The Biggest Earthquake in Recorded History: A Look at the Largest Tremor

Share and Follow

(NEXSTAR) An 8.8 magnitude earthquake one of the most powerful in recorded history struck off the coast of Russia on Tuesday, prompting tsunami watches and warnings around the globe. But how does it measure up with the strongest earthquakes in history?

The United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) seismogram records only go back to about 1900, but since then there have been multiple quakes that registered at 9.0 magnitude and above.

1. Valdivia earthquake

Damage from the 1960 Chile earthquake, the largest earthquake of the 20th century. (Getty)

The most powerful happened in 1960 in Biobio, Chile. The 9.5 magnitude Valdivia earthquake, also referred to as the Great Chilean Earthquake, killed some 1,655 people and left 2 million homeless, according to the USGS.

2. Great Alaska earthquake

The tremendous earthquake that rocked Anchorage, Alaska, in March 1964 dropped Fourth Avenue and a row of cars some 20 feet below normal level. This street, like others, was left cracked and torn like peanut brittle. (COURTESY)

Four years later, a 9.2 magnitude earthquake rocked Alaska, generating a tsunami that, combined with the earthquake, killed at least 130 people and caused over $2 billion in damage, according to the USGS. The earthquake was also known as the Prince William Sound earthquake, or the Good Friday earthquake.

3. Sumatra-Andaman Islands earthquake

An overview shows Meulaboh, Indonesia, underwater Dec. 28 2004, after a quake and tidal waves hit Aceh province early December 26. (HO/AFP via Getty Images)

A magnitude 9.1 earthquake that shook Sumatra, Indonesia and the Andaman Islands caused deadly tsunamis that killed over 280,000 people and left more than 1 million displaced, according to the USGS.

Prior to Tuesday’s earthquake, the 10 largest earthquakes since 1900 were:

4. Magnitude 9.1 (2011). Tohoku, Japan
5. Magnitude 9.0 (1952). Kamchatka Krai, Russia
6. Magnitude 8.8 (2010). Biobo, Chile
7. Magnitude 8.8 (1906). Esmeraldas, Ecuador
8. Magnitude 8.7 (1965). Alaska
9. Magnitude 8.6 (1950) Arunachal Pradesh, India
10. Magnitude 8.6 (2012). Sumatra, Indonesia

On Tuesday, a tsunami warning was issued for Alaska, Hawaii and other coasts south toward New Zealand after the earthquake struck roughly 74 miles east-southeast of the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which has a population of 180,000, on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Multiple aftershocks as strong as 6.9 magnitude were recorded.

Several locations advised evacuations, but no major injuries have been reported.

Cars jammed streets and highways in Honolulu as the tsunami alerts coincided with the Tuesday afternoon rush-hour. Warning sirens blared as people moved to higher ground. Hawaii schools canceled after-school and evening activities.

A tsunami of 50 centimeters (1.6 feet) was detected at the Ishinomaki port in northern Japan, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. That was the highest measurement so far among several locations around northern Japan.

The Russian areas nearest the quake’s epicenter on the Kamchatka Peninsula reported damage and evacuations, but no serious injuries.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.