Global Earthquakes Review

Global Earthquakes Review includes a select listing of global events that resulted in >USD 100mn in economic loss and/or >10 fatalities. It does not include a listing of aggregated loss totals from agencies which are not easily attributed to an individual event.

The 2022 Qinghai earthquake damaged at least 4,914 homes and 25 schools and collapsed two walls in Menyuan County. Some sections of a high-speed rail line were suspended because of damage to several tunnels. Small sections of the Great Wall of China in Shandan County collapsed. At least nine people suffered injuries.

2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake

2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake

On 6 February 2023, an earthquake struck southern and central Turkey, and northern and western Syria. The mainshock is the strongest and deadliest earthquake in Turkey since the 1939 Erzincan earthquake, of the same magnitude, together with which it is the strongest in Turkey since the 1668 North Anatolia earthquake. The earthquake is also the deadliest in Syria since 1822. It is one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded in the Levant, and the deadliest earthquake worldwide since the 2010 Haiti earthquake It was felt as far as Israel, Lebanon, Cyprus, and the Black Sea coast of Turkey.

There were at least 31,643 deaths and 80,278 injured across the ten most affected provinces in Turkey. At least 13.5 million people and 4 million buildings have been affected. Thousands were trapped under rubble when buildings collapsed. Around 12,141 buildings collapsed in 10 provinces across Turkey. The earthquake caused broad fissures on roads. During recovery efforts, body parts are often found in the rubble.

What are the 5 largest earthquake ever recorded?

What are the 5 largest earthquake ever recorded?
This animated map shows every single earthquake in the past 15 years

Largest Earthquakes ever recorded

  1. Valdivia, Chile 22 May 1960 (magnitude 9.5)
  2. Prince William Sound, Alaska 28 March 1964 (magnitude 9.2)
  3. Sumatra, Indonesia 26 December 2004 (magnitude 9.1)
  4. Sendai, Japan 11 March 2011 (magnitude 9.0)
  5. Kamchatka, Russia 4 November 1952 (magnitude 9.0)

Worldwide Earthquakes in 2022

Event NameDateRegionEconomic LossesFatalities
   (USD mn) 
Qinghai EarthquakeJan. 8Asia510
Jan. 17Asia0.428
Feb. 25Asia1.018
Fukushima EarthquakeMarch 16Asia8,5003
Afghanistan, Pakistan EarthquakeJune 22Asia1201,163
Luzon EarthquakeJuly 27Asia7511
Sichuan EarthquakeSept. 5Asia835117
West Java EarthquakeNov. 21Asia256635
Hormozgan EarthquakesJuly 2Middle East142
Northern California EarthquakeDec. 20North America1502
Papua New Guinea EarthquakeSept. 11Oceania1512
Source: Beinsure by Gallagher Re

An earthquake is what happens when two blocks of the earth suddenly slip past one another. The surface where they slip is called the fault or fault plane.

What are the 3 types of earthquakes?

What are the 5 largest earthquake ever recorded?

Three Kinds of Earthquakes

  1. Shallow fault earthquakes. A fault is a break in the rock beneath our feet.
  2. Subduction zone earthquakes. The largest earthquakes ever recorded are subduction zone earthquakes.
  3. Deep earthquakes. Deep earthquakes occur in the subducting ocean slab, deep beneath the continental crust.

What causes earthquakes?

Earthquakes are the result of sudden movement along faults within the Earth. The movement releases stored-up ‘elastic strain’ energy in the form of seismic waves, which propagate through the Earth and cause the ground surface to shake.

Why do earthquakes happen?

Earthquakes are usually caused when underground rock suddenly breaks and there is rapid motion along a fault. This sudden release of energy causes the seismic waves that make the ground shake.

What are the worst earthquakes in Europe?

The most destructive earthquake in recorded European history hit the Straits of Messina in southern Italy in 1908, leveling the cities of Messina in Sicily and Reggio di Calabria on the Italian mainland. The magnitude 7.1 earthquake and tsunami caused an estimated 100,000 fatalities.

Can a 10 earthquake happen?

According to the USGS, earthquakes of magnitude 10 or larger cannot happen. The largest earthquake ever recorded was a magnitude 9.5. Earthquakes of magnitude 10 or larger cannot happen. The magnitude of an earthquake is related to the length of the fault on which it occurs. That is, the longer the fault, the larger the earthquake.

Where do earthquakes mostly happen?

Over 80% of large earthquakes occur around the edges of the Pacific Ocean, an area known as the ‘Ring of Fire’; this where the Pacific plate is being subducted beneath the surrounding plates. The Ring of Fire is the most seismically and volcanically active zone in the world.

Where are there no earthquakes?

Is there any place in the world that doesn’t have earthquakes? Florida and North Dakota are the states with the fewest earthquakes. Antarctica has the least earthquakes of any continent, but small earthquakes can occur anywhere in the World.

What happens after an earthquake?

Experiencing an earthquake can be frightening. You and others around you may be injured or in a state of shock; your home or workplace may be damaged; your pets may have run away, and you may not be able to contact your family. Stay calm, make sure you are safe, and then help those around you.