Earthquakes Throughout History

Poseidon (a god in Greek Mythology) was responsible for the first earthquakes. At least this was the belief of the early Greeks. Neptune was his Roman counterpart. They were believed to be the "God of the Sea". One of their powers was that of "earth shaker". The following tsunami was even more proof of their "godly powers"!

Earthquakes were first recorded in China as early as 1177 B.C.The Chinese were the first people to record and study earthquakes. They even developed a means to predict earthquakes by filling a ceramic jar to the brim with water. If the water overflowed the jar, then an earthquake was imminent. Of course, this means of prediction was unreliable and uncertain.

In More Recent History

Sri Lanka, April 14th, 1615

A strong earthquake struck Sri Lanka causing widespread damage and casualties.It is thought that 200 houses collapsed and 2000 persons were killed. This comes from a report found in Lisbon, Portugal and published in 1616.

Lisbon, Portugal, November 1, 1755 -Magnitude: 8.6 - 60,000 people killed.

Most of Lisbon's 250,000 inhabitants were at church for All Saints' Day when the first quake struck at 9:40 a.m. on November 1, 1755. It was followed by an even more powerful tremor, which sent buildings toppling down. Huge waves generated by the quake, drowning thousands and causing widespread damage. Fire raged through what was left of Lisbon, burning for three days. Other countries also experienced a great deal of destruction in the Lisbon quake and associated tsunamis. For instance, approximately 10,000 people died in Morocco alone.

In North America the great earthquakes of 1811-1812 occurred near New Madrid, Missouri. The magnitude of the quakes are not known, but they are estimated to have been about 8 on the Richter Scale. The good news was that the area wasn't heavily populated at the time. People were afraid to stay in buildings, however, and camped out in tents for weeks. There were actually three large quakes with aftershocks between and for months after. The quake was so wide-spread it was felt as far away as Boston.

Obviously, the earthquake can be high on the Richter Scale, but in a sparsely populated area. Then the damage and casualties are extremely low. But when the quake is in a densely populated area the outcome can be catastrophic. Makes you wonder why people insist on building cities in an area susceptible to quakes!

Below is a chart of some of the most devastating earthquakes around the world throughout history. Sometimes the loss of life was minimal, but the destruction of property was still huge.

Place - Date - Magnitude - Casualties

Lisbon, Portugal - Nov. 1, 1755 - 8.6 - 60,000 people killed

San Francisco, USA - Apr. 18, 1906 - 8.3 - 700 people killed

Kansu, China - Dec. 16, 1920 - 8.5 - 200,000 people killed

Tokyo-Yokohama, Japan - Sept. 1, 1923 - 8.3 -143,000 people killed

Agadir, Morocco - Jan. 13, 1960 - 5.9 - 12,500 people killed

Tang Chan, China - July 27, 1976 - 8.0 - 255,000 people killed

Mexico City, Mexico - Sept.19,1985 - 8.1- 10,000 people killed

Armenia - Dec. 7, 1988 - 6.8 - 25,000 people killed

Loma Prieta, CA (US)- Oct. 17, 1989 - 7.0 - 62 people killed

Northridge, CA (US) - Jan. 17, 1994 - 6.8 - 60 people killed

Kobe, Japan - Jan. 16, 1995 - 6.8 - 5,530 people killed

You can see the difference between populated and unpopulated areas!