A day after a magnitude 8.6 earthquake struck Banda Aceh on Indonesia's west coast on April 11, 2012, officials at Banda Aceh Prison inspected damage to walls.
ADEK BERRY (AFP, via Getty Images)
The 1906 Ecuador-Colombia earthquake was recorded as a magnitude 8.8 earthquake.
United States Geological Survey
On February 4, 1965, an 8.7 magnitude earthquake struck the Rat Islands, part of the Aleutian Islands in southwestern Alaska.
United States Geological Survey
On August 15, 1950, a magnitude 8.6 earthquake occurred in Assam, Tibet.
United States Geological Survey
The Maule earthquake occurred in Chile on February 27, 2010. The earthquake was measured at magnitude 8.8.
From Jorge Amengal, AFP, Getty Images
In 1952, the Severo-Krysk earthquake occurred off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula. A magnitude 9.0 earthquake caused a tsunami. This image shows a flooded street on Midway Island.
Corbis via Getty Images
Two women walk through rubble and devastation in Rikuzentakata after the Tohoku-Oki earthquake on March 20, 2011. On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.1 earthquake triggered a tsunami of up to 10 meters, engulfing much of northeastern Japan.
Chris McGrath, Getty Images
The 2004 Sumatra earthquake and tsunami, also known as the Indian Ocean earthquake, is the third largest earthquake ever recorded. This aerial photo shows Meurabo, Indonesia, submerged under water on December 28, 2004, after a magnitude 9.1 earthquake and high waves hit Aceh province in the early hours of December 26, 2004.
AFP, AFP, via Getty Images
The 1964 Alaska Earthquake, also known as the Prince William Sound Earthquake, struck Alaska on March 28, 1964. The magnitude 9.2 earthquake occurred in Prince William Sound and is her second largest earthquake ever recorded. This photo shows the damage caused by the earthquake and resulting tsunami in Seward, Alaska, including the spread of burning oil throughout the town. You can see the roofs of boats and houses sitting on the ground.
Smith Collection/Gado, Getty Images
The Valdivia earthquake was a magnitude 9.5 earthquake that shook Chile on May 22, 1960. It is the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. This June 5, 1960 image shows the remains of the Coral port in Chile's Valdivia province after an earthquake and tidal waves that hit the area.
AFP via Getty Images
