terrible earthquakes in the world, which occurred a long time ago. Thus, in the chronicles recording the largest earthquakes in the world, it is written that in ancient times tremors occurred much more often than now, and were much stronger. According to one such source, in 365 BC, tremors occurred that affected the entire Mediterranean territory, as a result of which the seabed was exposed before the eyes of eyewitnesses.

Deadly earthquake for one of the Wonders of the World

One of the most famous ancient earthquakes is the destruction of 244 BC. In those days, according to scientists, tremors occurred much more often, but this particular earthquake is especially famous: as a result of the tremors, the statue of the legendary Colossus of Rhodes collapsed. This statue, according to ancient sources, was one of the Eight Wonders of the World. It was a giant beacon in the form of a statue of a man with a torch in his hand. The statue was so huge that a flotilla could sail between its spread legs. The size played a cruel joke on the Colossus: its legs turned out to be too fragile to withstand seismological activity, and the Colossus collapsed.

Iranian earthquake of 856

The death of hundreds of thousands of people as a result of even not very strong earthquakes was common: there were no systems for predicting seismic activity, no warning, no evacuation. Thus, in 856, more than 200 thousand people became victims of tremors in the north of Iran, and the city of Damkhan was wiped off the face of the earth. By the way, the record number of victims from this single earthquake is comparable to the number of earthquake victims in Iran for the rest of the time, until today.

The bloodiest earthquake in the world

The Chinese earthquake of 1565, which destroyed the provinces of Gansu and Shaanxi, killed more than 830 thousand people. This is an absolute record for the number of human casualties, which has not yet been exceeded. It remained in history as the “Great Jiajing Earthquake” (named after the emperor then in power). Historians estimate its power at 7.9 - 8 points, as evidenced by geological surveys.

This is how this phenomenon was described in the chronicles:
"In the winter of 1556 catastrophic earthquake occurred in Shaanxi and the provinces around it. Our Hua County has suffered numerous troubles and misfortunes. Mountains and rivers changed their location, roads were destroyed. In some places, the ground unexpectedly rose and new hills appeared, or vice versa - parts of the former hills went underground, floated and became new plains. In other places, mudflows constantly occurred, or the ground split and new ravines appeared. Private houses, public buildings, temples and city walls collapsed with lightning speed and completely.”.

Cataclysm for All Saints' Day in Portugal

A terrible tragedy that claimed the lives of more than 80 thousand Portuguese occurred in Lisbon on November 1, 1755. This cataclysm is not included among the most powerful earthquakes in the world either in terms of the number of victims or the strength of seismic activity. But the terrible irony of fate with which this phenomenon broke out is shocking: the tremors began precisely when people went to celebrate the holiday in church. The temples of Lisbon could not stand it and collapsed, burying a huge number of unfortunates, and then the city was covered by a 6-meter tsunami wave, killing the rest of the people on the streets.

The largest earthquakes in the history of the twentieth century

Ten disasters of the 20th century that claimed greatest number lives and brought the most terrible destruction, are reflected in the summary table:

	date	Place	Epicenter	Seismic activity in points	Dead (Persons)
			22 km from Port-au-Prince
			Tangshan/Hebei Province
		Indonesia
			90 km from Tokyo
		Turkmen SSR
			Erzincan
		Pakistan
			25 km from Chimbote

Tangshan-1976

The Chinese events of 1976 are captured in Feng Xiaogang's film "Disaster". Despite the relative weakness of the magnitude, the disaster carried away big number lives, the first shock provoked the destruction of 90% of residential buildings in Tangshan. The hospital building disappeared without a trace, the opening ground literally swallowed passenger train.

Sumatra 2004, the largest in geographical terms

The 2004 Sumatran earthquake affected several countries: India, Thailand, South Africa, Sri Lanka. The exact number of victims is impossible to calculate, since the main destructive force - the tsunami - carried tens of thousands of people into the ocean. This is the largest earthquake in terms of geography, since its prerequisites were the movement of plates in the Indian Ocean with subsequent tremors over a distance of up to 1600 km. The ocean floor rose as a result of the collision of the Indian and Burmese plates; tsunami waves ran in all directions from the fracture of the plates, which rolled thousands of kilometers and reached the shores.

Haiti 2010, our time

In 2010, Haiti experienced its first major earthquake after almost 260 years of calm. The national fund of the republics received the greatest damage: the entire center of the capital with its rich cultural heritage, all administrative and government buildings were damaged. More than 232 thousand people died, many of whom were carried away by the tsunami waves. The consequences of the disaster were a surge in the incidence of intestinal diseases and an increase in crime: the tremors destroyed prison buildings, which prisoners immediately took advantage of.

The most powerful earthquakes in Russia

In Russia there are also dangerous seismically active regions where an earthquake can occur. However, most of these Russian territories are located far from densely populated areas, which eliminates the possibility of large destruction and casualties.

The largest earthquakes in Russia, however, are also inscribed in the tragic history of the struggle between the elements and man.

Among the most terrible earthquakes in Russia:

• North Kuril destruction of 1952.
• Neftegorsk destruction in 1995.

Kamchatka-1952

Severo-Kurilsk was completely destroyed as a result of tremors and tsunami on November 4, 1952. Unrest in the ocean, 100 km from the coast, brought waves 20 meters high to the city, hour after hour washing the coast and washing away coastal settlements into the ocean. The terrible flood destroyed all buildings and killed more than 2 thousand people.

Sakhalin-1995

On March 27, 1995, the elements took only 17 seconds to wipe out the workers' village of Neftegorsk in the Sakhalin region. More than 2 thousand residents of the village died, accounting for 80% of the residents. Large-scale destruction did not allow the village to be restored, so the settlement became a ghost: a memorial plaque was installed in it telling about the victims of the tragedy, and the residents themselves were evacuated.

A dangerous area in Russia from the point of view of seismic activity is any region at the junction of tectonic plates:

• Kamchatka and Sakhalin,
• Caucasian republics,
• Altai region.

In any of these regions, the possibility of a natural earthquake remains possible, since the mechanism of the generation of tremors has not yet been studied.