The power of tremors is estimated by the amplitude of oscillations earth's crust from 1 to 10 points. The most seismic areas are considered to be in mountainous areas. We present you the most powerful earthquakes in history.
The worst earthquakes in history
During the earthquake that occurred in Syria in 1202, more than a million people died. Despite the fact that the strength of the shocks did not exceed 7.5 points, underground vibrations were felt along the entire length from the island of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea to Armenia.A large number of victims is associated not so much with the strength of the shocks, but with their duration. Modern researchers can judge the consequences of the destruction of the earthquake in the II century only by the surviving chronicles, according to which the cities of Catania, Messina and Ragusa in Sicily were practically destroyed, and the coastal cities of Akratiri and Paralimni in Cyprus were also covered by a strong wave.
Earthquake in Haiti
The earthquake in Haiti in 2010 claimed the lives of more than 220 thousand people, 300 thousand were injured, and more than 800 thousand were missing. The material damage as a result of the natural disaster amounted to 5.6 billion euros. For a whole hour, tremors with a power of 5 and 7 points were observed. 
Despite the fact that the earthquake occurred in 2010, the people of Haiti are still in need of humanitarian assistance, as well as on their own rebuild settlements. This is the second most powerful earthquake in Haiti, the first occurred in 1751 - then the cities had to be rebuilt over the next 15 years.
Earthquake in China
About 830 thousand people became victims of an 8-point earthquake in China in 1556. At the very epicenter of the tremors in the Weihe River Valley, near Shaanxi Province, 60% of the population died. A huge number of victims is due to the fact that people in the middle of the 16th century lived in limestone caves, easily destroyed by even minor shocks. 
Within 6 months after the main earthquake, the so-called aftershocks were repeatedly felt - repeated seismic shocks with a power of 1-2 points. This catastrophe occurred during the reign of Emperor Jiajing, so in Chinese history it is called the Great Jiajing Earthquake.
The strongest earthquakes in Russia
Almost a fifth of the territory of Russia is located in seismically active regions. These include the Kuril Islands and Sakhalin, Kamchatka, North Caucasus and the Black Sea coast, Baikal, Altai and Tyva, Yakutia and the Urals. Over the past 25 years, about 30 strong earthquakes with an amplitude of more than 7 points have been registered in the country. 
Earthquake on Sakhalin
In 1995, an earthquake of magnitude 7.6 occurred on Sakhalin Island, as a result of which the cities of Okha and Neftegorsk, as well as several nearby villages, were damaged. 
The most significant consequences were felt in Neftegorsk, which was 30 kilometers from the epicenter of the earthquake. Within 17 seconds, almost all houses were destroyed. The damage caused amounted to 2 trillion rubles, and the authorities decided not to restore the settlements, so this city is no longer marked on the map of Russia.
More than 1500 rescuers were involved in the liquidation of the consequences. 2040 people died under the rubble. A chapel was built on the site of Neftegorsk and a memorial was erected.
Earthquake in Japan
The movement of the earth's crust is often observed on the territory of Japan, since it is located in the active zone of the volcanic ring of the Pacific Ocean. The strongest earthquake in this country occurred in 2011, the amplitude of oscillations was 9 points. According to a rough estimate of experts, the amount of damage after the destruction reached 309 billion dollars. More than 15,000 people were killed, 6,000 were injured and about 2,500 were missing. 
tremors in pacific ocean caused a powerful tsunami, the wave height of which was 10 meters. As a result of the collapse of a large flow of water on the coast of Japan, a radiation accident occurred at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant. Subsequently, for several months, residents of nearby areas were forbidden to drink tap water due to high content cesium in it.
In addition, the Japanese government ordered the TEPCO company, which owns the nuclear power plant, to compensate for the moral damage to 80,000 residents who were forced to leave the contaminated areas.
The strongest earthquake in the world
The strongest earthquake caused by the collision of two continental plates occurred in India on August 15, 1950. According to official data, the force of tremors reached 10 points. However, according to the conclusions of the researchers, the vibrations of the earth's crust were much stronger, and the instruments could not establish their exact magnitude. 
The strongest tremors were felt in the state of Assam, which was reduced to rubble by the quake, destroying more than 2,000 homes and killing more than 6,000 people. The total area of the territories that ended up in the destruction zone amounted to 390,000 square kilometers.
According to the site, earthquakes also often occur in volcanically active zones. We present you an article about the highest volcanoes in the world.
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An earthquake is a physical vibration of the lithosphere - a solid shell of the earth's crust, which is in constant motion. Often such phenomena occur in mountainous areas. It is there that underground rocks continue to form, as a result of which the Earth's crust is especially mobile.
Causes of the disaster
The causes of earthquakes can be different. One of them is the displacement and collision of oceanic or continental plates. With such phenomena, the surface of the Earth vibrates noticeably and often leads to the destruction of buildings. Such earthquakes are called tectonic. With them, new depressions or mountains can form.
Volcanic earthquakes occur due to the constant pressure of red-hot lava and various gases on the earth's crust. Such earthquakes can last for weeks, but, as a rule, they do not carry massive destruction. Besides, similar phenomenon often serves as a prerequisite for a volcanic eruption, the consequences of which can be much more dangerous for people than the disaster itself.
There is another type of earthquakes - landslides, which occur for a completely different reason. ground water sometimes form underground voids. Under the onslaught of the earth's surface, huge sections of the Earth fall down with a roar, causing small vibrations that are felt many kilometers from the epicenter.
Earthquake scores
To determine the strength of an earthquake, they generally resort to either a ten- or twelve-point scale. The 10-point Richter scale determines the amount of energy released. The 12-point Medvedev-Sponheuer-Karnik system describes the impact of vibrations on the Earth's surface.
The Richter scale and the 12-point scale are not comparable. For example: scientists explode a bomb underground twice. One at a depth of 100 m, the other at a depth of 200 m. The energy expended is the same, which leads to the same Richter estimate. But the consequence of the explosion - the displacement of the crust - has varying degrees gravity and impact infrastructure differently.
Degree of destruction
What is an earthquake in terms of seismic instruments? The phenomenon of one point is determined only by the equipment. 2 points can be palpable animals, and also, in rare cases, especially sensitive people located on the upper floors. 3 points feels like the vibration of a building from a passing truck. A magnitude 4 earthquake causes the windows to rattle slightly. At five points, the phenomenon is felt by everyone, and it does not matter where the person is, on the street or in the building. An earthquake of 6 points is called strong. It horrifies many: people run out into the street, and cracks form on some walls of houses. A score of 7 causes cracks in almost all houses. 8 points knock over architectural monuments, factory chimneys, towers, and cracks appear on the soil. 9 points lead to severe damage to houses. Wooden structures either tip over or sag heavily. 10-point earthquakes lead to cracks in the ground, up to 1 meter thick. 11 points is a disaster. are crumbling stone houses and bridges. Landslides occur. Not a single building can withstand 12 points. With such a catastrophe, the relief of the Earth changes, the flow of rivers deviates and waterfalls appear.
Japanese earthquake
In the Pacific Ocean, 373 km from the capital of Japan, Tokyo, there was a devastating earthquake. It happened on March 11, 2011 at 14:46 local time.
A magnitude 9 earthquake in Japan caused massive destruction. The tsunami that hit the east coast of the country flooded a significant part of coastline, destroying houses, yachts and cars. The height of the waves reached 30-40 m. The immediate reaction of people prepared for such tests saved their lives. Only those who left their homes on time and ended up in safe place were able to avoid death.
Japan earthquake victims
Unfortunately, there were no casualties. The Great East Japan Earthquake, as the event became officially known, claimed 16,000 lives. 350,000 people in Japan were left homeless, which led to internal migration. Many settlements were wiped off the face of the Earth, there was no electricity even in large cities.
The earthquake in Japan radically changed the habitual way of life of the population and severely undermined the economy of the state. The losses caused by this disaster were estimated by the authorities at 300 billion dollars.
What is an earthquake from the point of view of a resident of Japan? It is a natural disaster that keeps the country in constant turmoil. The looming threat is forcing scientists to invent more accurate instruments for determining earthquakes and more durable materials for building buildings.
Affected Nepal
On April 25, 2015 at 12:35 pm, an almost 8-magnitude earthquake occurred in the middle part of Nepal, lasting 20 seconds. The next one happened at 13:00. Aftershocks lasted until May 12. The reason was a geological fault on the line where the Hindustan plate meets the Eurasian. As a result of these shocks, the capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, moved south by three meters.
Soon the whole earth learned about the destruction that the earthquake had brought in Nepal. Cameras installed right on the street recorded the moment of tremors and their consequences.
26 regions of the country, as well as Bangladesh and India, felt what an earthquake is. Reports of missing people and collapsed buildings are still coming to the authorities. 8.5 thousand Nepalese lost their lives, 17.5 thousand were injured, and about 500 thousand were left homeless.
The earthquake in Nepal caused a real panic among the population. And it is not surprising, because people lost their relatives and saw how quickly what was dear to their hearts was collapsing. But problems are known to unite, as has been proven by the people of Nepal who have worked side by side to restore the city streets to their former glory.
recent earthquake
On June 8, 2015, an earthquake of magnitude 5.2 occurred on the territory of Kyrgyzstan. This is the last earthquake that exceeded 5 points.
Speaking of a terrible natural disaster, one cannot fail to mention the earthquake on the island of Haiti, which occurred on January 12, 2010. A series of shocks from 5 to 7 points claimed 300,000 lives. The world will remember this and other similar tragedies for a long time to come.
In March, the coast of Panama learned the magnitude of the earthquake at 5.6 points. In March 2014, Romania and southwestern Ukraine learned first hand what an earthquake is. Fortunately, there were no casualties, but many experienced the excitement of the elements. Per recent times earthquake scores did not cross the brink of disaster.
Earthquake frequency
So, the movement of the earth's crust has various natural causes. Earthquakes are estimated by seismologists to occur up to 500,000 annually in different parts Earth. Of these, approximately 100,000 are felt by people, and 1,000 cause serious damage: destroy buildings, highways and railways, cuts off power lines, sometimes blows entire cities underground.
The danger of such a natural phenomenon as an earthquake is estimated by most seismologists in points. There are several scales by which the strength of seismic tremors is assessed. The scale adopted in Russia, Europe and the CIS countries was developed in 1964. According to the data from the 12-point scale, the greatest destructive force is characteristic of an earthquake of 12 points, and such strong tremors as a "strong catastrophe" are qualified. There are also other methods for measuring the strength of shocks that take into account fundamentally different moments - the area on which the shocks occurred, the time of "shaking" and other factors. However, no matter what yardstick measures the strength of tremors, there are natural disasters that are among the most terrible.
The strength of earthquakes: has it ever been 12 points?
Since the Kamori scale was taken into consideration, and this made it possible to assess natural disasters that have not yet disappeared into the dust of centuries, there have been at least 3 earthquakes with a magnitude of 12.
- Tragedy in Chile, 1960.
- Destruction in Mongolia, 1957
- Tremors in the Himalayas, 1950.
In first place in the ranking, which contains the most powerful earthquakes in the world, is the 1960 cataclysm, known as the "Great Chile earthquake." The scale of destruction is estimated at the maximum known 12 points, while the magnitude of the earth's vibrations exceeded 9.5 points. The strongest earthquake in history occurred in May 1960 in Chile, near several cities. Valdivia became the epicenter, where the fluctuations reached a maximum, but the population was alerted to the impending danger, since the day before the tremors were felt in the nearby provinces of Chile. 10 thousand people are considered dead in this terrible disaster, a lot of people were swept away by the tsunami that began, but experts say that without prior notification of the victims, there could have been many times more. By the way, many people were saved due to the fact that a lot of people went to churches for Sunday services. At the moment of the beginning of the shaking, people were in the temples, which survived.
The most devastating earthquakes in the world include the Gobi-Altai disaster that swept through Mongolia on December 4, 1957. As a result of the tragedy, the earth was literally turned inside out: breaks were formed, demonstrating such geological processes that are not visible under normal circumstances. The high mountains in the mountain ranges ceased to exist, the peaks collapsed, the habitual pattern of the mountains was broken.
The tremors in populated areas were on the rise and continued for quite a long time, until they reached 11-12 points. People managed to leave their homes seconds before total destruction. Dust flying from the mountains covered the cities of the southern part of Mongolia for 48 hours, visibility did not exceed several tens of meters.
Another terrible cataclysm, estimated by seismologists at 11-12 points, happened in the Himalayas, in the highlands of Tibet, in 1950. The terrible trace of the earthquake in the form of mudflows and landslides changed the topography of the mountains beyond recognition. With a terrible roar, the mountains formed like paper, and dust clouds spread from the epicenter to a radius of up to 2000 km.
Tremors from time immemorial: what do we know about ancient earthquakes?
The largest earthquakes that have occurred in modern times discussed and well covered in the media.
Thus, they are still well known, the memory of them, of the victims and destruction is still fresh. But what about earthquakes that happened a long time ago - a hundred, two hundred or three hundred years ago? Traces of destruction have long been eliminated, and witnesses either survived the incident or died. Nevertheless, historical literature contains traces of the most terrible earthquakes in the world that occurred long ago. So, in the annals that record the largest earthquakes in the world, it is written that in ancient times the tremors happened much more often than now, and were much stronger. According to one such source, in 365 BC there were shocks that affected the entire Mediterranean territory, as a result of which the seabed was exposed before the eyes of eyewitnesses.
Deadly earthquake for one of the Wonders of the World
One of the most famous ancient earthquakes is the destruction of 244 BC. In those days, according to scientists, tremors happened much more often, but it is this earthquake that is especially famous: as a result of tremors, the statue of the legendary Colossus of Rhodes collapsed. This statue, according to ancient sources, was one of the eight Wonders of the World. It was a giant lighthouse in the form of a statue of a man with a torch in his hand. The statue was so huge that a flotilla could swim between its spread legs. Dimensions played a trick on the Colossus: the legs were too fragile to withstand seismological activity, and the Colossus collapsed.
Iranian earthquake in 856
The death of hundreds of thousands of people as a result of even not very strong earthquakes was a common occurrence: there were no systems for predicting seismic activity, no warning, no evacuation. So, in 856, more than 200 thousand people became victims of shocks in the North of Iran, the city of Damkhan was wiped off the face of the earth. By the way, the record number of victims for this one earthquake is comparable to the number of victims of earthquakes in Iran for the rest of the time, until today.
The bloodiest earthquake in the world
The Chinese earthquake of 1565, which destroyed the provinces of Gansu and Shaanxi, claimed the lives of more than 830 thousand people. This is an absolute record for the number of human casualties, which has not been exceeded to this day. In history, it remained as the "Great Jiajing Earthquake" (after the name of the emperor who was then in power). Historians estimate its power at 7.9 - 8 points, as evidenced by geological surveys.
Here is how this phenomenon was described in the annals:
“In the winter of 1556, a catastrophic earthquake struck Shaanxi and the provinces around it. Our Hua County has suffered numerous misfortunes and misfortunes. Mountains and rivers changed their location, roads were destroyed. In some places, the ground suddenly rose, and new hills appeared, or vice versa - parts of the former hills went underground, swam and became new plains. In other places, mudflows constantly descended, or the earth split, and new ravines appeared. Private houses, public buildings, temples and city walls collapsed with lightning speed and completely ".
Cataclysm for All Saints Day in Portugal
A terrible tragedy that claimed the lives of more than 80 thousand Portuguese occurred in Lisbon on November 1, 1755. This cataclysm is not included in the most powerful earthquakes in the world either in terms of the number of victims or in terms of the strength of seismic activity. But the terrible irony of fate with which this phenomenon broke out is shocking: the shocks began precisely when people went to celebrate the holiday in the church. The temples of Lisbon could not stand it and collapsed, burying a huge number of unfortunate people under them, and then a 6-meter tsunami wave covered the city, killing the rest of the people on the streets.
The largest earthquakes in the history of the twentieth century
Ten catastrophes of the 20th century that took the largest number lives and brought the most terrible destruction, are reflected in the summary table:
| the date | Place | Epicenter | Seismic activity in points | Dead (Person) |
|
| 22 km from Port-au-Prince | |||||
| Tangshan/Hebei Province | |||||
| Indonesia | |||||
| 90 km from Tokyo | |||||
| Turkmen SSR | |||||
| Erzincan | |||||
| Pakistan | |||||
| 25 km from Chimbote |
Tangshan-1976
The events in China in 1976 are captured in Feng Xiaogang's film Catastrophe. Despite the relative weakness of magnitude, the disaster took big number lives, the first shock provoked the destruction of 90% of residential buildings in Tangshan. The hospital building disappeared without a trace, the open ground literally swallowed up the passenger train.
Sumatra 2004, the largest in the geographical sense
The 2004 Sumatran earthquake affected several countries: India, Thailand, South Africa, Sri Lanka. Exact number victims cannot be counted, since the main destructive force - the tsunami - carried tens of thousands of people into the ocean. This is the largest earthquake in terms of geography, since its prerequisites were the movement of plates in Indian Ocean followed by shocks at a distance of up to 1600 km. The ocean floor rose as a result of the collision of the Indian and Burmese plates, tsunami waves ran in all directions from the fault of the plates, which rolled thousands of kilometers and reached the coast.
Haiti 2010, our time
Haiti experienced its first major earthquake in 2010 after an almost 260-year lull. The national fund of the republics received the greatest damage: the entire center of the capital with its rich cultural heritage, all administrative and government buildings were damaged. More than 232,000 people died, many of whom were swept away by the tsunami. The consequences of the disaster were a surge in the incidence of intestinal diseases and an increase in crime: shocks destroyed prison buildings, which the prisoners immediately took advantage of.
The most powerful earthquakes in Russia
In Russia, there are also dangerous seismically active regions in which an earthquake can occur. However, most of these Russian territories removed from densely populated areas, which excludes the possibility of large destruction and casualties.
The largest earthquakes in Russia, however, are also inscribed in the tragic history of the struggle between the elements and man.
Among the worst earthquakes in Russia:
- North Kuril destruction in 1952.
- Neftegorsk destruction in 1995.
Kamchatka-1952
Severo-Kurilsk was completely destroyed as a result of aftershocks and a tsunami on November 4, 1952. Unrest in the ocean, 100 km from the coast, brought to the city waves of 20 meters in height, hour after hour washing the coast and washing coastal settlements into the ocean. A terrible stream demolished all the buildings and killed more than 2 thousand people.
Sakhalin-1995
On March 27, 1995, the elements took only 17 seconds to wipe out the working settlement of Neftegorsk in the Sakhalin Region. More than 2 thousand inhabitants of the village died, which accounted for 80% of the inhabitants. Large-scale destruction did not allow the settlement to be restored, so locality became a ghost: a memorial plate was installed in it, telling about the victims of the tragedy, and the residents themselves were evacuated.
A dangerous area in Russia in terms of seismic activity is any region at the junction tectonic plates:
- Kamchatka and Sakhalin,
- Caucasian republics,
- Altai region.
In any of these regions, the likelihood of a natural earthquake remains, since the mechanism for the generation of earthquakes has not yet been studied.
Strong earthquakes have occurred throughout human history, with the earliest recorded almost 2,000 years before our era. But it has only been in the last century that our technological abilities have reached the point where the impact of these disasters can be fully measured. Our ability to study earthquakes has made it possible to avoid catastrophic casualties, as in the case of a tsunami, when people have the opportunity to evacuate from a potentially dangerous area. But unfortunately, the warning system does not always work. There are several examples of earthquakes where the most damage was caused by the subsequent tsunami and not by the earthquake itself. people improved building standards, improved the early warning system, but could not completely protect themselves from disasters. There are many different ways assess the strength of an earthquake. Some people are based on the value on the Richter scale, others on the number of deaths and injuries, or even the monetary value of the damaged property. This list of the 12 most powerful earthquakes combines all of these methods in one.
Lisbon earthquake
The great Lisbon earthquake hit the capital of Portugal on November 1st, 1755 and brought great destruction. They were aggravated by the fact that it was All Saints Day and thousands of people came to mass in the church. Churches, like most other buildings, could not withstand the elements and collapsed, killing people. Subsequently, a tsunami hit 6 meters high. Approximately 80,000 died due to fires caused by the destruction. Many famous writers and philosophers have dealt with the Lisbon earthquake in their writings. For example, Emmanuel Kant, who tried to find a scientific explanation for what happened.
California earthquake
A massive earthquake hit California in April 1906. Having gone down in history like the San Francisco earthquake, it caused much more damage. wide area. Downtown San Francisco was destroyed by the huge fire that followed. Initial figures mentioned 700 to 800 deaths, although researchers claim that the real list of victims was more than 3,000 people. More than half of San Francisco's population lost their homes as 28,000 buildings were destroyed by the earthquake and fires.
Messina earthquake
One of Europe's biggest earthquakes struck Sicily and southern Italy in the early hours of December 28th, 1908, killing an estimated 120,000 people. The main epicenter of the damage was Messina, which was actually destroyed by the disaster. A 7.5-magnitude earthquake was accompanied by a tsunami that hit the coast. A recent study suggested that the size of the waves was so huge due to an underwater landslide. Most of the damage was due to Low quality buildings in Messina and other parts of Sicily. 
Haiyuan earthquake
One of the deadliest earthquakes on the list occurred in December 1920 with its epicenter at Haiyuan Chinha. At least 230,000 people died. With a force of 7.8 on the Richter scale, the earthquake destroyed almost all the houses in the region, causing significant damage. big cities like Lanzhou, Taiyuan and Xi'an. Incredibly, the waves from the earthquake were visible even off the coast of Norway. According to a recent study, Haiyuan was the strongest earthquake in China during the 20th century. The researchers also questioned the official death toll, suggesting it could have been over 270,000. This number is 59 percent of the population in the Haiyuan area. The Haiyuan earthquake is considered one of the most devastating natural disasters in history. 
Chilean earthquake
A total of 1,655 were killed and 3,000 were injured after a 9.5 magnitude earthquake struck Chile in 1960. Seismologists have called it the strongest earthquake ever recorded. 2 million people were left homeless, and economic losses amounted to $500 million. The force of the earthquake triggered a tsunami, with casualties in places as far away as Japan, Hawaii and the Philippines. In some parts of Chile, waves have moved the ruins of buildings up to 3 kilometers inland. The strong Chilean earthquake of 1960 caused a gigantic tear in the ground, extending for 1,000 kilometers. 
Earthquake in Alaska
On March 27th, 1964 a strong 9.2 earthquake hit the Prince William Sound area in Alaska. As the second strongest recorded earthquake, it resulted in a relatively low number of deaths (192 deaths). However, significant property damage took place in Anchorage, and all 47 states of the United States felt trembling. Due to significant improvements in research technology, the Alaska earthquake has provided scientists with valuable seismic data, allowing much better understanding of the nature of such phenomena. 
Earthquake Kobe
In 1995, Japan was hit by one of the most powerful earthquakes ever, when a 7.2 magnitude quake hit the Kobe region in south-central Japan. Although it was not the most severe ever observed, the devastating impact was experienced by a significant part of the population - approximately 10 million people living in a densely populated area. A total of 5,000 died and 26,000 were injured. The US Geological Survey estimated damage at $200 billion, with infrastructure and buildings destroyed. 
Sumatra and Andaman earthquake
The tsunami that hit all countries of the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004 killed at least 230,000 people. It was caused by a large underwater earthquake near west coast Sumatra, Indonesia. His strength was measured at 9.1 on the Richter scale. The previous earthquake in Sumatra happened in 2002. This is believed to have been a seismic foreshock, and several aftershocks occurred during 2005. main reason A huge number of victims was the absence of any early warning system in the Indian Ocean capable of detecting the approaching Tsunami. To the shores of some countries, where tens of thousands of people died, a giant wave went for at least several hours. 
Earthquake Kashmir
Jointly administered by Pakistan and India, Kashmir was hit by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake in October 2005. At least 80,000 people died and 4 million were left homeless. Rescue work was hampered by conflicts between the two countries fighting over the territory. The situation was exacerbated by the rapid onset of winter and the destruction of many roads in the region. Eyewitnesses spoke of entire areas of cities literally sliding off the cliffs due to the destructive elements. 
Disaster in Haiti
Port-au-Prince was hit by an earthquake on January 12, 2010, leaving half the population of the capital without their homes. The death toll is still disputed and ranges from 160,000 to 230,000 people. A recent report drew attention to the fact that by the fifth anniversary of the disaster, 80,000 people still live on the street. The impact of the earthquake has brought with it terrible poverty in Haiti, which is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Many buildings in the capital were not built in accordance with seismic requirements, and the people of a completely destroyed country did not have any means of subsistence, except for the international assistance provided. 
Tohoku earthquake in Japan
The biggest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl was caused by a 9-magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Japan on March 11, 2011. Scientists estimate that during the 6-minute earthquake of colossal magnitude, 108 kilometers of the seabed rose to a height of 6 to 8 meters. This caused a large tsunami that damaged the coast of Japan's northern islands. The nuclear power plant at Fukushima was badly damaged and attempts to save the situation are still ongoing. The official death toll is 15,889, although 2,500 people are still missing. Many areas have become uninhabitable due to nuclear radiation. 
Christchurch
The worst natural disaster in New Zealand's history claimed 185 lives on February 22nd, 2011 when Christchurch was hit by a massive 6.3 magnitude earthquake. More than half of the deaths were caused by the collapse of the CTV building, which was built in violation of seismic regulations. Thousands of other houses were also destroyed, among them the city's cathedral. The government has declared a state of emergency in the country so that rescue work can proceed as quickly as possible. More than 2,000 people were injured and reconstruction costs exceeded $40 billion. But in December 2013, the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce said that three years after the tragedy, only 10 percent of the city had been rebuilt.
An earthquake is a natural phenomenon with destructive power, it is an unpredictable natural disaster that occurs suddenly and unexpectedly. Earthquakes are tremors caused by tectonic processes occurring inside the earth, these are vibrations of the earth's surface that occur as a result of sudden ruptures and displacements of sections of the earth's crust. Earthquakes happen anywhere the globe, at any time of the year, it is virtually impossible to determine where and when, and how strong an earthquake will be.
They not only destroy our homes and change the natural landscape, but also demolish cities and destroy entire civilizations, they bring fear, grief and death to people.
How is the strength of an earthquake measured?
The intensity of tremors is measured in points. Earthquakes with a force of 1-2 points are captured only by special instruments - seismographs.
With an earthquake strength of 3-4 points, vibrations are already picked up not only by seismographs, but also by a person - the objects surrounding us, chandeliers, pots of flowers are swaying, dishes are ringing, cabinet doors are opening, trees and buildings are swaying, and the person himself is swaying.
At 5 points, it shakes even more, the wall clock stops, cracks appear on buildings, and plaster crumbles.
At 6-7 points, the fluctuations are strong, objects fall, paintings hanging on the walls, on window panes and cracks appear on the walls of stone houses.
Earthquakes of 8-9 points lead to the collapse of walls and the destruction of buildings and bridges, even stone houses are destroyed, and cracks form on the surface of the earth.
A 10-point earthquake has a more destructive character - buildings collapse, pipelines and railway lines burst, landslides and collapses occur.
But the most catastrophic in terms of strength of destruction are earthquakes of 11-12 points.
In a matter of seconds, the natural landscape changes, mountains collapse, cities turn into ruins, huge gaps form in the earth, lakes disappear, and new islands can appear in the sea. But the most terrible and irreplaceable thing in such earthquakes is that people die. 
There is also another more accurate objective way to assess the strength of an earthquake - by the magnitude of the vibrations caused by the earthquake. This value is called magnitude and determines the strength, that is, the energy of an earthquake, the most high value magnitude-9.
Source and epicenter of an earthquake
The force of destruction also depends on the depth of the earthquake source, the deeper the earthquake source occurs from the surface of the earth, the less destructive force the seismic waves carry.
The focus arises at the place of displacement of giant rock masses and can be located at any depth from eight to eight hundred kilometers. It doesn’t matter at all whether this displacement is large or not, vibrations of the earth’s surface still occur and how far these vibrations spread depends on their energy and forces.
The greater depth of the earthquake source reduces the destruction on the earth's surface. The destructiveness of an earthquake also depends on the size of the source. If the vibrations of the earth's crust are strong and sharp, then catastrophic destruction occurs on the surface of the earth.
The epicenter of an earthquake should be considered a point above the focus, located on the surface of the earth. Seismic or shock waves diverge from the source in all directions, the farther from the source, the less the intensity of the earthquake. The speed of shock waves can reach eight kilometers per second.
Where do earthquakes most often occur?
What corners of our planet are more seismically dangerous?
There are two belts where earthquakes occur most often. One belt starts at the Sunda Islands and ends at the Isthmus of Panama. This is the Mediterranean belt - it stretches from east to west, passes through mountains such as the Himalayas, Tibet, Altai, Pamir, the Caucasus, the Balkans, the Apennines, the Pyrenees and passes through the Atlantic.
The second belt is called the Pacific. This is Japan, the Philippines, it also covers the Hawaiian and Kuril Islands, Kamchatka, Alaska, Iceland. Passes along the western coasts of the North and South America, through the mountains of California, Peru, Chile, Tierra del Fuego and Antarctica.
There are also seismically active zones on the territory of our country. These are the North Caucasus, Altai and Sayans, the Kuril Islands and Kamchatka, Chukotka and the Koryak Highlands, Sakhalin, Primorye and the Amur Region, the Baikal zone.
Earthquakes also often occur near our neighbors - in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Armenia and other states. Yes, and in other areas that are distinguished by seismic stability, tremors periodically occur.
The seismic instability of these belts is associated with tectonic processes in the earth's crust. Those territories in which there are active smoking volcanoes, where there are mountain ranges and the formation of mountains continues, there are most often the centers of earthquakes and tremors often occur in those places. 
Why earthquakes happen
Earthquakes are the result of tectonic movement occurring in the depths of our Earth, there are many reasons why these movements occur - this is the external influence of space, the Sun, solar flares and magnetic storms.
This, and the so-called ground waves, which periodically arise on the surface of our earth. These waves are clearly visible on the sea surface - sea tides. On the earth's surface, they are not noticeable, but are fixed by instruments. Ground waves cause deformation of the earth's surface.
Some scientists suggest that the moon may be the culprit of earthquakes, or rather, the vibrations occurring on the lunar surface, they also affect earth's surface. It was observed that strong destructive earthquakes coincided with the full moon.
Scientists also note those natural phenomena that precede earthquakes - these are strong, prolonged precipitation, large drops atmospheric pressure, unusual air glow, restless behavior of animals, as well as an increase in gases - argon, radon and helium and uranium and fluorine compounds in groundwater.
Our planet continues geological development, young mountain ranges are growing and forming, in connection with human activity, new cities appear, forests are destroyed, swamps are drained, new reservoirs appear, and the changes that occur in the depths of our Earth and on its surface cause all kinds of natural disasters.
Human activities also have a negative impact on the mobility of the earth's crust. A person who imagines himself a tamer and creator of nature, thoughtlessly intervenes in the natural landscape - demolishes mountains, erects dams and hydroelectric stations on rivers, builds new reservoirs, cities.
Yes, and mining - oil, gas, coal, building materials- crushed stone, sand - affects seismic activity. And in those areas where the likelihood of earthquakes is high, seismic activity is further enhanced. With his ill-conceived actions, a person provokes landslides, landslides and earthquakes. Earthquakes that occur due to human activity are called technogenic.
Another type of earthquake occurs with the participation of man. Underground nuclear explosions, when tectonic weapons are being tested, or when an explosion a large number explosives, vibrations of the earth's crust also occur. The intensity of such tremors is not very great, but they can provoke an earthquake. Such earthquakes are called artificial.
There are still volcanic earthquakes and landslide. Volcanic earthquakes are caused by high voltage in the depths of a volcano, these earthquakes are caused by volcanic gas and lava. The duration of such earthquakes is from several weeks to several months, they are weak and do not pose a danger to people.
Landslide earthquakes are caused by large landslides and collapses.
Earthquakes occur daily on our Earth, about a hundred thousand earthquakes a year are recorded by instruments. This incomplete list of catastrophic earthquakes that occurred on our planet clearly shows what losses mankind suffers from earthquakes.
Catastrophic earthquakes that have occurred in recent years
1923 - Japan, the epicenter near Tokyo, killed about 150 thousand people.
1948 - Turkmenistan, Ashgabat was completely destroyed, about a hundred thousand dead.
1970 in Peru, a landslide caused by an earthquake killed 66,000 people in the city of Yungai.
1976 - China, the city of Tiangshan is destroyed, 250 thousand dead. 
1988 - Armenia, the city of Spitak was destroyed - 25 thousand people died.
1990 - Iran, Gilan province, 40 thousand dead.
1995 - Sakhalin Island, 2 thousand people died.
1999 - Turkey, the cities of Istanbul and Izmir - 17 thousand dead.
1999 - Taiwan, 2.5 thousand people died.
2001 - India, Gujarat - 20 thousand dead.
2003 - Iran, the city of Bam was destroyed, about 30 thousand people died.
2004 - the island of Sumatra - an earthquake and tsunami caused by an earthquake killed 228 thousand people.
2005 - Pakistan, Kashmir region - 76 thousand people died.
2006 - the island of Java - 5700 people died.
2008 - China, Sichuan province, 87 thousand people died.
2010 - Haiti, -220 thousand people died.
2011 - Japan - an earthquake and tsunami claimed the lives of more than 28 thousand people, explosions at the Fukushima nuclear power plant led to an environmental disaster.
The most powerful shocks destroy the infrastructure of cities, buildings, depriving us of housing, bring enormous damage to the inhabitants of those countries where the elements have broken out, but the worst and irreparable is the death of millions of people. History preserves the memory of destroyed cities, vanished civilizations, and no matter how terrible the power of the elements, a person, having survived the tragedy, restores his housing, builds new cities, builds new gardens and revives the fields on which he grows his own food.
How to behave during an earthquake
At the first shocks of an earthquake, a person experiences fear, confusion, because everything around starts to move, chandeliers sway, dishes rattle, cabinet doors open, and sometimes objects fall, the earth leaves from under his feet. Many panic, begin to rush about, others, on the contrary, hesitate, freeze in place.
If you are on floors 1-2, the first thing you should do is to try to leave the premises as quickly as possible and move to a safe distance from buildings, try to find open space, pay attention to power lines, you can’t be under them, with strong shocks, the wires can break and you can get an electric shock.
If you are above the 2nd floor or did not have time to jump out into the street, try to leave corner rooms. It is better to hide under the table or under the bed, stand in the opening internal doors, in the corner of the room, but away from cabinets and windows, as broken glass and objects in the cabinets, and the cabinets themselves, refrigerators, if dropped, can hurt and injure you. 
If you still decide to leave the apartment, then be careful not to enter the elevator, during strong earthquakes the elevator can turn off or collapse, and it is also not advised to run to the stairs. flights of stairs may be damaged due to an earthquake, and a crowd of people rushing to the stairs will increase the load on them and the stairs may collapse. Going out on balconies is just as dangerous, they can also collapse. Do not jump out of windows.
If tremors caught you on the street, move to an open space, away from buildings, from power lines, from trees.
If you are in a car, stop at the side of the road, away from lights, trees, billboards. Do not stop in tunnels, under wires and bridges.
If you live in a seismically active area and earthquakes periodically shake your homes, then you should prepare yourself and your loved ones for the possibility of a stronger earthquake. Determine in advance the safest areas in your apartment, take measures to strengthen your home, teach children how to behave if children are at home alone during tremors.
