Destructive earthquakes in the world. The largest and most famous earthquakes in the world

Millions of years ago, powerful earthquakes occurred daily on our home planet - the formation of the habitual appearance of the Earth was going on. Today we can say that seismic activity practically does not disturb humanity.

However, sometimes violent activity in the bowels of the planet makes itself felt, and tremors lead to the destruction of buildings and the death of people. In today's selection, we bring to your attention 10 most destructive earthquakes in modern history.

The strength of the shocks reached 7.7 points. The earthquake in the province of Gilan led to the death of 40 thousand people, more than 6 thousand were injured. Significant destruction befell 9 cities and about 700 small towns.

9. Peru, May 31, 1970

The worst natural disaster in the history of the country claimed the lives of 67,000 Peruvians. A push with a power of 7.5 points lasted about 45 seconds. As a result, landslides and floods occurred over a wide area, which led to truly devastating consequences.

8. China, May 12, 2008

A powerful earthquake in Sichuan province had a force of 7.8 points and led to the death of 69 thousand people. About 18 thousand are still considered missing today, and more than 370 thousand were injured.

7. Pakistan, 8 October 2005

An earthquake measuring 7.6 killed 84,000 people. The epicenter of the disaster was located in the Kashmir region. As a result of the earthquake, a gap formed on the surface of the Earth, 100 km long.

6. Türkiye, December 27, 1939

The force of shocks during this devastating earthquake reached 8 points. Strong aftershocks lasted about a minute, and then followed by 7 so-called "aftershocks" - weaker echoes of the shaking. As a result of the disaster, 100 thousand people died.

5. Turkmen SSR, October 6, 1948

The strength of the shocks at the epicenter of the most powerful earthquake reached 10 points on the Richter scale. Ashgabat was almost completely destroyed, and, according to various estimates, from 100 to 165 thousand people became victims of the disaster. Every year on October 6, Turkmenistan celebrates the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Earthquake.

4. Japan, September 1, 1923

The Great Kanto Earthquake, as the Japanese call it, almost completely destroyed Tokyo and Yokohama. The force of the shocks reached 8.3 points, resulting in the death of 174 thousand people. The damage from the earthquake was estimated at $4.5 billion, which at that time was equal to two of the country's annual budgets.

3. Indonesia, 26 December 2004

A 9.3 magnitude underwater earthquake triggered a series of tsunamis that killed 230,000 people. As a result of the natural disaster, the countries of Asia, Indonesia and the east coast of Africa were affected.

2. China, July 28, 1976

An 8.2 magnitude earthquake has killed nearly 230,000 people near the Chinese city of Tangshan. Many international experts believe that official statistics greatly underestimated the death toll, which could be as high as 800,000.

1. Haiti, January 12, 2010

Power the most devastating earthquake in 100 years was only 7 points, but the number of human victims exceeded 232 thousand. Several million Haitians were left homeless, and the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, was almost completely destroyed. As a result, people were forced to survive for many months in conditions of devastation and unsanitary conditions, which led to an outbreak of a number of serious infections, including cholera.

The power of tremors is estimated by the amplitude of oscillations earth's crust from 1 to 10 points. The most seismic areas are considered to be in mountainous areas. We present you the most powerful 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 strength of the shocks 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.

A large number of victims is associated not so much with the strength of the shocks, but with their duration. Modern researchers can judge the consequences of the destruction of the earthquake in the II century only by 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 in Haiti

The earthquake in Haiti in 2010 claimed the lives of more than 220 thousand people, 300 thousand were injured, and more than 800 thousand were missing. The 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 their own rebuild 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 became victims of an 8-point 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. A huge number of victims is due to the fact that people in the middle of the 16th century lived in limestone caves, easily destroyed by even minor shocks.

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

The strongest earthquakes in Russia

Almost a fifth of the territory of Russia is located in seismically active regions. These include the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin, Kamchatka, the North Caucasus and the Black Sea coast, Baikal, Altai and Tuva, Yakutia and the Urals. Over the past 25 years, about 30 strong earthquakes with an amplitude of more than 7 points have been registered 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 nearby villages, 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 marked on the map of Russia.

More than 1500 rescuers were involved in the liquidation of the consequences. 2040 people died under the rubble. A chapel was built on the site of Neftegorsk and a memorial was erected.

Earthquake in Japan

The movement of the earth's crust is often observed on the territory of Japan, since it is located in the active zone of the volcanic ring of the Pacific Ocean. Most strong earthquake in this country occurred in 2011, the amplitude of fluctuations was 9 points. According to a rough estimate of experts, the amount of damage after the destruction reached 309 billion dollars. More than 15,000 people were killed, 6,000 were injured and about 2,500 were missing.

tremors in pacific ocean caused a powerful tsunami, the wave height of which 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 forbidden to drink tap water due to its high cesium content.

In addition, the Japanese government ordered the TEPCO company, which owns the nuclear power plant, to compensate for the moral damage to 80,000 residents who were forced to leave the contaminated areas.

The strongest earthquake in the world

The strongest earthquake caused by the collision of two continental plates occurred in India on August 15, 1950. According to official data, the force of 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 could not establish their exact magnitude.

The strongest tremors were felt in the state of Assam, which was devastated by the quake, destroying more than 2,000 houses and killing more than 6,000 people. total area territories in the zone of destruction amounted to 390 thousand square kilometers.

According to the site, earthquakes also often occur in volcanically active zones. We present you an article about the highest volcanoes in the world.
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According to reports from the National information center of Earthquakes, working on behalf of the US Geological Survey, the Earth experiences at least one very destructive earthquake in excess of magnitude 8 every year, about 18 earthquakes from 7 to 7.9 magnitude, which belong to the category of very strong, 120 strong earthquakes, the magnitude of which reaches 6-6.9 points, about 800 moderate shocks from 5 to 5.9 points, a little more than 6200 minor earthquakes, with a magnitude of 4-4.9 and about 50 thousand weak earthquakes, which have a score of 3 to 3.9. But in the history of the Earth there were such earthquakes that remained in the history books as the deadliest - they claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and harmed millions. It is about such natural disasters that we will talk today.

Earthquake in Aleppo, Syria, 1138

Earthquake in Syria in 1138one of the most powerful in history

One of the most powerful earthquakes known to mankind, and the fourth largest in terms of the number of victims (according to a rough estimate, over 230,000 deaths). This earthquake had an 8 on the Richter scale. The earthquake occurred in several stages, covering the territories of modern northern Syria and southwestern Turkey, later Iran and Azerbaijan. The peak of destruction came on October 11, 1138, when Aleppo suffered.

After the earthquake, the population of Aleppo recovered only by early XIX century.

earthquake in Ganja (now the territory of Azerbaijan), 1139

The magnitude of this earthquake was 11 points. As a result of the disaster, about 230 thousand people died.Mountain collapsed during an earthquake Kapaz and blocked the course of the Akhsu River, which ran through it, as a result of which eight lakes were formed, one of which is the lake Goygol . This lake is given time located on the territoryGoygol Reserve.

Earthquake in Egypt, 1201

The earthquake in Egypt in 1201 killed more than 1 million people

This earthquake is included in the Guinness book as the most destructive. According to chroniclers, the number of victims was 1 million 100 thousand people. There is an opinion that the figures indicated by historians are far from the truth, and there is a rather big possibility that the facts were exaggerated. However, the catastrophe was gigantic in scale, which had a huge impact on historical development region.

Earthquake of Gansu and Shaanxi, China, 1556

The Chinese earthquake in 1556 claimed the lives of 830,000 people

It claimed the lives of approximately 830,000 people - more than any other earthquake in human history.20-meter dips and cracks opened at the epicenter of the earthquake. The destruction affected territories located 500 km from the epicenter. The huge number of victims was due to the fact that most of the population of the province lived in loess caves that collapsed after the first shocks or were flooded mudflows.

Within six months after the earthquake, repeated seismic shocks followed several times a month, but of lesser intensity.

Earthquake in Calcutta, India, 1737

This is the most tragic earthquake in the history of the country.. It claimed the lives of about 300 thousand people.

The Great Kanto Earthquake, Japan, 1923

The number of victims of the earthquake in Japan in 1923 - 4 million people

A strong earthquake of magnitude 8.3 occurred on September 1, 1923 in Japan. The earthquake caused the death of several hundred thousand people and caused significant material damage to the entire state. In terms of the scale of destruction and the number of victims, it is the most destructive in the history of Japan.The official death toll is 174,000, with another 542,000 missing, and over a million left homeless. Total number about 4 million were affected.

The material damage suffered by Japan from the Kanto earthquake is estimated at 4.5 billion dollars, which at that time amounted to two annual budgets of the country.

Earthquake in Chile, 1960

1960 Chile earthquake one of the strongest in the history of mankind

It was one of the strongest earthquakes in the history of mankind on May 22, 1960 in Chile, the strength of which at the epicenter reached 9.5 points, and the fault was 1000 kilometers. Due to the natural disaster, 1,655 people died, 3,000 people were injured, about 2 million people were left homeless, and losses were inflicted on half a billion dollars. The tsunami resulting from this earthquake reached the coasts of Japan, the Philippines and Hawaii and caused significant damage to coastal settlements.

Earthquake in Ashgabat in the Turkmen SSR, 1948

Earthquake in Ashgabat - the most fatal earthquake in the USSR

The most fatal earthquake in the Soviet Union. It consisted of two strong shocks with an interval of several hours. The incident happened on the night of November 5-6. The force of the natural disaster was approximately 9 points. It took several seconds for the complete destruction of the 130,000th settlement. It is still not clear how many people died that night. Approximately the number of deaths is estimated at 160 thousand people, and this is up to 80% of the total population of the city and its environs.

earthquake in Indian Ocean, 2004

An underwater earthquake in the Indian Ocean caused a tsunami, which was recognized as the deadliest natural disaster in modern history. The magnitude of the earthquake was, according to various estimates, from 9.1 to 9.3. The destruction affected Port Elizabeth in South Africa, despite the fact that it was several thousand kilometers from the epicenter. Some coasts had to deal with waves above 20 meters. The huge release of energy that accompanied the collision of tectonic plates caused the displacement of Sumatra and its neighboring islands by several tens of meters. Died, according to various estimates, from 225 thousand to 300 thousand people.

Earthquake in Haiti, 2010

The damage from the earthquake in Haiti in 2010 is estimated at 5.6 billion euros

After the main push magnitude 7 points many repeated aftershocks, 15 of them with a magnitude of more than 5.According to official figures, as of March 18, 2010, the death toll was 222,570 people, and 311,000 people were injured. Material damage is estimated at 5.6 billion euros.

Earthquake off the east coast of Khons Island, Japan, 2011

This is the strongest earthquake in the known history of Japan. The earthquake occurred at a distance of about 70 km from the nearest point on the coast of Japan. An initial estimate showed that it took 10 to 30 minutes for the tsunami waves to reach the first affected areas of Japan. After 69 minutesafter the earthquake, the tsunami flooded Sendai airport.

The official death toll from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan is 15,892. The damage from the earthquake in Japan is estimated at 16-25 trillion yen (198-309 billion dollars).

A series of earthquakes in Italy led to several hundred deaths. It's a tragedy, but it could be worse. NV chose the most destructive earthquakes in the history of civilization

How HB, Italian earthquakes were quite strong - magnitude 6.2 and 4 on the Richter scale. However, in contrast to the popular beliefs of the inhabitants, the strength of the shocks is not always directly related to the number of victims.

A lot depends on how densely populated the region in which the disaster occurs and what the seismic resistance of buildings is.

The last factor played important role in Italian events. In particular, some observers note that the economic damage will be huge due to the fact that the old buildings in many cities in central Italy simply took shape like houses of cards. All this will have to be rebuilt.

Sometimes colossal earthquakes turned into relatively small victims. As it was in Alaska in 1964, when 128 people died as a result of an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.2 on the Richter scale. For example, in the Armenian city of Spitak in 1988, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake killed 25,000 people.

HB chose 7 underground cataclysms that took away the largest number human lives.

The most monstrous earthquake in the history of mankind. The death toll exceeded 830 thousand people.

No measurements were taken at that time, but, analyzing eyewitness accounts, scientists estimate it at least 8 points on the Richter scale. Cracks with a depth of more than 20 m opened at the epicenter of the earthquake. Destruction was recorded within a radius of 500 km from the epicenter.

Such a huge number of victims is explained high density population, as well as the fact that most people lived in the lungs wooden buildings and caves dug into the hillsides.

An earthquake is unique in its nature. It consisted of two identical shocks (7.8 on the Richter scale). The second followed 16 hours after the first.

In total, 650 thousand people died as a result of the tragedy. The devastation was so monstrous that the government of communist China even agreed to accept help from sworn enemies of the capitalists.

227 thousand people died as a result of the most powerful earthquake in the Indian Ocean (9.3 points) by the force of the equivalent of 23 thousand nuclear charges, similar to the one that was blown up in Hiroshima.

A monstrous tsunami caused by the earthquake hit 11 Asian countries. Waves reached 15 m in height.

An earthquake with a force of 7.8 on the Richter scale led to the death of 200 thousand people and monstrous destruction on an area of ​​over 3.8 thousand square meters. km.

Over the next few months, more than 20,000 people died from the cold, having lost their homes in the midst of a harsh winter.

The most powerful earthquake (7.9 points) literally wiped Yokohama off the face of the earth and led to huge destruction in Tokyo.

143 thousand people died, more than 1 million lost their homes. A total of 600,000 buildings were destroyed (90% of buildings in Yokohama and 40% in Tokyo).

The Soviet authorities did their best to hide the truth about the 1948 cataclysm. Therefore, for many decades in official sources, the number of victims was indicated as 10 thousand people.

In the era of perestroika, documents were made public, according to which the death toll was 11 (!) times higher.

As a result powerful earthquake(7.9 points) Ashgabat turned into ruins in a matter of minutes - almost not a single intact building remained in the city.

A 7-point shock on the Richter scale and a series of subsequent blows, some of which reached 4 points, claimed the lives of at least 100 thousand people. 250 thousand private houses and about 30 thousand state buildings were destroyed.

The cataclysm in Haiti was marked by unprecedented unity, with which the developed countries of the world sent aid to eliminate the consequences of the earthquake. The United States sent an aircraft carrier to the coast of Haiti with food rations and medicines. More than 20 countries sent troops to Haiti to help and maintain order in the devastated country.

The history of mankind remembers a lot of cataclysms, the most dangerous of which, for good reasons, are earthquakes. The power of such natural events is estimated on the Richter scale. We propose to recall the top 10 most powerful earthquakes in the history of the Earth. These are the most striking seismic threats that have taken the lives of millions of people. At the same time, humanity to this day remembers the dates of terrible events, which were not even allowed to be avoided. modern technologies and progress. And so, let's start the review:

TOP 10 most destructive earthquakes

It is worth noting that the most powerful earthquakes in the history of the world were recorded in Chile. The last one happened in 2010. The power of the magnetic impact on the Richter scale is estimated at 8.8 points. The epicenter of the threat was in the city of Bio-Bio Concepción. The inhabitants of this settlement and the city of Maule suffered the most. A total of 540 people died in Bio-Bio Concepcion. On the territory of the second city, 64 people were injured. Approximately 2 million people were left homeless. In total, the damage is estimated at $30 billion.

The tsunami that occurred on January 31 in Ecuador hit the entire coast of Central America at once. A magnitude of 8.8 was recorded in San Francisco. The first wave even reached Japan. Fortunately, it was possible to get by with a minimum of victims due to the low population density. According to preliminary estimates, 1,500 people were affected, left without homes. Due to the timely response of the rescuers, no dead were found. However, the damage is estimated at $1.5 million.

One of the strongest earthquakes in history is considered to be a seismic shock recorded in 1923 near the island of Oshima. Nearly 300,000 buildings in Tokyo and Yokohama were destroyed as a result of the incident. For two days there were 356 aftershocks. As a result, the waves reached a height of 12 meters. The tsunami claimed the lives of 174 thousand people. About 542 thousand are considered missing. In total, the damage is estimated at 4.5 billion dollars.

As a result of this cataclysm, more than 820 thousand people died. Paul the number of victims of this incident is considered the most serious in history. The catastrophe has gone down in history because of its duration. The horror lasted nearly three days. During this time, the entire component of the Shaanxi province was destroyed, including 60% of the population of the settlement. The epicenter affected three provinces, including Feinan and Huaxian. A magnetic focus has been registered in the Wei Valley. It is difficult to assess the damage due to the remoteness of the events.

In 2011, a magnitude of 9.1 was recorded on the island of Honshu. The strongest earthquake in the history of Japan occurred 130 kilometers from the city of Sendai. Approximately 30 minutes later, the coast of the country was overtaken by the strongest tsunami, which destroyed 11 power units of the nuclear power plant in 69 minutes. As a result, 6,000 people died. 2,000 Japanese were missing. In total, the country suffered $36.6 billion worth of damage. Until today locals remember March 11 with horror.

As a result of a powerful earthquake on November 5, 1952, the tsunami reached the city of Severo-Kurilsk. As a result of a seismic event with a magnitude of 9 points, the strongest tsunami destroyed the entire city. According to rough estimates, the wave took the lives of 2336 people. At the same time, about 6,000 people are considered missing. The waves reached 18 meters in height. The damage, even at that time, was $1 million. In total, three waves were observed. The weakest of them reached a height of 15 meters.

On December 26, an underwater earthquake with a scale of 9.3 reached the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The focus of the cataclysm provoked the most destructive tsunami in the history of mankind. Waves of 15 meters destroyed Sri Lanka, southern India and the coast of Indonesia. Even the people of Thailand suffered damage. The tsunami almost completely demolished the infrastructure of the east of Sri Lanka. According to preliminary estimates, close to 225 thousand people died. At the same time, another 300 thousand are considered missing. According to preliminary estimates, the damage is 10 billion dollars.

It happened in the northern part of the Gulf of Alaska. Power is 9.2 points. The epicenter of the terrible earthquake was registered 120 kilometers from the western part of Sewarde. The aftershocks resulted in the destruction of Kodiak Island and the city of Valdese. 9 people died from the shock itself. The tsunami resulted in the death of 190 people. It was possible to reduce mortality due to the timely detection of a threat. However, California suffered $200 million in damages. The destruction stretched from Canada all the way to California.