1. Valdivia, Chile, 22 May 1960 (9.5)
This earthquake killed 1655 people, injured 3000 and displaced two
million. It caused US$550 million damage in Chile, while the tsunami
that it spawned caused deaths and damage as far away as Hawaii, Japan
and the Philippines. The 'rupture zone' of the quake was more than 1000
km long. Two days after the initial quake, the nearby volcano Puyehue
erupted, sending ash and steam up to 6 km into the atmosphere over a
period of several weeks.
2. Prince William Sound, Alaska, 28 March 1964 (9.2)
Compared to the Chilean earthquake, this earthquake was less
damaging: the resulting tsunami took 128 lives and caused overall US$311
million in damage. The earthquake was felt mainly over Alaska, as well
as some places in Canada, while the tsunami created by it caused damage
as far away as Hawaii. The most damage was sustained by the city of
Anchorage, 120 km north-west of the epicentre. Shaking from the quake
itself is reported to have lasted for three minutes.
3. Sumatra, Indonesia, 26 December 2004 (9.1)
In terms of damage and loss of life, the scale of the disaster caused
by the resulting Boxing Day Tsunami was enormous. In total, 227,900
people were killed or presumed dead, with around 1.7 million displaced
over 14 countries in South Asia and East Africa. The epicentre was 250
km south-east of Band Aceh, Indonesia, at a depth of 30 km. Several days
later on 28 December, a mud volcano began erupting near Baratang,
Andamar Islands, which is thought to have been associated with the
earthquake.
4. Sendai, Japan, 11 March 2011 (9.0)
So far the official death toll stands at several thousand from the
combined effect of the powerful earthquake, aftershocks and the tsunami.
However, the total is expected to rise, with some estimates of a final
toll of over 10,000. Economic impacts are expected to be huge, with the
shutting down of nuclear reactors which many industries rely on for
power.
5. Kamchatka, Russia, 4 November 1952 (9.0)
This earthquake generated a tsunami that caused widespread damage in
the Hawaiian Islands. Property damage was estimated at around
US$1,000,000. Some reports describe waves of over 9 m high at Kaena
Point, Oahu. A farmer on Oahu reported the loss of six cows to the
tsunami, but no people were reported killed.
6. Bio-bio, Chile, 27 February 2010 (8.8)
This earthquake and subsequent tsunami killed at least 521 people,
with 56 missing and 12,000 injured. More than 800,000 people were
displaced with a total of 1.8m people affected across Chile, where
damage was estimated at US$30 billion. The epicentre was 335 km
south-west of Santiago, at a depth of 35 km. A minor tsunami travelled
across the Pacific causing damage to boats as far away as San Diego,
California.
7. Ecuador coast, 31 January 1906 (8.8)
This earthquake caused a tsunami that is reported to have killed
between 500 and 1,500 in Ecuador and Colombia. The tsunami travelled as
far north as San Francisco, on the west coast of the US, and west to
Hawaii and Japan. The tsunami took roughly 12 hours to cross the Pacific
to Hilo, Hawaii.
8. Rat Islands, Alaska, 2 April 1965 (8.7)
The worst of the damage attributed to this earthquake was caused by a
tsunami, reported to be about 10 m high on Shemya Island. The wave
caused flooding on Amchitka Island, causing US$10,000 in property
damage. No deaths or injuries were reported.
9. Sumatra, Indonesia, 28 March 2005 (8.6)
This earthquake killed 1313, with over 400 people injured by the
tsunami as far away as Sri Lanka. The epicentre was 205 km north-west of
Sibolga, Sumatra, at a depth of 30 km. This region, also the site of
the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami, is particularly geologically active, with
three of the 15 biggest known earthquakes having happened here.
10. Assam, Tibet, 15 August 1950 (8.6)
This inland earthquake caused widespread damages to buildings as well
as large landslides. 780 people were killed in eastern Tibet, with many
villages and towns affected across Assam, China, Tibet and India.
Oscillations to lake levels occurred as far away as Norway. The total
death toll is likely to be higher, as no definitive total was ever
estimated. While the earthquake itself is known as the Assam Earthquake,
it is believed the epicentre may have been in Tibet.