In a recent unfortunate incident, a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 hit Morocco, leading to the tragic loss of over 2,900 lives. This unsettling event finds its place as the strongest earthquake in Morocco’s history according to the Significant Earthquake Events (SEE) database, an esteemed record-keeper of significant global seismic activities.
Understanding the Significant Earthquake Database
The SEE database, under the stewardship of the US government-operated National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), has been diligently collating information about earthquakes, both historical and present. The database is comprehensive, featuring records dating as far back as 2150 BCE. The elements that qualify an earthquake for inclusion are moderate damage amounting to at least one million USD, 10 or more deaths, a magnitude of 7.5 or more, or any earthquake which triggered a tsunami.
NCEI’s Eye-opening Data on Global Seismic Activities
Offering profound insights into worldwide seismic activities, NCEI’s database uncovers that in the past two centuries, China has endured the brunt of the highest number of earthquakes, tallying up to 428. It is trailed by Indonesia with 366 quakes, Iran with 272, Japan with 256, and Turkey with 209 earthquakes.
History’s Most Severe Earthquakes
Analyzing the data of the last two centuries, there have been four earthquakes exceeding the magnitude of 9. The most intense among these was the 1960 earthquake in Puerto Montt, Chile, registering a magnitude of 9.5. Following suit were Alaska in 1964 with a magnitude of 9.2, Honshu in Japan in 2011 and Sumatra in Indonesia in 2004, both recording a magnitude of 9.1. Remarkably, seven out of the ten most severe earthquakes since 2150 BCE have taken place in the last two centuries.
Morocco’s Struggle with Seismic Catastrophes
The recent earthquake is marked as the strongest hitting Morocco in recorded history. However, it wasn’t the deadliest; that grim title goes to the 1960 earthquake, which claimed the lives of approximately 13,100 people while measuring a relatively lower magnitude of 5.9.
India’s Encounter with Earthquakes
India’s seismic records, as annotated by NCEI, show 85 earthquakes over the past 200 years, positioning the country at rank 16 among nations affected by earthquakes. The deadliest seismic event India has faced is the Bhuj earthquake of 2001 in Gujarat, causing the loss of over 20,000 lives despite its medium magnitude of 7.6. Interestingly, the 1941 earthquake in Andaman and the 1897 earthquake in Assam – both poorly documented due to the Second World War – are considered the most powerful experienced by India, boasting a magnitude of 8 each.
UPSC Civil Services Examination: A Related Query from Previous Years
A question previously featured in a UPSC Civil Services Examination Prelims (2013) inquired about the causes of dynamic changes on the earth’s surface. The correct answer was that all six listed factors – Electromagnetic radiation, Geothermal energy, Gravitational force, Plate movements, Rotation of the earth, and Revolution of the earth – contribute to these dynamic changes.
