Earthquake Damage

EARTHQUAKES
Lesson 5 - Page 7

ACTIVITY - COMPARING EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE

Part I. After you read the information on the 10 largest magnitude earthquakes, determine the damage caused by each and record the information in the space provided.

10 LARGEST MAGNITUDE IN THE MODERN WORLD

	place	year	magnitude	damage
1	Chile	1960	9.5
2	Alaska	1964	9.2
3	Russia	1952	9.0
4	Ecuador	1906	8.8
5	Alaska	1957	8.8
6	Kuril Islands	1958	8.7
7	Alaska	1965	8.7
8	India	1950	8.6
9	Chile	1922	8.5
10	Indonesia	1938	8.5

Part II. Look at the chart of the 10 largest human disasters. All of these earthquakes where less than 8.0 M earthquake. Answer the following questions based on both lists.

1. Which area has the largest earthquakes?

2. Which country has had the most deaths?

3. Explain why the countries with the most deaths are not the largest earthquakes?
(Hint: Construction of buildings.)

10 LARGEST LOSS OF HUMAN LIFE THROUGHOUT HISTORY
(all earthquakes lower than an 8.0 magnitude earthquake)

	place	year	killed
1	Syria, Upper Egypt	Jul 5, 1201	1,100,000
2	Huaxian, China	Jan 23, 1556	830,000
3	Tangshan, China	July 27, 1976	655,237
4	Calcutta, Inda	Oct 11, 1737	300,000
5	Anhwei, China	1662	300,000
6	Sichuan, China	Sept 8, 1850	300,000
7	Allepo, Syria	Sept 8, 1138	230,000
8	Qumis, Iran	Dec 22, 856	200,000 ?
9	Jeddo, Japan	1703	200,000
10	Gansu, China	Dec 16, 1920	200,000

Back

[Back to Earthquakes] [Earth Science Grid]