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Lisbon Earthquake - Portugal
The magnitude of the earthquake was 9.0 and the death toll was 20,000. The wave had a height of 23 feet. November 1 is All Saints' Day, explaining why so many people were outside and were injured. -
Krakatoa Eruption - Java/Sumatra
The magnitude of the earthquake was 8.5 and the death toll was 36,000. The eruption created the loudest sound ever recorded. It shot fiery ash 50 miles in the air. Over 300 villages were damaged or completely destroyed. -
Aleutian Earthquake - Alaska
The magnitude of the earthquake was 8.1 and the death toll was 160. It caused over $26 million in damages, or $395 million today. The earthquake effectively caused the Seismic Sea Wave Warning System to be established, which warns the public prior to the tsunami touching land. -
Great Chilean Earthquake - Chile
The magnitude of the earthquake was 9.5 and the death toll was 61. The earthquake left over two million homeless. The damage cost about $550 million, or $4.8 billion today. -
Good Friday Earthquake - Alaska
The magnitude of the earthquake was 9.2 and the death toll was 130. This earthquake is the second most powerful ever seen. Of the 130 death toll, 119 of them died from the tsunami. -
Hokkaido Earthquake - Japan
The magnitude of the earthquake was 7.8 and the death toll was 120. The earthquake had two distinct shocks. New escape routes were provided as a result. The fault line leaned 24 degrees east at the line of rupture. -
Papua New Guinea Earthquake - Papua New Guinea
The magnitude of the earthquake was 7.1 and the death toll was 2,100. Over 10,000 people were displaced. Three tsunami waves came in quick succession. Scientists believe a landslide triggered the tsunami. -
Sumatra Earthquake - Indonesia
The magnitude of the earthquake was 9.1 and the death toll was 230,000. The earthquake released energy equivalent to 23,000 atomic bombs used on Hiroshima. There is not much high ground in the area, so the death toll was incredibly high. -
Samoa Earthquake - Samoan Islands
The magnitude of the earthquake was 8.1 and the death toll was 200. Two earthquakes hit simultaneously. Most large earthquakes, as we have previously learned, occur in subduction zones; however, this region is not a subduction zone. -
Chile Earthquake - Chile
The magnitude of the earthquake was 8.8 and the death toll was 700. The earthquake was felt over 375 miles. Water pressure that had been built up for years between the plates was the catalyst. -
Tohoku Earthquake - Japan
The magnitude of the earthquake was 9.1 and the death toll was 20,000. Over 200 square miles were flooded. A nuclear power plant was affected in the process, causing a nuclear emergency. -
Sulawesi Earthquake - Indonesia
The magnitude of the earthquake was 7.5 and the death toll was 2,000. Over 210,000 people were displaced. Over 190,000 people were in desperate need of immediate humanitarian assistance directly after the hit.