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Lisbon Earthquake
Magnitude was in the range of 8.5-9.0 and the Death toll was between 10,000-100,000. The earthquake accentuated political tensions in the Kingdom of Portugal and profoundly disrupted the country's colonial ambitions. As the first earthquake studied scientifically for its effects over a large area, it led to the birth of modern seismology and earthquake engineering. -
Krakatoa Eruption
Death toll was more than 36,000 people and the magnitude was a 6.0. Two-thirds of Krakatoa collapsed in a chain of titanic explosions, destroying most of the island and its surrounding archipelago. It was one of the deadliest and most destructive volcanic events in recorded history, with at least 36,417 deaths being attributed to the eruption itself and the tsunamis it created. -
Aleutian Earthquake
Magnitude of 8.1 with a death toll of 165. The event triggered a Pacific-wide tsunami with multiple destructive waves at heights ranging from 45–130 ft. The wave reached Kauai 4.5 hours after the quake, and Hilo 4.9 hours later. The tsunami was unusually powerful for the size of the earthquake. -
Great Chilean Earthquake
Had a magnitude of 9.5 which led to a death toll between 2,230-6,000. This was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded and lasted approximately 10 minutes. The tremor caused localised tsunamis that severely battered the Chilean coast, with waves up to 25 metres. -
Good Friday Earthquake
Magnitude of 9.2 with a death toll of 139. This was the most powerful earthquake recorded in North American history, and the second most powerful recorded in world history. a 27-foot (8.2 m) tsunami destroyed the village of Chenega, killing 23 of the 68 people who lived there; survivors out-ran the wave, climbing to high ground. Tsunamis also caused damage in Hawaii and Japan. -
Sea of Japan Earthquake
Magnitude of 7.8 with a death toll of 104. It occurred in the Sea of Japan, about 100 km west of the coast of Noshiro in Akita Prefecture, Japan. Out of the 104 fatalities, all but four were killed by the resulting tsunami. The waves exceeded 10 meters (33 ft) in some areas. -
Papua New Guinea Earthquake
Magnitude of 7.0 with a death toll between 2,183-2,700. The event occurred on a reverse fault near the north coast region of Papua New Guinea, 25 kilometers (16 mi) from the coast near Aitape, and caused a large undersea landslide which caused a tsunami that hit the coast, killing at least 2,183 people. -
Sumatra Earthquake
Magnitude of 7.9 and a death toll of 103. The strike-slip event occurred off the coast of southern Sumatra, Indonesia near Enggano Island. There were more than 100 fatalities and up to 2,585 injuries. Over 730 aftershocks shocked the area afterwards, one just eleven minutes after the mainshock. -
Samoa Earthquake
Magnitude of 8.1 with a death toll of 189. A tsunami was generated which caused substantial damage and loss of life in Samoa, American Samoa, and Tonga. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center recorded a 3-inch (76 mm) rise in sea levels near the epicenter, and New Zealand scientists determined that the waves measured 14 metres (46 ft) at their highest on the Samoan coast. -
Chile Earthquake
Magnitude of 8.8 with a death toll of 525. It ranks as the fifth largest earthquake ever to be recorded by a seismograph. The earthquake triggered a tsunami which devastated several coastal towns in south-central Chile and damaged the port at Talcahuano. -
Tohoku Earthquake
Magnitude of 9.0 with a death toll of 15,893. The tsunami caused nuclear accidents, primarily the level 7 meltdowns at three reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. The earthquake triggered powerful tsunami waves that reached heights of up to 40.5 metres (133 ft) in Miyako in Tōhoku's Iwate Prefecture.
