MadSci Network: Science History |
There are, of course, different ways to define "worst". It could be the most property damage, most loss of life, most powerful at its focus (the actual origin of the quake), or most powerful at its epicenter (the place on the Earth directly above the focus).
Prior to recent times, no one had accurate instruments to measure energy released in an earthquake, and no one kept accurate records of damage. The longer ago an earthquake occurred, and the less developed the area where it occurred, the less we know about it. Information regarding after shocks and duration is usually not available.
Good sources for information are:
http://wwwneic.cr.usgs.gov/neis/eqlists/eqsmosde/html or
http://www.usgs.gov
and click on “Earthquake.”
According to them (the U.S. Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center)
Most Destructive Known Earthquakes on Record in the World (50,000 deaths or more) (Listed in order of greatest number of deaths) Date Location Deaths Mag Comments January 23, 1556 China, Shansi 830,000 October 11, 1737 India, Calcutta** 300,000 July 27, 1976 China, Tangshan 255,000* 8.0 August 9, 1138 Syria, Aleppo 230,000 May 22, 1927 China, near Xining 200,000 8.3 Large fractures. December 22, 856+ Iran, Damghan 200,000 December 16, 1920 China, Gansu 200,000 8.6 Major fractures, landslides. March 23, 893+ Iran, Ardabil 150,000 September 1, 1923 Japan, Kwanto 143,000 8.3 Great Tokyo fire. October 5, 1948 USSR 110,000 7.3 (Turkmenistan, Ashgabat) December 28, 1908 Italy, Messina 70,000 7.5 Deaths from to 100,000 earthquake and (estimated) tsunami. September, 1290 China, Chihli 100,000 November, 1667 Caucasia, Shemakha 80,000 November 18, 1727 Iran, Tabriz 77,000 November 1, 1755 Portugal, Lisbon 70,000 8.7 Great tsunami. December 25, 1932 China, Gansu 70,000 7.6 May 31, 1970 Peru 66,000 7.8 $530,000 damage, great rock slide, floods. 1268 Asia Minor, Silicia 60,000 January 11, 1693 Italy, Sicily 60,000 May 30, 1935 Pakistan, Quetta 30,000 7.5 Quetta almost to 60,000 completely destroyed. February 4, 1783 Italy, Calabria 50,000 June 20, 1990 Iran 50,000 7.7 Landslides. * Official casualty figure--estimated death toll as high as 655,000. + Note that these dates are prior to 1000 AD. No digit is missing. ** Later research has shown that this was a typhoon, not an earthquake. (Source: The 1737 Calcutta Earthquake and Cyclone Evaluated by Roger Bilham, BSSA, Vol. 84, No. 5, October 1994) Data compiled from several sources. United States Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center
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