Earthquakes are like sudden shakes of the ground caused by seismic waves moving through the Earth’s rocks. They’re also called tremors or quakes. The point under the ground where earthquakes begin is called the hypocenter, and the point right above the ground is the epicenter.
Earthquakes can be big or small. Some weak ones might not even be felt, while strong ones can wreck cities. The size depends on how often, what type, and how big the earthquakes are over time. We measure this on the Richter scale. Throughout history, earthquakes have caused a lot of damage and have been really deadly.
Here are the ten worst earthquakes ever recorded:
Valdivia Earthquake (1960)
This was like the most powerful quake ever, seriously epic. It hit off the Chile coast and a massive tsunami rolled in, slamming Chile and going all the way across the Pacific Ocean.
Great Alaska Earthquake (1964)
Imagine this crazy big earthquake in Alaska, and it set off this massive tsunami that caused chaos and sadly killed a bunch of people.
Sumatra Earthquake (2004)
Holy moly, this one was brutal. It went down in 2004, in the Indian Ocean, and the tsunami it caused wiped out so many lives, it’s heartbreaking.
Tōhoku Earthquake (2011)
In Japan, back in 2011, this mega earthquake made huge tsunami waves that tore up the place, and it even led to nuclear accidents. Crazy, right?
Kamchatka, Russia Earthquake (1952)
Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula saw a massive quake in 1952. A huge tsunami followed, wrecking stuff there and even spreading to other places.
Maule (Chile) Earthquake (2010)
So in Chile, 2010 had this major quake that went on for like three intense minutes. It wrecked a bunch of towns, and the tsunami didn’t hold back either.
Ecuador-Colombia Earthquake (1906)
Picture this, Ecuador and Colombia in 1906, a big quake and tsunamis hitting hard, causing a lot of casualties. Sad times.According to the authorities, the final death toll of 525 victims and 25 people missing in January 2011.
Rat Islands Earthquake (1965)
It’s 1965, and Rat Islands get a visit from a big quake that triggers a tsunami. Luckily, it’s far away, so damage is minimal.
Assam-Tibet Earthquake (1950)
In 1950, India and Tibet had a big showdown with a quake. Buildings crumbled, and people were hurt bad, and some even died. The earthquake also left around 5,000,000 homeless.
Sumatra Earthquake (2012)
April 11, 2012, this earthquake under the Indian Ocean shook things up. Tsunami fears were on, but they didn’t pan out. Waves were small, panic was high, and a few folks even had heart attacks. 10 deaths and 12 injuries were reported which were mostly caused by panic and/or heart attacks.
Those earthquakes, man, they’re like Mother Nature’s DJ dropping beats of destruction, and we’re just here, trying to dance our way through the chaos.
