Earthquakes
Latest about Earthquakes
![Khokana village in Kathmandu, Nepal, after a damaging earthquake. Here we see a narrow street filled with rubble and lined with damaged buildings and electrical wires.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VUi48jJogxFHiiEyUZAm4U-320-80.jpg)
How big is the largest possible earthquake?
By Stephanie Pappas published
The amount of energy released in an earthquake is controlled by how much of the crust breaks. The good news is, we're not likely to see a magnitude 10.
![The Great East Japan Earthquake in Iwate. Here we see the remains of a house amongst a lot of rubble after an earthquake.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WPkQmXVxW9DMXvDgf7S7mh-320-80.jpg)
The 20 largest recorded earthquakes in history
By Tia Ghose published
A handful of regions around the world regularly unleash terrifyingly large earthquakes. Here are the 20 largest earthquakes on record.
![an asteroid slams into Earth](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/V5JzT3FCbpwGTaNDq3w3o3-320-80.jpg)
Dino-killing asteroid triggered 'mega-earthquake' that rocked the planet for months
By Stephanie Pappas published
The dinosaur-killing Chicxulub impact triggered a months-long mega-earthquake that left its mark in the rock.
![The earthquake sent waves as high as 66 feet 5000 miles across the Pacific Ocean.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zj3uA8Wme64PN97iYrfRJG-320-80.jpg)
Scientists find evidence for biggest earthquake in human history
By Ben Turner last updated
The gigantic megaquake is matched only by the 1960 Valdivia earthquake in the same region.
![chile subduction](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ez28DdggnQ3qXx4EgjbNTL-320-80.jpg)
Seismic Speed Bumps Found in Chile's Earthquake Zone
By Becky Oskin last updated
Two huge blobs of dense rock jammed deep beneath Chile's coastline acted like seismic speed bumps during the magnitude-8.8 Maule earthquake in 2010, according to a new study.
![seismic data overlain over map of afghanistan showing epicenter and shock waves of recent earthquake](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GkGjLHfMrKcsMW2XUJ7Ab-320-80.jpg)
Magnitude 5.9 earthquake hits Afghanistan, killing at least 1,000
By Nicoletta Lanese published
The quake occurred near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
![View of Half Moon Island and Bransfield Strait in Antarctica. Joseph Sohm; Visions of America via Getty Images](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/sEGitYVU7GmsgCLcsmxMs5-320-80.jpg)
Underwater volcano in Antarctica triggers 85,000 earthquakes
By Tia Ghose published
The swarm of 85,000 earthquakes that struck Antarctica was the strongest seismic outburst ever recorded there.
![The San Andreas Fault](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZiUZnHkWFmetdB7ceYJPPn-320-80.jpg)
San Andreas Fault's creeping section could unleash large earthquakes
By Stephanie Pappas published
The central section of the San Andreas Fault usually moves by quietly creeping, but new research suggests it's hosted some serious earthquakes in history.
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