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Lists of earthquakes

Lists of earthquakes is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Lists of earthquakes rather than just read about it. In short: Earthquakes are caused by movements within the Earth's crust and uppermost mantle. They range from weak events detectable only by seismometers, to sudden and violent events lasting many minutes which have caused some of the biggest disasters in human history.

Lists of earthquakes — main illustration
Lists of earthquakes — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Lists of earthquakes belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Lists of earthquakes to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Lists of earthquakes from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Earthquakes are caused by movements within the Earth's crust and uppermost mantle. They range from weak events detectable only by seismometers, to sudden and violent events lasting many minutes which have caused some of the biggest disasters in human history. Below, there are earthquakes listed by period, region or country, year, magnitude, cost, fatalities, and number of scientific studies.

Deadliest earthquakes

The following is a summary list of earthquakes with over approximately 100,000 deaths. The 893 Ardabil earthquake is most likely the same as the 893 Dvin earthquake, due to misreading of the Arabic word for Dvin, "Dabil" as "Ardabil".

Deadliest earthquakes by year since 1920

Strongest earthquakes by magnitude

For those which occurred before the development and deployment of seismographs – starting around 1900 – magnitudes are estimated from historical reports of the extent and severity of damage.

Pre-instrumental earthquakes

Strongest earthquakes by magnitude each year since 1907

Strongest earthquakes by magnitude by country/territory This list is a work in progress. Information is likely to be changed. The list refers to current country boundaries rather than those at the date of the earthquake. Please note, multiple countries could have the same earthquake listed, such as the 1906 Ecuador–Colombia earthquake being listed for both Ecuador and Colombia. Unless otherwise noted, magnitudes are reported on the Moment magnitude scale (Mw).

Earthquakes with the most property damage

This is the top ten major earthquakes by the US dollar value of property (public and private) losses directly attributable to the earthquake, when unadjusted for inflation.

Most studied earthquakes The 50 most studied earthquakes according to the International Seismological Centre (ISC), based on a count of scientific papers (mostly in English) that discuss that earthquake. The "Event #" is linked to the ISC Event Bibliography for that event.

Modified from figure 2, "The most studied events", at the ISC's Overview of the ISC Event Bibliography. International Seismological Centre. Event Bibliography. Thatcham, United Kingdom. 2018.

Lists by time period

By century Before 1900 1901–2000 2001–present

By decade 2001–2010 2011–2020 2021–present

By year

Lists by location

By country

By region British Isles Caribbean Levant South Asia

See also

List of deadly earthquakes since 1900 List of historical earthquakes List of megathrust earthquakes List of natural disasters by death toll

References

External links

USGS-ANSS Latest earthquakes around the world Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) IRIS Seismic Monitor, Recent earthquakes around the world SeismoArchives, Seismogram Archives of Significant Earthquakes of the World Recent New Zealand earthquakes Database for the damage of world earthquake, ancient period (3000 BC) to year of 2006—Building Research Institute (Japan) 20 Largest Earthquakes in the World Since 1900, USGS Historic Worldwide Earthquakes, magnitude 6.0 and greater, sorted by magnitude at the Wayback Machine (archived 2009-05-10), USGS

Illustrations

Lists of earthquakes: Earthquakes (6.0+ .mw-parser-output .tooltip-dotted{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}Mw) between 1900 and 2017
Earthquakes (6.0+ .mw-parser-output .tooltip-dotted{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}Mw) between 1900 and 2017
Lists of earthquakes: A pie chart comparing the seismic moment release of the three strongest earthquakes for the hundred-year period from 1906 to 2005 with that for all earthquakes of magnitudes <6, 6 to 7, 7 to 8, and >8 for the same period. The 2011 Japan quake would be roughly similar to Sumatra.
A pie chart comparing the seismic moment release of the three strongest earthquakes for the hundred-year period from 1906 to 2005 with that for all earthquakes of magnitudes <6, 6 to 7, 7 to 8, and >8 for the same period. The 2011 Japan quake would be roughly similar to Sumatra.
Lists of earthquakes: Earthquakes of magnitude 8.0 and greater from 1900 to 2018. The apparent 3D volumes of the bubbles are linearly proportional to their respective fatalities.[33] The colour indicates the continent, and the legend counts the number of quakes for each. Notice the absence of Africa.
Earthquakes of magnitude 8.0 and greater from 1900 to 2018. The apparent 3D volumes of the bubbles are linearly proportional to their respective fatalities.[33] The colour indicates the continent, and the legend counts the number of quakes for each. Notice the absence of Africa.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Lists of earthquakes

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Lists of earthquakes claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Lists of earthquakes before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Lists of earthquakes ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Lists of earthquakes

In research
Lists of earthquakes appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Lists of earthquakes in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Lists of earthquakes is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Lists of earthquakes, Lists of history lists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Lists of earthquakes outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Lists of earthquakes in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Lists of earthquakes means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Lists of earthquakes out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Lists of earthquakes in simple terms?

Earthquakes are caused by movements within the Earth's crust and uppermost mantle. They range from weak events detectable only by seismometers, to sudden and violent events lasting many minutes which have caused some of the biggest disasters in human history.

Why does Lists of earthquakes matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Lists of earthquakes?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Lists of earthquakes.

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