2.  The earthquake was so powerful
because it was a megathrust.
 Megathrust earthquakes occur at
subduction zones at convergent
boundaries
 The plates build up and become
locked together.
 The release of this strain is called
a mega thrust earthquake
•KILLED MORE THAN 2,000 PEOPLE
•CAUSED MORE THAN $550 MILLION
IN DAMAGE
•LEFT 2,000,000 HOMELESS
•MAGNITUDE OF 9.5 •MANY EARTHQUAKES OF
•KNOWN AS THE GREATEST
EARTHQUAKE OF ALL TIME
MAGNITUDE 9.0 OR HIGHER
ARE MEGATHRUST.

3.  The movement of the
Pacific plate causes the
compression and
warping of the Alaska
crust.
 After hundreds of years
this tension is relieved
by the sudden
movement of a portion
of coastal Alaska as it
 Had a magnitude of 9.2 moves back over the
 Was a megathrust subducting Pacific plate
earthquake.
 About $350 million in
damages.
 The seismic waves
traveled around the
earth for days.

4.  The earthquake was caused by the
release of tension from that
developed from the Indian plate
subducting the Burma plate.
 The earthquake was the longest
duration ever observed, going
from 8-10 minutes.
 A 9.1 Magnitude, undersea
megathrust earthquake
 Killed about 230,000 people
 Caused tsunamis with waves up
to 30 meters high.
 Left 1.7 million homeless.
 In 2005 another earthquake
struck the region of magnitude
8.7

5.  The structures of the
buildings were unable
to withstand
earthquakes
 The earthquake caused
massive landslides
 Killed more than  Land 500 miles wide
830,000 people was wiped out
 A 8.0 magnitude
earthquake.

6.  The earthquake was caused by
strike-slip motion between the
Caribbean and North
American plate.
 Haiti is the poorest country in
the western hemisphere,
having structures unable to
withstand earthquakes
 Earthquake was 7.0
magnitude
 316,000 people were
killed
 1.3 million people were
displaced.

7.  The earthquake took place in
many resident’s sleep, making
 The earthquake had a people scramble.
magnitude of 7.8.  The 7.1 aftershock left many in
 Estimated 240,000 killed. the rubble.
 Residents did not pay to
 The earthquake took suspicious signs which include
about 14 to 16 seconds, in (1 thousand chicken refusing
many people’s sleep. to eat, gas beginning to spout
 In the afternoon, an out of the water well and
reportedly, fireballs and loud
aftershock of 7.1 occurred. noises.

8.  Tsunamis destroyed many of
Japan’s major ports.
 Caused $235 billion in  Dams ruptured, causing
damages flooding.
 9.0 magnitude.  A 220,00 barrel oil refinery
 Tsunamis with waves up to was set on fire.
40.5 meters.  The Fukushima nuclear power
 Was a megathrust earthquake plant went through a
hydrogen explosion.

9.  Overconfidence in the
in the ability in the to
withstand earthquake
backfired.
 Earthquake had a magnitude
of 7.2.  Earthquake happened
 5,200 deaths in a populated city
 Caused $100 billion in damage
 150,000 buildings ruined  Unprepared
 Struck the big city of Kobe

10.  8.0 magnitude
 Cause $75 billion
 Killed 70,000 people