-
Period: to
2000-2010: Earthquakes Over 8.0 Magnitude
-
Indian Ocean Earthquake
This earthquake's magnitude has been recorded between 9.1 and 9.3. It was caused by subduction of the India tectonic plate under the Burma plate. It's epicentere was off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia and triggered a series of tsunamis, with waves as high as 100 feet, that struck Indian Ocean coastal communities, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. It is estimated that 228,000 people died as a result of the combined natural disasters.
Picture: David Rydevik -
Sumatra (Nias) Earthquake
The magnitude of this earthquake, which occurred off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, was recorded at 8.6-8.7. The Indonesian island of Nias suffered the most damage. Over 1,200 people were killed and the earthquake set off a small 3-meter tsunami. Because this earthquake was on the same fault as the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake scientists debated whether it should be considered an aftershock.
Picture: NASA -
Peru Earthquake
This earthquake's epicenter was 150 km southeast of Lima, on the central coast of Peru, and measured 8.0 in magnitude. Thrust faulting caused this earthquake as the South American tectonic plate moved up over the Nazca Plate. There were 520 confirmed casualties as a result of the quake and over 40,000 people were displaced from their homes.
Picture: US Geological Survey -
Sumatra Earthquakes
The strongest in a series of megathrust earthquakes that occurred off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, was magnitude 8.5. Megathrust earthquakes occur in subduction zones, where one tectonic plate is forced under another. They are responsible for some of the world's largest earthquakes because large sections of the tectonic plate can get stuck during the subduction process. Thrust faulting between the Australia and Sunda plates caused the Sumatra earthquakes.
Picture: US Geological Society -
Sichuan, China Earthquake
This earthquake measuring 8.0, occurred along the Longmenshan fault, a thrust fault bordering the Indo-Australian and Eurasian tectonic plates.The epicenter was Wenchuan County in the Sichuan province of China. Over 90,000 people were reported missing or dead and a scandal erupted over the 7,000 inadequately constructed schoolhouses which collapsed in the quake, killing students. Due to China's one-child policy many families lost their only child.
Picture: US Geological Survey -
Maule, Chile
This earthquake, occurring off the coast of the Maule Region of Chile, measured 8.8 in magnitude. It was generated at the fault between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates and felt very strongly in Santiago, the nation's capital. The earthquake also set off a devastating tsunami. Seismologists are reporting that the powerful earthquake may have moved the Earth's figure axis by 8 cm and shortened the length of the day by 1.26 microseconds.
Picture: Ignacio Nunez C.
