Earthquakes are caused by a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The largest recorded earthquakes include a 9.5 magnitude quake in Chile in 1960 and a 9.0 magnitude quake in Japan in 2011. Earthquakes can cause significant damage through ground shaking, fault ruptures, landslides, fires, liquefaction, tsunamis, and floods. Proper construction and seismic building codes can help reduce damage from earthquakes.