What was the strongest earthquake ever recorded?

Note that these are the earthquakes with the greatest magnitude, not the ones with the highest death toll or the most collateral damage sustained.

1. The Valdivia earthquake: magnitude 9.5

The Valdivia earthquake of May 22, 1960, also known as the Great Chilean Earthquake or Gran Terremoto de Chile, remains the largest earthquake ever recorded with a magnitude of 9.5. The quake shook the Bio-Bio region of Chile, causing violent tremors that lasted about ten minutes and triggering tsunami waves after tsunami waves across the Pacific Ocean.

In Chile, the death toll was estimated at around 1,600 people, around 3,000 were injured and 2 million were left homeless. The tsunami waves killed more than 200 people in coastal areas of Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines.

The earthquake also triggered the eruption of Chile's Cordón Caulle volcano, contributing to further damage in the affected areas.

2. The Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964: magnitude 9.2

On March 27, 1964, the Good Friday Earthquake, a strong magnitude 9.2 earthquake, occurred in the southern Alaska region.

It caused severe damage in Anchorage and surrounding areas, with many buildings destroyed by ground subsidence and strong shaking. This earthquake triggered a tsunami that devastated coastal areas throughout the Pacific Ocean from Alaska to California.

Due to the low population density in some affected regions, the death toll remained at 131, although the damage caused was extensive, particularly due to the main tsunami and landslides.

3. The 2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake: magnitude 9.1

This Indian Ocean earthquake on December 26, 2004 triggered one of the deadliest earthquakes in history. The quake struck off the west coast of northern Sumatra and triggered a massive tsunami that affected more than a dozen countries, including Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India.

The tsunami waves devastated coastal areas and killed over 230,000 people. Sumatra suffered the greatest damage, with the tidal wave sweeping away entire communities. This event led to global efforts to improve tsunami warning systems and evacuation protocols.

4. The 2011 Tohoku earthquake: magnitude 9.1

On March 11, 2011, a major earthquake with a magnitude of 9.1 occurred near the east coast of Honshu, Japan.

The violent tremors lasted over six minutes and triggered a devastating tsunami that caused extensive damage to the coast of northeastern Japan. The death toll was around 18,000, and the quake led to the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

The tsunami waves reached the Hawaiian Islands, French Polynesia, the Galapagos Islands and the west coast of South America. Japan learned important lessons from this event, particularly regarding earthquake-resistant building codes and disaster preparedness.

5. The 1952 Kamchatka earthquake: magnitude 9.0

On November 4, 1952, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia. Although it was one of the most severe earthquakes ever recorded, the remote location of the epicenter limited the death toll to between 10,000 and 15,000 people.

The tsunami triggered by the quake reached the Aleutian Islands and caused significant damage to the Hawaiian Islands, costing approximately $17 million.

In Russia, the city of Severo-Kurilsk was hit directly when three waves between 15.2 and 18.3 meters high swept away more than a third of the 6,000 people living there at the time. The survivors rebuilt their city on higher ground. The event served as a reminder of the destructive power of large earthquakes, even in areas with low population densities.