Even the modern might of man feels helpless before the wrath of Mother Nature. When the very earth that we tread on begins to tremble and split asunder, it brings with it a force capable of causing unimaginable destruction. Earthquakes have destroyed many cities and taken many lives over the course of history. Unfortunately, as of now, Man is yet to discover a way to predict earthquakes. Seismologists are only able to rate the intensity of an earthquake (Moment Magnitude Scale) after its occurrence by measuring the amount of energy released. Methods have been devised to preempt earthquakes.
However, in front of the most powerful quakes, most preemptive methods are rendered ineffective. Following is a list of the ten earthquakes with the largest magnitudes in recorded history.
1960 Valdivia Earthquake


1964 Alaska Earthquake

2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake

1952 Kamchatka Earthquake

2011 Sendai Earthquake

1833 Sumatra Earthquake

1906 Ecuador-Colombia Earthquake

2010 Chile Earthquake

1700 Cascadia Earthquake

1730 Valparaiso Earthquake
