Megathrust Earthquake - Examples

Examples

Examples of megathrust earthquakes are listed in the following table.

Event Estimated Moment Magnitude Tectonic Plates Involved Other Details/Notes
365 Crete earthquake 8.0+ African Plate subducting beneath the Aegean Sea Plate
  • The quake generated a large tsunami in the eastern Mediterranean Sea and caused significant vertical displacement in the island of Crete.
1575 Valdivia earthquake 8.5 Nazca Plate subducting beneath the South American Plate
1700 Cascadia earthquake 8.7–9.2 Juan de Fuca Plate subducting beneath the North American Plate
  • Slip length: 1000 km (625 mi)
  • Slip motion: 20 m (60 ft)
1737 Kamchatka earthquake 9.0 Pacific Plate subducting beneath the Okhotsk Plate
  • Duration: 15 minutes
  • Depth: 40 km
  • Slip length: maybe 700 km over (435 mi over)
1755 Lisbon earthquake 8.5–9.0 Hypothesized to be part of a young subduction zone but origin still debated
  • Destroyed Lisbon and was followed by a 20 metre high tsunami and many fires.
  • It caused from ten to a hundred thousand deaths.
  • The grave of Nuno Álvares Pereira was forever lost along with the Historical records of the voyages of Vasco da Gama and Christopher Columbus
1868 Arica earthquake 8.5–9.0 Nazca Plate subducting beneath the South American Plate
  • Slip length: maybe 700 km over (435 mi over)
1877 Iquique earthquake 8.8 Nazca Plate subducting beneath the South American Plate
1946 Nankaidō earthquake 8.1 Philippine Sea Plate subducting beneath the Eurasian Plate
1952 Kamchatka earthquake 9.0 Pacific Plate subducting beneath the Okhotsk Plate
  • Depth: 30 km
  • Slip length: maybe 600 km over (370 mi over)
1957 Andreanof Islands earthquake 8.6–9.1 Pacific Plate subducting beneath the North American Plate
  • Depth: 33 km
  • Slip length: maybe 700 km over (435 mi over)
1960 Great Chilean Earthquake 9.5 Nazca Plate subducting beneath the South American Plate
  • Depth: 33 km
  • Slip length: 1000 km (625 mi)
  • Slip width: 200 km (125 mi)
  • Slip motion: 20 m (60 ft)
1964 Alaska earthquake ("Good Friday" earthquake) 9.2 Pacific Plate subducting beneath the North American Plate
  • Duration: 4–5 minutes
  • Depth: 25 km
  • Slip length: 800 km (500 mi)
  • Slip width: 250 km (155 mi)
  • Slip motion: 23 m (70 ft)
2004 Sumatra-Andaman earthquake ("Indian Ocean earthquake") 9.1–9.3 India Plate subducting beneath the Burma Plate
  • The total vertical displacement measured by sonar survey is about 40 m in the vicinity of the epicenter and occurred as two separate movements which created two large, steep, almost vertical cliffs, one above the other.
  • Duration: 8–10 minutes
  • Depth: 30 km
  • Slip length: 1000 and 1300 km (625 and 810 mi)
  • Slip width: 180 km (110 mi)
  • Slip motion: 33 m (110 ft)
2010 Maule earthquake ("Chile earthquake") 8.8 Nazca Plate subducting beneath the South American Plate
  • Depth: 35 km
  • Slip length: 500 km (310 mi)
  • Slip width: 200 km (125 mi)
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami 9.0 Pacific Plate subducting beneath the Okhotsk Plate
  • Duration: 6 minutes
  • Depth: 30 km
  • Slip length: 500 km (310 mi)
  • Slip width: 200 km (125 mi)
  • Slip motion: 20 m (60 ft)

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