The largest earthquake ever recorded released energy equal to 178 gigatons of TNT — about 12,000 times the Hiroshima bomb.
How to Play: Guess if the earthquake on the right had a HIGHER or LOWER magnitude than the one on the left.
Name A
Name B
Top 10 Most Powerful Earthquakes
The moment magnitude scale (Mw) is logarithmic — each step is 32x more energy. The largest recorded earthquakes have all happened along the Pacific Ring of Fire.
| # | Name | Moment Magnitude (Mw) | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Valdivia, Chile (1960) | 9.50 | Mw |
| 2 | Alaska (1964) | 9.20 | Mw |
| 3 | Sumatra-Andaman (2004) | 9.10 | Mw |
| 4 | Tohoku, Japan (2011) | 9.10 | Mw |
| 5 | Kamchatka, Russia (1952) | 9 | Mw |
| 6 | Maule, Chile (2010) | 8.80 | Mw |
| 7 | Ecuador-Colombia (1906) | 8.80 | Mw |
| 8 | Rat Islands, Alaska (1965) | 8.70 | Mw |
| 9 | Sumatra (2005) | 8.60 | Mw |
| 10 | Assam-Tibet (1950) | 8.60 | Mw |
How Earthquake Magnitude Is Measured
Moment magnitude (Mw) replaced the older Richter scale as the standard around 1979. It is logarithmic: a M8.0 releases 32x more energy than M7.0, and 1000x more than M6.0.
The 1960 Valdivia earthquake (Mw 9.5) released so much energy that the entire planet rang like a bell for weeks. It triggered Pacific-wide tsunamis that killed people in Hawaii, Japan, and the Philippines despite being centered in Chile.
Tohoku 2011 (Mw 9.1) is the costliest natural disaster in history at over $230 billion in damages, primarily from the resulting tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the largest earthquake ever recorded?
Valdivia, Chile in 1960 at Mw 9.5. About 1,000 to 6,000 people died, mostly from the resulting Pacific tsunami.
Is the Richter scale still used?
Mostly replaced by moment magnitude (Mw) for large earthquakes. Local Richter scale (ML) is still used for small tremors.
Where do biggest earthquakes happen?
Along subduction zones — where one tectonic plate slides under another. The Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ contains most of them.
Can earthquakes be predicted?
Not reliably. Statistical probabilities yes, specific timing no. Long-term hazard maps drive building codes more than predictions.
Note: Moment magnitude (Mw) per USGS records.
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