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IT IS INTERESTING TO KNOW
What Was the Greatest Earthquake in History?
Earthquakes with a Richter scale
reading of more than 5.5 have caused
great loss of life and property, and
quakes with a 7.0 reading almost always
cause massive destruction. A number of
quakes that took place during this century
have measured over 8.0 on the Richter
scale. The two most powerful measured
8.9 on the scale, but scientists think that
the 1755 earthquake that destroyed
Lisbon, Portugal, may have been even
more powerful. This quake shook lakes
in Norway, 1,700 miles away!
In terms of destruction, the worst
earthquake of all time took place in China
in 1556, killing more than 800,000 people.
The worst recent quake shook Japan in
1923, destroying the cities of Tokyo and
Yokohoma and killing more than 140,000
people. This quake measured 8.2 on the
Richter scale.
Can you imagine...
The 1923 Japan quake was
so strong that it shook
radishes right out of the ground!
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