biggest ever earthquakes
Where was the biggest earthquake ever recorded? Scientists give earthquakes a magnitude rating based on the strength and duration of their seismic waves. A quake measuring 3 to 5 is considered minor or light; 5 to 7 is moderate to strong; 7 to 8 is major; and 8 or more is great. The largest quake ever recorded was near Valdivia, in southern Chile on May 22, 1960. It was measured at a magnitude of 9.5, lasted for 10 minutes and triggered a tsunami. Estimates of the number killed by the natural disaster in Chile vary between 1,000 and 6,000. The deadliest, and second largest, earthquake ever recorded struck the island of Sumatra in Indonesia in 2004. The magnitude 9.3 quake triggered a catastrophic tsunami in the Indian Ocean which is believed to have killed more than 280,000 people in several countries.