Largest Earthquakes Magnitude Comparison (Mw)
Compare the 10 largest earthquakes by moment magnitude, from Valdivia 1960 at 9.5 to Nias 2005 at 8.6. USGS exact Mw values with dates and sources listed.
Visual comparison
All values
Click any row to load it as Entry A.
| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Valdivia Chile 1960 Largest ever recorded. | 9.5 magnitude | May 22 1960, subduction megathrust | USGS largest earthquakes: Valdivia 1960 Mw 9.5 |
| Alaska 1964 Largest in US history. | 9.2 magnitude | Mar 27 1964, Prince William Sound | USGS largest earthquakes: Alaska 1964 Mw 9.2 |
| Sumatra 2004 Tied with Tohoku. 230,000 deaths. | 9.1 magnitude | Dec 26 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami | USGS largest earthquakes: Sumatra 2004 Mw 9.1 |
| Tohoku Japan 2011 Tied with Sumatra. | 9.1 magnitude | Mar 11 2011, Honshu offshore | USGS largest earthquakes: Tohoku 2011 Mw 9.1 |
| Kamchatka 1952 Pacific wide tsunami. | 9 magnitude | Nov 4 1952, Kuril trench | USGS largest earthquakes: Kamchatka 1952 Mw 9.0 |
| Maule Chile 2010 Shifted Earth's axis by cm. | 8.8 magnitude | Feb 27 2010, offshore Maule | USGS largest earthquakes: Maule 2010 Mw 8.8 |
| Ecuador Colombia 1906 Tied with Maule. | 8.8 magnitude | Jan 31 1906, Esmeraldas coast | USGS largest earthquakes: Ecuador 1906 Mw 8.8 |
| Rat Islands Alaska 1965 Remote Aleutian megathrust. | 8.7 magnitude | Feb 4 1965, Aleutians | USGS largest earthquakes: Rat Islands 1965 Mw 8.7 |
| Assam Tibet 1950 Largest continental thrust here. | 8.6 magnitude | Aug 15 1950, Himalayan front | USGS largest earthquakes: Assam-Tibet 1950 Mw 8.6 |
| Nias Sumatra 2005 Tied with Assam-Tibet. | 8.6 magnitude | Mar 28 2005, Sunda trench | USGS largest earthquakes: Nias 2005 Mw 8.6 |
About this converter
Valdivia 1960 at Mw 9.5 is the largest ever recorded, 0.3 clear of Alaska 1964 at 9.2. Sumatra 2004 and Tohoku 2011 tie at 9.1. Kamchatka 1952 at 9.0 follows. Maule 2010 and Ecuador 1906 tie at 8.8. Rat Islands 1965 at 8.7, Assam-Tibet 1950 and Nias 2005 at 8.6 each close the table. Magnitude here is moment magnitude, where each 1.0 means about 32 times the energy. That log scale is why 9.5 dwarfs 8.6 far more than the decimals suggest.
How to use it
Pick two quakes and the magnitude unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. Try Valdivia against Nias to see the 0.9 gap, about 22 times the energy. The bars below scale linearly on magnitude, so energy gaps need the 32 times rule in mind. Ratios here divide magnitudes, not energy. See notes for energy math.
Magnitude ratios mislead without energy context. A 0.9 gap like Valdivia 9.5 over Nias 8.6 means about 22 times the energy (32 to the 0.9). Sumatra and Tohoku tie at 9.1 by USGS, though some catalogs list 9.3 and 9.0 respectively from older scales. We use USGS Mw as primary. Nias 2005 at 8.6 ruptured beside the 2004 Sumatra patch.
FAQ
What is the largest earthquake?
Valdivia Chile 1960 at Mw 9.5. It ruptured about 1,000 km of fault.
How much bigger is 9.5 than 8.6?
About 22 times the energy. Each 1.0 Mw means about 32 times energy.
Are Sumatra and Tohoku tied?
Yes at 9.1 per USGS. Older catalogs split them at 9.3 and 9.0.
Why do magnitudes cluster at 8.6 to 8.8?
Megathrust physics. Only five quakes have passed 9.0 since 1900.
Sources
- USGS: largest earthquakes in the world (Valdivia 1960 9.5; Alaska 1964 9.2; Sumatra 2004 9.1; Tohoku 2011 9.1; Kamchatka 1952 9.0; Maule 2010 8.8; Ecuador 1906 8.8; Rat Islands 1965 8.7; Assam-Tibet 1950 8.6; Nias 2005 8.6 Mw)
Last verified: 2026-10-09 · 10 entries
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