Today’s terrible news of an earthquake in Japan again highlights the dangers of earthquakes and we hereby enclose a list of most powerful earthquakes in recent times. The dangers of earthquakes are well documented because not only are there immediate dangers from falling buildings and great chasms opening up around the area of the quake but as we have seen in recent disasters, power stations can be impacted, nuclear facilities will come under pressure and this before we get onto the subject of tsunamis.

The power of Mother Nature has never been more visible than during and after an earthquake which can literally ruining an area, kill thousands and cause massive deprivation in just a matter of seconds. We know why earthquakes happen, we can sometimes predict when they will happen but in reality we are left to the laws of Mother Nature when they are about to occur.

The list of most powerful earthquakes in recent times include: –

Date Location Magnitude

May 22, 1960 Valdivia, Chile 9.5
March 27, 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA 9.2
December 26, 2004 Indian Ocean, Sumatra, Indonesia 9.3
November 4, 1952 Kamchatka, Russia (then USSR) 9
March 11, 2011 Pacific Ocean, Thoku region, Japan 9
November 25, 1833 Sumatra, Indonesia 8.8
January 31, 1906 Ecuador – Colombia 8.8
February 27, 2010 Maule, Chile 8.8
January 26, 1700 Pacific Ocean, USA and Canada 8.7
July 8, 1730 Valparaiso, Chile 8.7
November 1, 1755 Atlantic Ocean, Lisbon, Portugal 8.7
February 4, 1965 Rat Islands, Alaska, USA 8.7
July 9, 869 Pacific Ocean, Thoku region, Japan 8.6
September 20, 1498 Pacific Ocean, Nankai Trough, Japan 8.6
October 28, 1707 Pacific Ocean, Shikoku region, Japan 8.6
August 15, 1950 Assam, India – Tibet, China 8.6
March 9, 1957 Andreanof Islands, Alaska, USA 8.6
March 28, 2005 Sumatra, Indonesia 8.6
August 13, 1868 Arica, Chile (then Peru) 8.5
December 16, 1575 Valdivia, Chile (Kingdom of Chile) 8.5
October 20, 1687 Lima, Peru (Viceroyalty of Peru) 8.5
May 24, 1751 Concepción, Chile (Kingdom of Chile) 8.5
November 11, 1922 Atacama Region, Chile 8.5
February 3, 1923 Kamchatka, Russia (USSR) 8.5
February 1, 1938 Banda Sea, Indonesia 8.5
October 13, 1963 Kuril Islands, Russia (USSR) 8.5
September 12, 2007 Sumatra, Indonesia 8.5