Deadly Tsunamis- David Stern

Lisbon Earthquake- Portugal

Nov 1, 1755

This deadly earthquake was of magnitude 9, killing 20,000 people. This earthquake was the first earthquake studied scientifically for a large, effected area, leading to the study of seismology. 85 percent of Lisbon's buildings were destroyed in a fire caused by the tsunami. Lisbon was the first documented earthquake in Europe.

Krakatoa Eruption- Java/Sumatra

Aug 26, 1883

This earthquake had an unknown magnitude, but had a VEI of 6. It killed 36,000 people. After the volcano collapsed into the ocean, it caused a tsunami with 120 foot tall waves. 165 coastal villages were destroyed. The explosion sent 11 cubic miles of debris into the atmosphere, leading to a temperature decrease of 1.2 degrees over the next 5 years.

Aleutian Earthquake- Alaska

Apr 1, 1946

This 8.1 magnitude earthquake killed 160 people. 159 were killed in Hawaii, with 5 killed in Alaska, and 1 in California. 5 hours after the earthquake, 30 foot high waves hit Hawaii without warning. It caused minimal damage in Alaska, with most of the major damage occurring in Hawaii.

Great Chilean Earthquake- Chile

May 23, 1960

This 9.5 magnitude killed 61 people. The resulting deaths all occurred in Hawaii, where tsunamis started 15 hours after the initial earthquake. The Nazca Plate subducted under the South American Plate, stretching from 560 to 620 miles. 2 million people were left homeless from the tsunami.

Good Friday Earthquake- Alaska

Mar 27, 1964

This 9.2 magnitude earthquake killed 130 people. It was the second most powerful (in terms of magnitude) earthquake ever recorded. The rupture was 25 kilometers under the surface. It lasted for four and a half minutes.

Hokkaido Earthquake- Japan

Jul 12, 1993

This 7.8 magnitude earthquake had a death toll of 120 people. The preparedness of coastal residents saved the lives of many living in the area. The tsunami cost $600 million in property damage. The North American Plate collided with the Eurasian Plate, causing the earthquake.

Papua New Guinea Quake- Papua New Guinea

Jul 17, 1998

This 7.1 magnitude earthquake killed 2,100 people. It struck without warning, leaving 6,000 people homeless. The epicenter was located at the coast of northern Papua New Guinea. It had a maximum Mercalli intensity of 8.

Sumatra Earthquake- Indonesia

Dec 26, 2004

This 9.1 magnitude earthquake killed 230,000 people. The fault length spanned 900 miles. The full rupture of the earthquake laster ten minutes. Islands in the subduction zone rose above the water line, or were submerged under the water line.

Samoa Earthquake- Samoan Islands

Sep 29, 2009

This 8.1 magnitude earthquake killed 200 people. Shaking from the earthquake lasted about two minutes. Earthquakes of similar magnitude typically have shaking of 50 to 60 seconds. In Solosolo, landslides occurred, killing many. 3,000 people became homeless as a result of the earthquake.

Chile Earthquake- Chile

Feb 27, 2010

This 8.8 earthquake killed 700 people. It struck at 3:34 AM. The epicenter was 200 miles southwest of Chile's capitol, Santiago. The catalyst of the earthquake was water pressure built up between tectonic plates. The convergence brought stress on the plates, causing rocks to shatter along the boundary.

Tohoku Earthquake- Japan

Mar 11, 2011

This 9.1 magnitude earthquake killed 20,000 people. It was caused by the rupture of the subduction zone along the Japan Trench. The Eurasian Plate and the Pacific Plate subducted, causing the earthquake. The tsunami reached speeds of 500 miles per hour, at its peak.

Sulawesi Earthquake- Indonesia

Sep 27, 2018

This 7.5 magnitude earthquake killed 2,100 people. 1.5 million people were affected by the earthquake, with 330,000 being made homeless. 65,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. 2,500 people were seriously injured, but recovered from their injuries.