Great earthquakes occur once a year, on average. The largest recorded earthquake was the Great Chilean Earthquake of May 22, 1960 which had a magnitude (MW) of 9.5.[6]
The following table lists the approximate energy equivalents in terms of TNT explosive force[7] - though note that the energy here is that of theunderground energy release (i.e. a small atomic bomb blast will not simply cause light shaking of indoor items) rather than the overground energy release. Most energy from an earthquake is not transmitted to and through the surface; instead, it dissipates into the crust and other subsurface structures.
Richter
Approximate Magnitude | Approximate TNT for
Seismic Energy Yield | Joule equivalent | Example |
|---|
| 0.0 | 1 kg (2.2 lb) | 4.2 MJ | |
| 0.5 | 5.6 kg (12.4 lb) | 23.5 MJ | Large hand grenade |
| 1.0 | 32 kg (70 lb) | 132.3 MJ | Construction site blast |
| 1.5 | 178 kg (392 lb) | 744.0 MJ | WWII conventional bombs |
| 2.0 | 1 metric ton | 4.18 GJ | Late WWII conventional bombs |
| 2.5 | 5.6 metric tons | 23.5 GJ | WWII blockbuster bomb |
| 3.0 | 31.6 metric tons | 132.3 GJ | Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb |
| 3.5 | 178 metric tons | 747.6 GJ | Chernobyl nuclear disaster, 1986 |
| 4.0 | 1 kiloton | 4.18 TJ | Small atomic bomb |
| 4.5 | 5.6 kilotons | 23.5 TJ | |
| 5.0 | 31.6 kilotons | 134.4 TJ | Nagasaki atomic bomb (actual seismic yield was negligible since it detonated in the atmosphere)
Lincolnshire earthquake (UK), 2008 |
| 5.5 | 178 kilotons | 747.6 TJ | Little Skull Mtn. earthquake (NV, USA), 1992
Alum Rock earthquake (CA, USA), 2007
2008 Chino Hills earthquake (Los Angeles, USA) |
| 6.0 | 1 megaton | 4.18 PJ | Double Spring Flat earthquake (NV, USA), 1994 |
| 6.5 | 5.6 megatons | 23.5 PJ | Caracas (Venezuela), 1967
Rhodes (Greece), 2008
Eureka Earthquake (Humboldt County CA, USA), 2010 |
| 6.7 | 11.2 megatons | 46.9 PJ | Northridge earthquake (CA, USA), 1994 |
| 6.9 | 22.4 megatons | 93.7 PJ | San Francisco Bay Area earthquake (CA, USA), 1989 |
| 7.0 | 31.6 megatons | 132.3 PJ | Java earthquake (Indonesia), 2009
2010 Haiti Earthquake |
| 7.1 | 44.7 megatons | 186.9 PJ | Energy released is equivalent to that of Tsar Bomba (50 megatons, 210 PJ), the largest thermonuclear weapon ever tested
1944 San Juan earthquake |
| 7.5 | 178 megatons | 744.0 PJ | Kashmir earthquake (Pakistan), 2005
Antofagasta earthquake (Chile), 2007 |
| 7.8 | 501 megatons | 2.10 EJ | Tangshan earthquake (China), 1976
Hawke's Bay earthquake (New Zealand), 1931) |
| 8.0 | 1 gigaton | 4.18 EJ | San Francisco earthquake (CA, USA), 1906
Queen Charlotte earthquake (BC, Canada), 1949
México City earthquake (Mexico), 1985
Gujarat earthquake (India), 2001
Chincha Alta earthquake (Peru), 2007
Sichuan earthquake (China), 2008
1894 San Juan earthquake |
| 8.5 | 5.6 gigatons | 23.5 EJ | Toba eruption[citation needed] 75,000 years ago; the largest known volcanic event
Sumatra earthquake (Indonesia), 2007 |
| 8.8 | 15.8 gigatons | 66.3 EJ | Chile earthquake, 2010 |
| 9.0 | 31.6 gigatons | 132.3 EJ | Lisbon Earthquake (Lisbon, Portugal), All Saints Day, 1755 |
| 9.2 | 63.1 gigatons | 264.0 EJ | Anchorage earthquake (AK, USA), 1964 |
| 9.3 | 89.1 gigatons | 372.9 EJ | Indian Ocean earthquake, 2004 |
| 9.5 | 178 gigatons | 744.0 EJ | Valdivia earthquake (Chile), 1960 |
| 10.0 | 1 teraton | 4.18 ZJ | Never recorded by humans |
| 13.0 | 108 megatons | 372.9 ZJ | Yucatán Peninsula impact (causing Chicxulub crater) 65 Ma ago (108 megatons = 100 teratons; almost 5x1030 ergs = 500 ZJ).[8][9][10][11][12] |
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