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What was the largest earthquake measured in history?

Answer:

The Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960

The Valdivia earthquake or Great Chilean Earthquake (Spanish: Gran terremoto de Valdivia) of May 22, 1960, is to date the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, rating 9.5 on the Moment Magnitude scale.

It occurred in the afternoon (19:11 GMT, 14:11 local time) and its resulting tsunami affected southern Chile, Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, eastern New Zealand, southeast Australia, and the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.

And the strongest-ever earthquake in the US?
It took place in Prince William Sound, Alaska, on March 28, 1964, and measured 9.2 on the Richter scale. The destruction was massive, although "only" 125 lives were lost as a result of the earthquake and the ensuing tsunami.

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Contributor:

Ethan

First answer by ID2292167260. Last edit by Lemsgarden. Contributor trust: 564 [recommend contributor ]. Question popularity: 98 [recommend question].

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1960 Valdivia earthquake: Wikipedia

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