An earthquake is caused by a sudden slip on a geological fault line. Despite the tectonic plates' constant slow motion, friction traps them at their margins. When the stress on the edge exceeds the friction, energy is released in waves that travel through the Earth's crust and cause the shaking we feel. This is known as an earthquake.
The National Earthquake Information Centre estimates that millions of earthquakes happen every year. The number of potentially dangerous ones is around 30,000. That amounts to about 82 significant earthquakes per year on average.
According to the U.S. Geological survey (USGS), there are approximately 16 large earthquakes (magnitude 7 or above) per year. Some of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded have occurred in the Pacific Rim, the planet's most seismically active region. The Ring of fire is another, far more ominous moniker for it. Ever wonder what the strongest recorded earthquake was? Here are some details about it:
The 1960 Valdivia earthquake had a magnitude of 9.5.
A magnitude 9.5 earthquake that rocked Bio-Bio, Chile, on May 22, 1960, was the strongest earthquake ever recorded. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), a 600-mile length of fault was ruptured by multiple earthquakes that happened over a few days.
The major earthquake also triggered a tsunami that destroyed part of the Chilean coast and was seen on shorelines throughout the Pacific Ocean. The earthquakes and tsunami are estimated to have killed up to 5,700 people and injured about 3,000 more. Across the Pacific, this earthquake devastated the Philippines, japan, and Hawaii in addition to the Chilean coast.
In addition to the death toll in Chile, the earthquake is reported to have cost $550 million in damages and left 2 million people homeless. The tsunami in Hawaii left 61 people dead, 43 injured, and $23.5 million damaged. Two fatalities, four injuries, and an extra $1 million in damage were inflicted by 1-2 m waves on the US west coast. About a day after the earthquake, japan was hit by a tsunami that destroyed over 3,000 homes and claimed 139 lives. At least 21 people lost their lives in the Philippines' tsunami.
The international tsunami Warning System of the Pacific (ITSU) was created in 1965 due to the size of this tsunami and the fact that it was the largest earthquake ever recorded by equipment.
The National Earthquake Information Centre estimates that millions of earthquakes happen every year. The number of potentially dangerous ones is around 30,000. That amounts to about 82 significant earthquakes per year on average.
According to the U.S. Geological survey (USGS), there are approximately 16 large earthquakes (magnitude 7 or above) per year. Some of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded have occurred in the Pacific Rim, the planet's most seismically active region. The Ring of fire is another, far more ominous moniker for it. Ever wonder what the strongest recorded earthquake was? Here are some details about it:
The 1960 Valdivia earthquake had a magnitude of 9.5.
A magnitude 9.5 earthquake that rocked Bio-Bio, Chile, on May 22, 1960, was the strongest earthquake ever recorded. According to the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), a 600-mile length of fault was ruptured by multiple earthquakes that happened over a few days.
The major earthquake also triggered a tsunami that destroyed part of the Chilean coast and was seen on shorelines throughout the Pacific Ocean. The earthquakes and tsunami are estimated to have killed up to 5,700 people and injured about 3,000 more. Across the Pacific, this earthquake devastated the Philippines, japan, and Hawaii in addition to the Chilean coast.
In addition to the death toll in Chile, the earthquake is reported to have cost $550 million in damages and left 2 million people homeless. The tsunami in Hawaii left 61 people dead, 43 injured, and $23.5 million damaged. Two fatalities, four injuries, and an extra $1 million in damage were inflicted by 1-2 m waves on the US west coast. About a day after the earthquake, japan was hit by a tsunami that destroyed over 3,000 homes and claimed 139 lives. At least 21 people lost their lives in the Philippines' tsunami.
The international tsunami Warning System of the Pacific (ITSU) was created in 1965 due to the size of this tsunami and the fact that it was the largest earthquake ever recorded by equipment.
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