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Which Earthquake Was the Strongest Ever Recorded?
geologyhistory
Quick Answer
The 1960 Valdivia earthquake in Chile measured magnitude 9.5.
The Full Story
The Great Chilean (Valdivia) earthquake of 22 May 1960 is the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, measuring magnitude 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale. It ruptured a fault zone roughly 1,000 km long and triggered a devastating tsunami that killed people as far away as Hawaii, Japan, and the Philippines. In total, the disaster caused an estimated 1,000–6,000 deaths and left about 2 million people homeless. The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake (9.1) and 2011 Tōhoku earthquake (9.1) are the next strongest.
Key Facts
1.The tsunami reached Japan about 22 hours after the earthquake.
2.The Valdivia earthquake released roughly 1,000 times more energy than the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake.
3.The earth's rotation was slightly affected by the massive energy release.
YouTube Angle
Suggested video title for this topic:
"Magnitude 9.5 — The Most Powerful Earthquake in History"