A look at some of the largest earthquakes recorded in the world
The powerful 8.8 magnitude temblor set off a series of warnings in Hawaii, North and Central America and Pacific islands south toward New Zealand, with officials warning that the potential tsunami danger may last for more than a day.
Here's a glance at some of the biggest recorded earthquakes as of June 5, 2025, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
1. Biobío, Chile
A 9.5 magnitude earthquake struck in a central region of Chile in 1960. Known as the Valdivia earthquake or Great Chilean earthquake, the largest ever recorded temblor resulted in more than 1,600 deaths in the country and beyond, most of which were caused by resulting large tsunami. Thousands of people were injured.
2. Alaska
In 1964, a 9.2 magnitude earthquake jolted the Alaska's Prince William Sound, lasting for almost 5 minutes. More than 130 people were killed in the largest recorded earthquake in the U.S. and subsequent tsunami. There were huge landslides and towering waves that caused severe flooding. The event was followed by thousands of aftershocks for weeks after the initial quake.
3. Sumatra, Indonesia
A 9.1 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami devastated Southeast and South Asia and East Africa in 2004, killing 230,000 people. Indonesia alone recorded more than 167,000 deaths as entire communities were wiped out.
4. Tohoku, Japan
A magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck off the coast of northeastern Japan in 2011, triggering a towering tsunami that smashed into the Fukushima nuclear plant. It knocked out power and cooling systems and triggered meltdowns in three reactors. More than 18,000 people were killed in the quake and tsunami, some of whom have never been recovered.
5. Kamchatka, Russia
In 1952, a magnitude 9.0 quake caused significant damage but no reported deaths despite a tsunami that hit Hawaii with 9.1-meter (30-foot) waves.
6. Biobío, Chile
A massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit central Chile in 2010, shaking the capital for a minute and half and setting off a tsunami. More than 500 people were killed in the disaster.
7. Esmeraldas, Ecuador
In 1906, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami killed about 1,500 people. Its effects were felt for miles along the Central American coast and as far as San Francisco and Japan.
8. Alaska
In 1965, a magnitude 8.7 quake struck Alaska's Rat Islands, causing an 11-meter (35-foot) -high tsunami. There was some relatively minor damage, including cracks in buildings and an asphalt runway.
9. Tibet
At least 780 people were killed when a magnitude 8.6 earthquake struck in 1950. Dozens of villages were destroyed, including at least one that slid into a river. There were also major landslides that jammed the Subansiri River in India. When the water eventually broke through, it resulted in a deadly 7-meter (23-foot) wave.
10. Sumatra, Indonesia
In 2012, a powerful 8.6 magnitude earthquake struck off the west coast of northern Sumatra in Indonesia. Though the quake caused little damage, it increased pressure on a fault that was the source of the devastating 2004 tsunami.
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The Independent
30-07-2025
- The Independent
A look at some of the largest earthquakes recorded in the world
One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Russia's Far East early Wednesday, resulting in small tsunami waves in Japan and Alaska and calls for people around the Pacific to be on alert or move to higher ground. The powerful 8.8 magnitude temblor set off a series of warnings in Hawaii, North and Central America and Pacific islands south toward New Zealand, with officials warning that the potential tsunami danger may last for more than a day. Here's a glance at some of the biggest recorded earthquakes as of June 5, 2025, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. 1. Biobío, Chile A 9.5 magnitude earthquake struck in a central region of Chile in 1960. Known as the Valdivia earthquake or Great Chilean earthquake, the largest ever recorded temblor resulted in more than 1,600 deaths in the country and beyond, most of which were caused by resulting large tsunami. Thousands of people were injured. 2. Alaska In 1964, a 9.2 magnitude earthquake jolted the Alaska's Prince William Sound, lasting for almost 5 minutes. More than 130 people were killed in the largest recorded earthquake in the U.S. and subsequent tsunami. There were huge landslides and towering waves that caused severe flooding. The event was followed by thousands of aftershocks for weeks after the initial quake. 3. Sumatra, Indonesia A 9.1 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami devastated Southeast and South Asia and East Africa in 2004, killing 230,000 people. Indonesia alone recorded more than 167,000 deaths as entire communities were wiped out. 4. Tohoku, Japan A magnitude 9.1 earthquake struck off the coast of northeastern Japan in 2011, triggering a towering tsunami that smashed into the Fukushima nuclear plant. It knocked out power and cooling systems and triggered meltdowns in three reactors. More than 18,000 people were killed in the quake and tsunami, some of whom have never been recovered. 5. Kamchatka, Russia In 1952, a magnitude 9.0 quake caused significant damage but no reported deaths despite a tsunami that hit Hawaii with 9.1-meter (30-foot) waves. 6. Biobío, Chile A massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake hit central Chile in 2010, shaking the capital for a minute and half and setting off a tsunami. More than 500 people were killed in the disaster. 7. Esmeraldas, Ecuador In 1906, an 8.8 magnitude earthquake and resulting tsunami killed about 1,500 people. Its effects were felt for miles along the Central American coast and as far as San Francisco and Japan. 8. Alaska In 1965, a magnitude 8.7 quake struck Alaska's Rat Islands, causing an 11-meter (35-foot) -high tsunami. There was some relatively minor damage, including cracks in buildings and an asphalt runway. 9. Tibet At least 780 people were killed when a magnitude 8.6 earthquake struck in 1950. Dozens of villages were destroyed, including at least one that slid into a river. There were also major landslides that jammed the Subansiri River in India. When the water eventually broke through, it resulted in a deadly 7-meter (23-foot) wave. 10. Sumatra, Indonesia In 2012, a powerful 8.6 magnitude earthquake struck off the west coast of northern Sumatra in Indonesia. Though the quake caused little damage, it increased pressure on a fault that was the source of the devastating 2004 tsunami.
The Independent
24-07-2025
- The Independent
The Environmental Protection Agency wants to bring back the weed killer dicamba
The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed allowing the weed killer dicamba for genetically engineered soybeans and cotton, two crops that are grown extensively in the United States. This week's recommendation comes after the first Trump administration made the same move, only to have courts block it in 2020 and 2024. This is the first year since 2016 that dicamba has not been allowed to be used on crops, according to Nathan Donley, the environmental health science director at the Center for Biological Diversity, a national conservation nonprofit. Environmental groups say they will once again go to court to try to block it. 'This is an unfortunate roller coaster ride that the country has been in for about 10 years now, and it's just incredibly sad to see our Environmental Protection Agency being hijacked by this administration and facilitating decisions that are objectively going to make our environment less healthy," Donley said. The EPA said via email that it 'will ensure that farmers have the tools they need to protect crops and provide a healthy and affordable food supply for our country' and the agency is 'confident these products won't cause issues for human health or the environment.' The EPA added that the proposal will be open for public comment for 30 days and included a list of proposed guidelines on the use of the three dicamba-containing products in question. Dicamba is a common weed killer and has been used for over 50 years in the U.S., but it has become more widespread on farms in the past decade, according to data from the EPA and the U.S. Geological Survey. Researchers have been working to better understand the health risks it might pose to humans. A 2020 study in the International Journal of Epidemiology found that dicamba exposure was linked to some cancers, including liver cancer and a type of leukemia affecting the blood and bone marrow. Dicamba can also drift far from its intended targets to kill other plants on neighboring farms and in local ecosystems, posing threats to wild flora and fauna, according to the National Wildlife Federation. An agency can tweak a decision after a court strikes it down, and then dicamba would be approved until a new legal challenge succeeds. Past court rulings on dicamba have taken years, 'leaving many farmers with questions and uncertainty in the middle of the growing season,' National Agricultural Law Center staff attorney Brigit Rollins said in a background summary of dicamba legal cases. ___ Follow Melina Walling on X @MelinaWalling and Bluesky @ ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
NBC News
27-06-2025
- NBC News
Yellowstone bison dies after stumbling into near-boiling waters of popular hot spring
A bison in Yellowstone National Park appeared to stumble into the scalding water of Grand Prismatic Spring, causing its death as tourists looked on during the park's busiest season. The bison fell into the hot spring at Midway Geyser Basin near Old Faithful early Saturday, a spokesperson for Yellowstone said. It's not entirely clear exactly how or why the animal ended up in the hot spring, said Michael Poland, the scientist-in-charge at Yellowstone Volcano Observatory and a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey. But after having seen video of the accident, Poland said it looked like the bison got too close, stumbled further into the water and thrashed around before it fell into an even hotter part of Grand Prismatic, causing its death. Poland said the bison died "fairly quickly," and he dispelled rumors that the spring's water is highly acidic, causing the animal to burn. Most hot springs are actually neutral, Poland said, but the temperatures are so extreme that the bison most likely boiled to death. Grand Prismatic is about 300 feet wide, and its temperatures reach 192 degrees Fahrenheit, Poland said. Boiling point at Yellowstone, because of its high altitude, is 200 degrees Fahrenheit. "This bison carcass is basically sitting in a pool of nearly boiling water, and ... that boiling water will eat away at the organic material, the tissues, and eventually there will just be some bone" leftover, he said. It's not the most uncommon of occurrences, Poland said. Often, animals will walk along the edges of hot springs. They can fall in because the crust surrounding the pool is thin and can break with enough weight. "It's possible something like that happened," he said. "Perhaps a little shelf that [the bison] was standing on collapsed and that exposed [it] to more hot water." Poland added: "But I can't say for sure." He noted that he has never heard of that happening at Grand Prismatic before. Scientists know it occurs at least from time to time, though, because animal skeletons can be found at hot springs around the park, many of which are in the backcountry, away from tourist activity, Poland said. What makes this case unique is that the bison died in Yellowstone's largest and most tourist-populated spring during the summer busy season. Katie Hirtzel was visiting Yellowstone National Park and witnessed the bison's death, she said on Facebook. She said watching the episode was "incredibly powerful and moving." "It was amazing to witness raw nature and the circle of life in front of our eyes like that," Hirtzel said. "It is going to be interesting to see how the park decides to move forward as scavengers are drawn to such a populated area." Poland said he sees it as a cautionary tale for humans visiting the park. He urged visitors to stay on the boardwalks — which are there for a reason — and not get too close. "It's amazing to go and visit these places in Yellowstone. They are spectacular," he said. "But this is why it's so important to stay on the boardwalks."
