Taiwan was struck by a devastating 7.4 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday, the most powerful tremor to hit the island nation in over two decades. The massive quake, registering as the strongest in 25 years, claimed at least nine lives and left more than 150 individuals trapped in the wreckage. The powerful seismic event rattled Taiwan’s east coast, wreaking havoc and serving as a stark reminder of the region’s vulnerability to such natural disasters.
Historically, however, the earthquake was not among the most powerful.
24/7 Tempo compiled a list of the 20 most powerful earthquakes by reviewing data from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), with magnitudes measured on the Moment Magnitude scale (Mw). The compilation considers quakes from the 20th century onward, as earlier events could not be standardized to the current scale. For quakes before 1935, when the now outdated Richter Scale was developed, magnitude measurements are estimates based on historical seismogram readings.
Certain areas with high tectonic activity are responsible for many of the largest earthquakes in history. Around 80% of earthquakes occur in the “Ring of Fire” – a zone around the Pacific Ocean where the Pacific tectonic plate is being subducted (or pushed under) the surrounding plates. Consequently, countries like Chile, Indonesia, Japan, the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia, and the Aleutian Islands of Alaska have experienced numerous devastating earthquakes throughout their histories. (Here are ancient civilizations destroyed by natural disasters.)
Scroll down for the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded:
20. Sanriku earthquake
- Magnitude: 8.4
- Location: Off the east coast of Honshu, Japan
- Year: 1933
19. Arequipa earthquake
- Magnitude: 8.4
- Location: Off the coast of southern Peru
- Year: 2001
18. Southern Sumatra earthquakes
- Magnitude: 8.4
- Location: Off the coast of southern Sumatra, Indonesia
- Year: 2007
17. Kamchatka earthquake
- Magnitude: 8.4
- Location: Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia
- Year: 1923
16. Kuril Islands earthquake
- Magnitude: 8.5
- Location: Kuril Islands
- Year: 1963
15. Vallenar earthquake
- Magnitude: 8.5
- Location: Atacama, Chile
- Year: 1922
14. Banda Sea earthquake
- Magnitude: 8.5
- Location: Off the northwest coast of Tual, Indonesia
- Year: 1938
13. Aleutian Islands earthquake
- Magnitude: 8.6
- Location: Off the southern coast of Unimak Island, Alaska
- Year: 1946
12. Andreanof Islands earthquake
- Magnitude: 8.6
- Location: Off the southern coast of Adak Island, Alaska
- Year: 1957
11. Nias earthquake
- Magnitude: 8.6
- Location: Off the northwest coast of Sumatra, Indonesia
- Year: 2005
10. Indian Ocean earthquake
- Magnitude: 8.6
- Location: Off the northwest coast of Sumatra, Indonesia
- Year: 2012
9. Assam-Tibet earthquake
- Magnitude: 8.6
- Location: Eastern Xizang-India border region
- Year: 1950
8. Rat Islands earthquake
- Magnitude: 8.7
- Location: Off the southwest coast of Amchitka Island, Alaska
- Year: 1965
7. 1906 Ecuador-Colombia earthquake
- Magnitude: 8.8
- Location: Near the coast of Esmeraldas, Ecuador
- Year: 1906
6. Maule earthquake
- Magnitude: 8.8
- Location: Near the coast of Bio Bio, Chile
- Year: 2010
5. Severo-Kurilsk earthquake
- Magnitude: 9.0
- Location: Off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia
- Year: 1952
4. Tōhoku earthquake
- Magnitude: 9.1
- Location: Off the east coast of Tōhoku, Japan
- Year: 2011
3. Sumatra-Andaman earthquake
- Magnitude: 9.1
- Location: Off the west coast of northern Sumatra
- Year: 2004
2. Great Alaskan earthquake
- Magnitude: 9.2
- Location: Off the southern coast of Alaska
- Year: 1964
1. Valdivia earthquake
- Magnitude: 9.5
- Location: Bio-Bio, Chile
- Year: 1960