Have you ever wondered which were the strongest earthquakes in history?
Below is the list of the strongest seismic events. If for earthquakes prior to 1900 it was possible to include in the list only those for which detailed information is available, and therefore for which it is possible to estimate the magnitude, for the following ones we have the official measurements thanks to the diffusion of seismographs.
What have been the 10 strongest earthquakes since man recorded seismic activity?
Since humans began recording seismic activity, it has been possible to accurately record the magnitude of earthquakes using the Richter scale: a measurement system based on the calculation of the amplitude of the ground oscillations detected by seismographs. So what were the 10 strongest earthquakes ever recorded? Here is the list:
- Valdivia, Chile - 9.5 ° magnitude - 22/05/1960.
- Sumatra, Indonesia - 9,3 ° magnitude - 26/12/2004.
- Prince William Strait, Alaska - 9,2 ° magnitude - 28/03/1964.
- Tōhoku, Japan – magnitude 9,0° – 11/03/2011.
- Kamchatka, Russia - 9,0 ° magnitude - 04/11/1952.
- Ecuador and Colombia - magnitude 8,8 ° - 31/01/1906.
- Concepcion, Chile - magnitude 8,8 ° - 27/02/2010.
- Rat Islands, Alaska - magnitude 8,7 ° - 04/02/1965.
- Sumatra, Indonesia - 8,6 ° magnitude - 28/03/2005.
- Sumatra, Indonesia - 8,6 ° magnitude - 11/04/2012.
If we also consider i historical earthquakes, the details of which are known, but we do not have the measurement using seismographs, the ranking changes significantly:
- Valdivia, Chile - magnitude 9,50 - 22/05/1960.
- Sumatra, Indonesia - magnitude 9,30 - 26/12/2004.
- Prince William Strait, Alaska - magnitude 9,20 - 28/03/1964.
- Sendai, Japan - magnitude 9,00 - 11/03/2011.
- Kamchatka, Russia - magnitude 9,00 - 04/11/1952.
- Arica, Chile - magnitude 9,00 - 13/08/1868.
- Cascadia, America - magnitude 8,70 / 9,20 - 26/01/1700.
- Tohoku, Japan - magnitude 8,90 - 09/07/1869.
- Hokkaido, Japan - magnitude 8,90 - 02/12/1611.
- Chittagong, Bangladesh - magnitude 8,80 - 02/04/1762.
And in Italy? What were the earthquakes with the highest magnitude?
The strongest earthquake in Italy it is estimated that it was that of the Val di Noto, from 1693 which hit the Syracusan coast and the Gulf of Catania; in fact, a magnitude between 7,5 ° and 7,7 ° on the Richter scale is estimated. Below is the ranking of the top 10 strongest earthquakes on our peninsula:
- Val di Noto, Sicily - magnitude 7,50 / 7,70 - 11/01/1693.
- Strait of Messina, Sicily - magnitude 7,50 - 28/12/1908.
- Central-southern Apennines, Campania - magnitude 7,30 - 05/12/1456.
- Basilicata, Basilicata - magnitude 7,10 - 16/12/1857.
- Southern Calabria, Calabria - magnitude 7,10 - 05/02/1783.
- Central Calabria, Calabria - magnitude 7,10 - 27/03/1638.
- Sannio, Calabria - magnitude 7,10 - 05/06/1688.
- Central Calabria, Calabria - magnitude 7,00 - 28/03/1783.
- Central Calabria, Calabria - magnitude 6,95 - 08/09/1905.
- Norcino, Reatino and Aquilano - magnitude 6,92 - 14/01/1703.
The strongest earthquakes in the world as well as in Italy demonstrate the high seismic risk of some areas; this, combined with the seismic vulnerability of the building stock, too often jeopardizes the safety of citizens and real estate assets.
Since there is no scientific method that allows to predict earthquakes in advance, the only solution to defend oneself is to preventively intervene on existing buildings with systematic interventions that make the buildings safe, promoting a campaign of seismic prevention that raises citizens' awareness of the institutions.
