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GEOGRAPHY
Physical - Natural Disasters
Strongest Earthquakes by Magnitude
This list features the worst earthquakes by magnitude ever recorded based on the Richter scale recordings.
RANK | LOCATION | REGION | RICHTER SCALE | YEAR |
1 | Valdivia | Chile | 9.5 | 1960 |
2 | Prince William Sound, Alaksa | United States | 9.2 | 1964 |
3 | Sumatra | Indonesia | 9.1 | 2004 |
4 | Sendai | Japan | 9.0 | 2011 |
5 | Kamchatka | Russia | 9.0 | 1952 |
6 | Bio-bio | Chile | 8.8 | 2010 |
7 | Off the Coast of Ecuador | Pacific Ocean | 8.8 | 1906 |
8 | Rat Islands, Alaska | United States | 8.7 | 1965 |
9 | Sumatra | Indonesia | 8.6 | 2005 |
10 | Assam, Tibet | China | 8.6 | 1950 |
11 | Aleutian Islands, Alaska | United States | 8.6 | 1946 |
12 | Andreanof Islands, Alaska | United States | 8.6 | 1957 |
13 | Sumatra | Indonesia | 8.6 | 2012 |
References
Wikipedia contributors (2025) 'Lists of earthquakes by magnitude', Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_earthquakes#Largest_earthquakes_by_magnitude (Accessed: 6 July 2025).
SMS-Tsunami-Warning.com (n.d.) 'Highest magnitude earthquake', SMS-Tsunami-Warning.com. Available at: https://www.sms-tsunami-warning.com/pages/highest-magnitude-earthquake (Accessed: 6 July 2025).
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