Major earthquakes have occurred throughout human history, with the earliest recorded dating back almost 2,000 BC. But it is only in the last century that our technological capabilities have reached the point where the impact of these disasters can be fully measured.
Our ability to study earthquakes has made it possible to avoid catastrophic casualties, such as in the case of a tsunami, when people have the opportunity to evacuate a potentially dangerous area. But unfortunately, the warning system does not always work. There are several examples of earthquakes where the greatest damage was caused by the subsequent tsunami, and not by the earthquake itself. People have improved building standards, improved the early warning system, but were never able to completely protect themselves from disasters. There are many in various ways estimate the strength of the earthquake. Some people rely on the Richter scale, others on the number of deaths and injuries, or even the monetary value of the damaged property.
This list of the 12 strongest earthquakes combines all of these methods in one.

Lisbon earthquake
The Great Lisbon Earthquake struck the Portuguese capital on November 1, 1755, causing enormous destruction. They were made worse by the fact that it was All Saints' Day and thousands of people attended mass in the church. Churches, like most other buildings, could not withstand the elements and collapsed, killing people. Subsequently, a tsunami 6 meters high hit. An estimated 80,000 died due to fires caused by the destruction. Many famous writers and philosophers dealt with the Lisbon earthquake in their works. For example, Emmanuel Kant, who tried to find a scientific explanation for what happened

California earthquake
A major earthquake struck California in April 1906. Etched into history as the San Francisco earthquake, it caused damage to a much wider area. Downtown San Francisco was destroyed by a huge fire that followed. Initial figures mentioned 700 to 800 dead, although researchers claim the actual death toll was more than 3,000. More than half of San Francisco's population lost their homes as 28,000 buildings were destroyed by the earthquake and fires.

Messina earthquake
One of Europe's largest earthquakes struck Sicily and southern Italy in the early hours of December 28th, 1908, killing an estimated 120,000 people. The main epicenter of the damage was Messina, which was virtually destroyed by the disaster. The magnitude 7.5 earthquake was accompanied by a tsunami that hit the coast. A recent study suggested that the size of the waves was so huge because of an underwater landslide. Much of the damage was due to the poor quality of buildings in Messina and other parts of Sicily.

Haiyuan earthquake
One of the deadliest earthquakes on the list occurred in December 1920, with its epicenter in Haiyuan Chingya. At least 230,000 people died. Measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, the earthquake destroyed almost every home in the region, causing extensive damage. major cities like Lanzhou, Taiyuan and Xi'an. Incredibly, waves from the earthquake were visible even off the coast of Norway. According to a recent study, Haiyuan was the strongest earthquake to hit China during the 20th century. Researchers have also questioned the official death toll, suggesting there may have been more than 270,000. This number represents 59 percent of the population in the Haiyuan area. The Haiyuan earthquake is considered one of the most destructive natural disasters in history.

Chilean earthquake
A total of 1,655 were killed and 3,000 were injured after a magnitude 9.5 earthquake struck Chile in 1960. Seismologists called it the strongest earthquake ever to occur. 2 million people were left homeless and economic losses amounted to $500 million. The force of the earthquake caused a tsunami, with casualties in places as far away as Japan, Hawaii and the Philippines. In some parts of Chile, waves have moved building ruins 3 kilometers inland. The massive Chilean earthquake of 1960 caused a giant rupture in the ground extending over 1,000 kilometers.

Earthquake in Alaska
27th March 1964 strong earthquake at 9.2 struck the Prince William Sound region of Alaska. As the second most powerful earthquake on record, it caused a relatively low number of deaths (192 deaths). However, significant property damage occurred in Anchorage, and tremors were felt in all 47 US states. Due to significant improvements in research technology, the Alaska earthquake has provided scientists with valuable seismic data, allowing them to better understand the nature of such events.

Kobe earthquake
In 1995, Japan was hit by one of its most powerful earthquakes when a magnitude 7.2 shock struck the Kobe region in south-central Japan. Although it was not the worst ever observed, the devastating impact was felt by a significant portion of the population - approximately 10 million people living in the densely populated area. A total of 5,000 were killed and 26,000 were injured. The US Geological Survey estimated damage at $200 billion, with infrastructure and buildings destroyed.

Sumatra and Andaman earthquake
The tsunami that struck across the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004 killed at least 230,000 people. It was caused by a large underwater earthquake off west coast Sumatra, Indonesia. His strength was measured at 9.1 on the Richter scale. The previous earthquake in Sumatra occurred in 2002. It is believed to have been a seismic pre-shock, with several aftershocks occurring throughout 2005. The main reason The huge number of casualties was the lack of any early warning system in the Indian Ocean capable of detecting an approaching Tsunami. A giant wave reached the shores of some countries, where tens of thousands of people died, for at least several hours.

Kashmir earthquake
Jointly administered by Pakistan and India, Kashmir was hit by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake in October 2005, killing at least 80,000 people and leaving 4 million homeless. Rescue efforts were hampered by conflicts between the two countries fighting over the territory. The situation was aggravated by the rapid onset of winter and the destruction of many roads in the region. Eyewitnesses spoke of entire areas of cities literally sliding off cliffs due to the destructive elements.

Disaster in Haiti
Port-au-Prince was hit by an earthquake on January 12, 2010, leaving half the capital's population without their homes. The death toll is still disputed and ranges from 160,000 to 230,000. A recent report highlighted that as of the fifth anniversary of the disaster, 80,000 people continue to live on the streets. The impact of the earthquake has caused severe poverty in Haiti, which is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Many buildings in the capital were not built in accordance with seismic requirements, and the people of the completely destroyed country had no means of subsistence other than the international aid provided.

Tohoku earthquake in Japan
The worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl was caused by a magnitude 9 earthquake off the east coast of Japan on March 11, 2011. Scientists estimate that during the 6-minute earthquake of colossal force, 108 kilometers of the seabed rose to a height of 6 to 8 meters. This caused a large tsunami that damaged the coast of Japan's northern islands. The Fukushima nuclear power plant was badly damaged and efforts to salvage the situation are still ongoing. The official death toll is 15,889 dead, although 2,500 people are still missing. Many areas have become uninhabitable due to nuclear radiation.

Christchurch
The worst natural disaster in New Zealand's history claimed 185 lives on February 22, 2011, when Christchurch was hit by a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake. More than half of the deaths were caused by the collapse of the CTV building, which was built in violation of seismic codes. Thousands of other houses were also destroyed, including the city's cathedral. The government introduced state of emergency in the country so that rescue work proceeds as quickly as possible. More than 2,000 people were injured, and reconstruction costs exceeded $40 billion. But in December 2013, the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce said that three years after the tragedy, only 10 per cent of the city had been rebuilt.

Over its many-thousand-year history, humanity has experienced earthquakes that, in their destructiveness, can be classified as catastrophes on a universal scale. The causes of earthquakes are not fully understood and no one can say with certainty why they occur, where the next catastrophe will be and of what magnitude.

In this article we have collected the strongest earthquakes in human history, measured by magnitude. What you need to know about this value is that it takes into account the amount of energy released during an earthquake and is distributed from 1 to 9.5.

8.2 points

Although the magnitude of the 1976 Tien Shan earthquake was only 8.2, it can rightfully be considered one of the most destructive earthquakes in human history. According to the official version, this terrible incident claimed the lives of more than 250 thousand people, but according to the unofficial version, the number of deaths is close to 700 thousand and is completely justified, because 5.6 million houses were completely destroyed. The event formed the basis of the film "Catastrophe", directed by Feng Xiaogang.

Earthquake in Portugal in 1755 8.8 points

The earthquake that occurred in Portugal back in 1755 on All Saints' Day belongs to one and h the most powerful and tragic disasters in human history. Just imagine that in just 5 minutes Lisbon was turned into ruins, and almost a hundred thousand people died! But the victims of the earthquake did not end there. The disaster caused a huge fire and tsunami that raged along the coast of Portugal. Overall, the earthquake provoked internal unrest, which led to changes foreign policy countries. This disaster marked the beginning of seismology. The magnitude of the earthquake is estimated at 8.8.

9 points

Another devastating earthquake in Chile occurred in 2010. One of the most destructive and major earthquakes in the history of mankind over the past 50 years has caused maximum damage: thousands of victims, millions of people homeless, dozens of destroyed settlements and cities. The greatest damage occurred in the Chilean regions of Bio-Bio and Maule. This disaster is significant in that the destruction occurred not only because of, but also the earthquake itself caused considerable harm, because its epicenter was on the mainland.

Earthquake in North America in 1700 9 points

In 1700, severe seismic activity in North America altered the coastline. The disaster occurred in the Cascade Mountains, on the border of the United States and Canada and, according to various estimates, was at least 9 points in magnitude. Little is known about the victims of one of the strongest earthquakes in world history. As a result of the disaster, a huge tsunami wave reached the shores of Japan, the destruction of which is mentioned in Japanese literature.

2011 East Coast Japan earthquake 9 points

Just a few years ago, in 2011, the eastern coast of Japan was shaken by the most powerful earthquake in human history. In 6 minutes of a magnitude 9 disaster, more than 100 km of seabed was raised 8 meters in height, and the ensuing tsunami hit the northern islands of Japan. The notorious Fukushima nuclear power plant was partially damaged, which triggered a radioactive release, the consequences of which are still felt today. The number of victims is said to be 15 thousand, but the true numbers are not known.

9 points

It is difficult to surprise residents of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan with tremors - these regions are located in a fault zone of the earth's crust. But the most powerful earthquake in the history of Kazakhstan and all of humanity happened in 1911, when the city of Almaty was almost completely destroyed. The disaster was called the Kemin earthquake, which is recognized as one of the most powerful inland earthquakes of the 20th century. The epicenter of events occurred in the valley of the Bolshoy Kemin River. Huge relief gaps with a total length of 200 km formed in this area. In some places, entire houses that fell into the disaster zone are buried in these gaps.

9 points

Kamchatka and the Kuril Islands are seismically active regions and earthquakes do not surprise them. However, residents still remember the disaster of 1952. One of the most destructive earthquakes that humanity remembers began on November 4 in the Pacific Ocean, 130 km from the coast. Terrible destruction was caused by the tsunami that formed after the earthquake. Three huge waves, the height of the largest reaching 20 meters, completely destroyed Severo-Kurilsk and damaged many settlements. The waves came at intervals of an hour. Residents knew about the first wave and waited out it on the hills, after which they went down to their villages. The second wave, the largest, which no one expected, caused the greatest damage and claimed the lives of more than 2 thousand people.

9.3 points

March 27, 1964 at Good Friday All 47 US states trembled due to the earthquake in Alaska. The epicenter of the disaster occurred in the Gulf of Alaska, where the Pacific and North American plates meet. One of the most powerful natural disasters in human memory, with a magnitude of 9.3, claimed relatively few lives - 9 people died out of 130 victims in Alaska and another 23 lives were claimed by the tsunami that followed the tremors. Among the cities, Anchorage, located 120 kilometers from the epicenter of events, was severely damaged. However, destruction swept along coastline from Japan to California.

9.3 points

Just 11 years ago, one of the most, perhaps, the strongest recent earthquakes in human history occurred in the Indian Ocean. At the very end of 2004, a magnitude 9.3 earthquake several kilometers off the coast of the Indonesian city of Sumatra triggered the formation of a monstrous tsunami that wiped out part of the city from the face of the earth. 15-meter waves caused damage to cities in Sri Lanka, Thailand, South Africa and southern India. No one gives the exact number of victims, but estimates suggest that between 200 and 300 thousand people died, and several million more people were left homeless.

9.5 points

The most powerful earthquake in human history occurred in 1960 in Chile. According to expert estimates, it had a maximum magnitude of 9.5 points. The disaster began in the small town of Valdivia. As a result of the earthquake, a tsunami was formed in the Pacific Ocean, its 10-meter waves raged along the coast, causing damage to settlements located near the sea. The scope of the tsunami reached such proportions that its destructive force was felt by residents of the Hawaiian city of Hilo, 10 thousand kilometers from Valdivia. Giant waves even reached the shores of Japan and the Philippines.

Every year, more and more people on the planet turn their attention to natural disasters of various kinds. According to research in recent years, the Earth has entered an active phase of tectonic activity - it is well known that throughout its existence, the land topography and the outlines of the continents as a whole have repeatedly undergone various changes. If we take into account the contents of Plato's manuscripts, such semi-mythical great civilizations as Atlantis and Hyperborea disappeared from the face of the earth as a result of the tectonic activity of our planet. For this reason, many of our contemporaries are seriously thinking about the direction in which human civilization should develop so that we do not suffer the same sad fate. Perhaps we should finally understand that the Earth is a kind of gigantic living organism, any interference in the work of which can end very sadly for our world. The bowels of the planet should be used more carefully and economically by people for their own purposes. In this article we will look at the most destructive earthquakes in human history.

1. In the mid-16th century, in the city of Shenxi (China), the most destructive earthquake to date occurred, killing more than 800 thousand people!

2. In 1923, on the first day of autumn - Japanese area Southern Kanto felt the full force and power of the tremors, which, according to some estimates, was about 12 points. In this region there are megacities such as Yokohama and Tokyo. More than 150 thousand people became victims of the disaster.

3. August 15, 1950 year, the most powerful earthquake was recorded in the Indian city of Assami (India), which claimed the lives of “only” 1000 people - the fact is that it was impossible to measure its strength on the Richter scale due to the excessive scale of the instrument’s needles. A short time later, seismologists officially attributed the element to 9 points on the Richter scale. However, it was so powerful that it even sowed a certain panic among scientists - some of them initially believed that the epicenter of the earth's crust was located in Japan, while others believed that it was in the United States.

As for the Indian state of Assam, the situation here was also very ambiguous - for a week in a row, powerful tremors shook the surface of the earth, every now and then forming faults and failures, swallowing entire villages along with their inhabitants without a trace. All this was accompanied by constant emissions of fountains of hot steam and superheated liquid into the sky. As a result of the damage received, many dams could not contain the pressure of the water reserves stored in them - many cities and villages were simply flooded. Fleeing from certain death, residents climbed to the tops of trees, because not everyone knew the main ones. It should be noted that this year it was many times greater than the scale of destruction that was the result of the second most powerful earthquake that took place in these parts in 1897. The victims of the earlier disaster were 1,542 people.

4. 05/22/1960– on the outskirts of the Chilean city of Valdivia in the afternoon, the most powerful officially recorded earthquake occurred. The strength of the tremors of the Great Chilean Earthquake - this is the name given to this natural disaster - was approximately 9.3-9.5 points.

5. March 27, 1964 - in the American part of the Alaska Peninsula, closer to six o'clock local time, something happened local residents Couldn't even imagine it. The force of the tremors was 9.2 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the disaster was at a depth of 20 kilometers in the northern part of the Gulf of Alaska. According to many scientists, it was this that caused the shift in the axis of rotation of our planet - as a result, its speed increased by 3 microseconds. The Great Chilean and Alaskan disasters are officially considered the most destructive and catastrophic in the history of mankind.

6. The earthquake that took place on July 28, 1976 late at night in the northeastern regions of China is considered the most destructive and terrible in terms of human casualties. Almost instantly, 650 thousand people became its victims - more than 780 thousand were injured and of varying degrees of severity. The strength of the shocks ranged from 7.9 to 8.2 points. The destruction was colossal. The epicenter of the disaster was located directly in Tangshan, a city with a population of millions. After several months, a huge space of ruins with a total area of ​​20 square kilometers remained on the site of the once flourishing, never-silent city.
According to eyewitnesses, shortly before the first wobble, the skies parted for many kilometers and shone with a bright light. At the end of the first blows, the plants and trees visually looked as if they had felt the effects of a steam roller. Some bushes were even burnt on some sides.

7. 7.12.1988— powerful tremors occurred on the territory of Armenia, the victims of which, according to the most conservative estimates, were 45 thousand people. Overnight, the city of Spitak, located near the epicenter, turned into a vast pile of ruins. Neighboring populated areas– Kirovakan and Leninakan were half destroyed. According to some calculations, the force of the shocks was almost 10 points on the Richter scale!

8. December 26, 2004- in the northwestern region of the Indonesian island of Sumatra, in the Indian Ocean, like a bolt from the blue, earthquakes with a magnitude of 9.1 to 9.3 on the Richter scale occurred. This disaster and the accompanying giant tsunami claimed the lives of more than 300 thousand people.

9. May 12-13, 2008– in the Chinese province of Sichuan, an earthquake with a power of 7.9 occurred, killing more than 70 thousand people.

10. March 11, 2011 One of the most powerful earthquakes of recent years occurred in Japan - its strength was estimated at 9 points on the Richter scale. The devastating consequences and the accompanying gigantic tsunami became the direct cause of a serious environmental disaster: cooling systems were damaged nuclear power plant— the world was on the verge of radioactive contamination of the environment, which, to the deepest, could not be avoided. Albeit on a smaller scale, radiation leakage still occurred.

As earthquake statistics show, seismological disasters account for 13% of the total number of natural ones. Over the past hundred years, about 2,000 tremors with a magnitude of 7 or more have occurred in the world. Of these, 65 cases exceeded the 8 mark.

World situation

If you look at a world map on which seismological activity is displayed as dots, you will notice one pattern. These are some characteristic lines along which tremors are intensely recorded. The tectonic boundaries of the earth's crust are located in these zones. Statistics have established that strong catastrophic earthquakes, which entail the most destructive consequences, occur due to tension in the source of “rubbing in” of tectonic plates.

Earthquake statistics over 100 years show that only on continental tectonic plates(not oceanic) there were about a hundred seismic disasters in which 1.4 million people died. A total of 130 strong earthquakes were recorded during this period.

The table shows the largest known seismic disasters since the 16th century:

Over the 30 years of the end of the 20th century, about 1 million people died in seismic disasters. This is approximately 33 thousand per year. Over the past 10 years, earthquake statistics show an increase in the average annual figure to 45 thousand victims.
Every day, hundreds of imperceptible vibrations of the earth's surface occur on the planet. This is not always associated with the movement of the earth's crust. Human actions: construction, mining, blasting - all of them entail vibrations that are recorded by modern seismographs every second. However, since 2009, the USGS geological service, which collects data on earthquake statistics in the world, has stopped taking into account tremors below 4.5 points.

Crete Island

The island is located in a tectonic fault zone, so increased seismological activity there is a frequent occurrence. According to statistics, earthquakes in Crete do not exceed 5 points. With such force, there are no destructive consequences, and local residents do not pay any attention to this shaking. On the graph you can see the number of registered seismic shocks by month with a magnitude greater than 1 point. You can see what recent years their intensity increased slightly.

Earthquakes in Italy

The country is located in a zone of seismic activity on the territory of the same tectonic fault as Greece. Earthquake statistics in Italy over the past 5 years show an increase in the number of monthly tremors from 700 to 2000. In August 2016, a strong earthquake with a magnitude of 6.2 occurred. That day claimed the lives of 295 people and injured more than 400.

In January 2017, another earthquake with a magnitude of less than 6 occurred in Italy; there were almost no casualties from the destruction. However, the shock was caused in the province of Pescara. The Rigopiano Hotel was buried under it, killing 30 people.

There are resources that display earthquake statistics online. For example, the IRIS organization (USA), which collects, systematizes, studies and distributes seismological data, presents a monitor of this type:
The website contains information showing the presence of earthquakes on the planet at the moment. Here their magnitude is shown, there is information for yesterday, as well as events from 2 weeks or 5 years ago. You can take a closer look at the areas of the planet you are interested in by selecting the appropriate map from the list.

The situation in Russia

According to earthquake statistics in Russia and the OSR (General Seismic Zoning) map, more than 26% of the country's area is located in seismically hazardous zones. Tremors of magnitude 7 may occur here. This includes Kamchatka, the Baikal region, the Kuril Islands, Altai, North Caucasus and Sayans. There are about 3,000 villages, about 100 thermal power plants and hydroelectric power stations, 5 nuclear power plants and enterprises of increased environmental hazard.

Krasnodar region

The zone contains about 28 districts of the region, with a population of approximately 4 million people. Among them is the large resort city of Sochi - according to earthquake statistics, the last seismic activity above 4 points was registered in the fall of 2016. Kuban is mostly located in the zone of magnitude 8–10 earthquakes (MSK-64 scale). This is the highest seismic hazard index throughout the Russian Federation.

The reason is the resumption of tectonic processes in 1980. Earthquake statistics in Krasnodar region annually records about 250 seismic shocks of more than 2 points. Since 1973, 130 of them have been force 4 or higher. Tremors with a magnitude greater than 6 are recorded once every 5 years, and above 7 - once every 11 years.

Irkutsk

Due to its location near the Baikal Rift, earthquake statistics for Irkutsk record up to 40 minor tremors every month. In August 2008, seismic activity with a magnitude of 6.2 was recorded. The epicenter was in Lake Baikal, where the indicator reached 7 points. Some buildings were cracked, but no significant damage or casualties were recorded. In February 2016, another earthquake of magnitude 5.5 occurred.

Ekaterinburg

Despite the fact that the growth of the Ural Mountains has long ceased, the statistics of earthquakes in Yekaterinburg continues to be updated with new data. In 2015, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.2 was recorded there, but there were no casualties.

Conclusion

Between the end of 2008 and 2011, there was a decrease in seismic activity on the planet, to a level of less than 2,500 events per month and a magnitude above 4.5. However, after the earthquake in Japan in 2011, between 2011 and 2016 there was a tendency for earthquake activity around the world to almost double. Earthquake statistics for recent years are as follows:

• tremors from 8 points and above – 1 time/year;
• from 7 to 7.9 points – 17 times/year;
• from 6 to 6.9 – 134 times/year;
• from 5 to 5.9 – 1319 times/year.

Predicting earthquakes is very difficult. It is often possible to say with certainty where it will happen, but when exactly it will happen is impossible to determine. However, there are biological precursors. On the eve of a strong earthquake, other representatives of the fauna living in this territory begin to behave abnormally.

Everyone good afternoon, I am very glad to welcome those who are interested not only in games or shopping, but also in world affairs. It is about the problems associated with disasters that I wanted to talk today.

World disasters, one way or another, affect the life of every person on the planet. And it doesn’t matter in what part of the earth there was an earthquake, flood or volcanic eruption. Some people always suffer, while others sympathize and try to help.

Unfortunately, scientists cannot fully understand how to predict a terrible event. Take, for example, an earthquake. This is extremely dangerous phenomenon nature, which cannot be predicted. Scientists' calculations made it possible to learn about future tremors of the earth's surface only a few hours before they began.

But even here there may be danger in the calculations, because the earthquake can be much stronger than predicted. The most effective predictor of impending disaster is animals. Many people say that animals are closer to the earth and are more connected to it. So love your pets and they can save your life.

The danger of earth tremors awaits those residents whose houses are located in mountainous areas. After all, mountains are peculiar scars in places where titanic plates break. Fortunately, most earthquakes occur at the bottom of the oceans, but this also poses a danger for coastal living areas. It is almost impossible to escape from a strong tsunami.

The most powerful earthquake in human history: tragedy in Chile

The most powerful earthquake in human history occurred just off the coast Pacific Ocean and practically destroyed Chile in 1960. By different sources The force of the tremors on the ocean floor at the epicenter was about 10 points. It is worth looking at the consequences of the wave that destroyed large coastal cities almost to the ground.

The tsunami that hit Chile destroyed not only residential areas, but also industry, everything had to be rebuilt. At that time it cost more than 400 billion dollars.

The strongest earthquakes in the world on the Richter scale: top 5

It is impossible to predict where the next earthquake will occur. How many people will suffer? We only know that over the last hundred years the number of the worst disasters in human history has increased.

List of known largest earthquakes:

• The Kemin earthquake is considered one of the largest inland earthquakes. It took place in Kazakhstan in 1911, then, with an amplitude of 9 points, it almost completely collapsed Almaty city.
• The next most destructive earthquake, after the Chilean one, happened in Alaska in 1964. Due to the low population density in this part of the earth, there were only 9 people affected by the 9.5 magnitude tremors, plus 190 drowned. But due to huge wave The coasts of Canada, Japan and California were seriously damaged.
• In 1952, a magnitude 9 earthquake occurred off the coast of Kamchatka. And the rising giant wave 17 meters high swept away Severo-Kurilsk Almost completely, a third of the residents of the city and nearby settlements died as a result.
• Indian tsunami, which drowned most of the coastal cities of Indonesia, Thailand, southern India and Sri Lanka in 2004. Earth tremors began near the island Sumatra. Then the disaster took the lives of more than 300 thousand people.
• But the most catastrophic earthquake is considered Japanese. Although it took place quite recently in 2011, it brought not only destruction to its country. The earthquake caused a tsunami that damaged the Fukushima nuclear power plant. The echoes of that disaster can still be heard. And the radioactive cloud hung over the ocean for a long time, and the whole world watched its movement with bated breath.

Is it possible to prepare for underground unrest? Can you predict what consequences it will bring? Is there salvation and where to look for it?

Many questions arise in a person when he thinks about this. The problem of modern man is not that he is not prepared for disasters, he just does not think about them. After watching TV and sympathizing with the victims, we forget about everything. We don’t think that our country is also located at the intersection of titanic plate faults, and in Russia, like nowhere else, the probability of earthquakes is high.

A little theory about earthquakes

Due to modern scientific achievements Scientists have suggested that tremors occur almost every day in the world. We do not feel most of them, due to the great depth of the epicenter or its small strength.

A person will feel tremors or a wave only starting from 3 points; before this, the force is so weak that only instruments can detect the impulse. Some people believe that there are many more earthquakes during the full moon.

The causes of underground disturbances can be not only natural, but also caused by humans. Regular weapons testing or mining disrupts the landscape and structure of the earth's surface. The most dangerous human impact is the adjustment of mountainous terrain. As you know, this is where earthquakes most often occur.

It’s just difficult for people to prove that they are wrong and that they need to change their way of life so that after us our descendants can live peacefully for thousands of years.

World wars and human cruelty towards brothers lead to the fact that cataclysms began to occur more and more often. After all, the earth is also a living and intelligent organism...

Imagine yourself in her place, not only are they constantly pumping out oil, extracting metals, but they are also fighting, destroying not only people, but also environment, poisoning with lead and burning thousands of kilometers of land.

As a result, the soil dies, and with it all the plants. There is so much beauty in the world, will a person never grow up? A rational being cannot treat nature with such disrespect.

How to behave during an earthquake

Each of us learned the rules of behavior during earthly discussions back in school. Even regular drills mean preparation both physically and psychologically.

How might he react? ordinary person when does the earthquake start? The first is fear, and it’s good if you pull yourself together quickly enough, get your bearings and go out to safe distance from surrounding buildings that may collapse if the shocks are strong.

But when panic sets in, it most often occurs in office buildings, where workers are under stress every day. And then a disaster happened, running around began instead of constructive evacuation.

At the first tremors, you should hide under the table, then if a wall or ceiling collapses, you will suffer less, and it will be easier for rescuers to find you. If you decide to leave the building, you should do so at the first tremors before they become stronger or surrounding objects begin to fall.

Try to stay along walls without windows. When shaking, the glass is the first to crack and you can get seriously injured. As soon as you get out of the building, move to a safe distance. You should not drive a car; due to the electronics, the car may simply become blocked, and so will you.

If you live in an earthquake-prone area, you should prepare a bag or backpack with the essentials for the first time. You can also put documents and some money there. This is convenient in a critical situation, you can immediately grab it and run out of the dangerous room.

12 points on the Richter scale: adventure project “On the Edge” and learn a lot of new things! See you soon!

Text - agent Q.