Deadliest Earthquakes on record

[many a good man]

This is truly one for the ages....

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0884804.html

[tonysam]

1. Of course the Sumatra casualties aren't actually result of an earthquake,

which was centered in the ocean, but are the result of the tsunami.

The 1976 China earthquake numbers have always been in dispute. Estimates have ranged much higher.

[timeforpeace]

2. If the estimates are correct, at 7.0 the Haiti quake killed many more than much bigger quakes, even

the 7.9 in 2008 in very populous China.

[malaise]

3. This will be among the top three

in terms of loss of life.

[Puzzler]

4. Haiti's quake was relatively shallow:

Apparently the depth of the quake is also important. From what I've heard, the Hatian quake was quite shallow by earthquake standards (about 2 miles in depth)... making the effects that much worse.

[XemaSab]

5. I also wouldn't be surprised

if the low-lying areas of Port au Price were built on sandy soil.

That stuff really moves around in a quake.

[elocs]

6. I've read that the Alaska earthquake of 1964 was a 9.2:

http://www.aeic.alaska.edu/quakes/Alaska_1964_earthquake.html

[iris27]

7. what's with the iranan quake

in 8932?

[timeforpeace]

8. HG Wells documented this.