This database was built to summarize all known large earthquakes with a magnitude larger or equal 8. For the historical part, it was built based on the Global Historic Earthquake Archive (GHEA), but significantly extended. It is supposed to help identifying regions with extensive earthquake and tsunami hazards. Especially historic and paleo-earthquakes are prone to major uncertainties. Different authors come to different conclusions. Thus references to each magnitude and location estimate are provided and compared.
Here, we also provide a preferred magnitude estimate and also start providing models for ground motion and tsunami wave heights.
We also include earthquakes which have been estimated to be larger 8 even though, by current knowledge, their preferred magnitude estimate is smaller.
| Date | Title | Region | Preferred Magnitude | Quality* | #References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 Mar 11th, 05:46 | 2011 Tohoku Earthquake | Honshu | 9.1 | A | 1 |
| 1950 Aug 15th, 14:09 | 1950 Assam Earthquake | Himalaya Megathrust | 8.6 | A | 1 |
| 1934 Jan 15th, 08:43 | 1934 Bihar Earthquake | Himalaya Megathrust | 8.4 | A | 2 |
| 1907 Jan 04th, 05:19 | 1907 Sumatra Earthquake | Sumatra-Andaman | 8.3 | B | 2 |
| 1897 Jun 12th | 1897 Shillong Earthquake | Himalaya Megathrust | 8.2 | B | 3 |
| 1797 Feb 11th | 1797 Mentawai Earthquake | Sumatra | 8.6 | C | 4 |
| 1793 Feb 17th, 14:00 | 1793 Miyagi Earthquake | Honshu | 8.2 | B | 2 |
| 1792 Aug 22nd, 18:00 | 1792 Kamchatka Earthquake | Kamchatka | 8.4 | C | 1 |
| 1788 Aug 06th | 1788 Shumagin Earthquake | Alaska | 8.3 | C | 2 |
| 1788 Jul 21st | 1788 Kodiak Island Earthquake | Alaska | 8.6 | C | 2 |
| 1787 Mar 28th, 11:15 | 1787 Mexico Earthquake | Mexico | 8.6 | C | 2 |
| 1784 May 13th, 12:36 | 1784 Peru Earthquake | Peru | 8.4 | C | 2 |
| 1780 Jan 22nd | 1780 Java Earthquake | Java | 8.5 | C | 3 |
| 1762 Apr 02nd | 1762 Arakan Earthquake | Myanmar | 8.5 | C | 3 |
| 1761 Dec 09th, 17:20 | 1761 Altai Earthquake | Mongolia | 7.7 | C | 2 |
| 1761 Mar 31st, 12:15 | 1761 Cabo San Vicente Earthquake | Iberia Margin | 7.5 | C | 3 |
| 1755 Nov 01st | 1755 Lisbon Earthquake | Iberia Margin | 8.7 | B | 4 |
| 1751 May 25th, 05:30 | 1751 Concepcion Earthquake | Chile | 8.8 | C | 2 |
| 1746 Oct 29th, 03:30 | 1746 Lima Callao Earthquake | Peru | 9 | B | 6 |
| 1739 Jan 03rd | 1739 Pingluo Earthquake | Ningxia | 8 | C | 2 |
| 1737 Oct 17th, 15:30 | 1737 Kamchatka Earthquake | Kamchatka | 9 | C | 2 |
| 1730 Jul 08th, 04:30 | 1730 Valparaiso Earthquake | Chile | 8.7 | C | 2 |
| 1717s | 1717 Alpine Fault Earthquake | Alpine Fault | 8.1 | D | 1 |
| 1715 Aug 23rd | 1715 Iquique Earthquake | Iquique | 7.8 | C | 3 |
| 1714 May 04th | 1714 Bhutan Earthquake | Himalaya Megathrust | 8.1 | C | 1 |
| 1707 Oct 28th, 14:00 | 1707 Hoei Earthquake | Nankaido | 8.7 | C | 4 |
| 1703 Dec 13th | 1703 Kanto Earthquake | Sagami | 8.2 | C | 4 |
| 1700 Jan 27th | 1700 Cascadia Earthquake | Cascadia | 9 | B | 2 |
| 1695 May 18th | 1695 Shaanxi Earthquake | Shaanxi | 7.8 | C | 1 |
| 1690 Apr 05th | 1690 Lesser Antilles Earthquake | Lesser Antilles | 7.5 | C | 3 |
| 1687 Oct 20th, 10:30 | 1687 Peru Earthquake | Peru | 8.6 | C | 2 |
| 1679 Sep 02nd | 1679 Hebei Earthquake | East China | 8 | C | 1 |
| 1679s | 1679 Andaman Earthquake | Sumatra-Andaman | 8 | D | 1 |
| 1677 Nov 04th | 1677 Kanto Earthquake | Honshu | 8.4 | C | 2 |
| 1677 Apr 13th | 1677 Sanriku Earthquake | Hokkaido | 7.9 | C | 1 |
| 1668 Jul 25th | 1668 Tancheng Earthquake | East China | 8.5 | C | 1 |
| 1657 Mar 15th | 1657 Chile Earthquake | Chile | 8 | C | 1 |
| 1647 May 13th, 22:30 | 1647 Valparaiso Earthquake | Chile | 8.5 | C | 2 |
| 1629 Aug 01st, 01:30 | 1629 Seram Earthquake | Seram | 8.8 | D | 2 |
| 1627 | 1627 Luzon Earthquake | Luzon | 8 | D | 2 |
| 1619 Feb 14th, 16:30 | 1619 Peru Earthquake | Peru | 7.7 | C | 3 |
| 1611 Dec 02nd | 1611 Keicho Earthquake | Hokkaido | 8.5 | C | 2 |
| 1609 Oct 20th, 01:00 | 1609 Peru Earthquake | Peru | 7.4 | C | 2 |
| 1605 Feb 03rd, 20:00 | 1605 Keicho Earthquake | Nankaido | 7.9 | C | 3 |
| 1604 Dec 29th | 1604 Quanzhou Earthquake | Taiwan Strait | 8.1 | B | 2 |
| 1604 Nov 24th, 18:30 | 1604 Iquique Earthquake | Iquique | 8.5 | C | 4 |
| 1600 Feb 28th | 1600 Peru Earthquake | Peru | 8.1 | C | 1 |
| 1586 Jul 10th, 00:30 | 1586 Lima Earthquake | Peru | 8.6 | C | 2 |
| 1586s | 1586 Aleutian Earthquake | Aleutian Islands | 9.3 | D | 1 |
| 1584 Mar 17th | 1584 Lima Earthquake | Peru | 8.4 | C | 1 |
| 1582 Jan 22nd | 1582 Peru Earthquake | Peru | 7.8 | D | 3 |
| 1575 Dec 16th, 18:30 | 1575 Valdivia Earthquake | Chile | 8.5 | C | 2 |
| 1570 Feb 08th, 09:00 | 1570 Concepcion Earthquake | Chile | 8 | C | 2 |
| 1556 | 1556 Shaanxi Earthquake | Shaanxi | 8 | C | 2 |
| 1555 Nov 15th | 1555 Lima Earthquake | Peru | 8.4 | C | 1 |
| 1555 | 1555 Kashmir Earthquake | Himalaya Megathrust | 7.8 | C | 2 |
| 1543 | 1543 Iquique Earthquake | Iquique | 8 | D | 2 |
| 1530 Sep 01st, 14:30 | 1530 El Pilar Earthquake | Venezuela | 7.3 | C | 2 |
| 1530s | 16th Century Cascadia Paleo-Earthquake | Cascadia | 8.7 | D | 2 |
| 1513 | 1513 Iquique Earthquake | Iquique | 8.7 | C | 1 |
| 1505 Sep 24th | 1505 Nepal Earthquake | Himalaya Megathrust | 8.6 | C | 1 |
| 1498 | 1498 Meio earthquake | Nankaido | 8.3 | B | 2 |
| 1471 | 1471 Peru Earthquake | Peru | 8 | C | 1 |
| 1460s | 1460 Wellington Earthquake | Alpine Fault | 8 | C | 2 |
| 1460s | 15th Century Cascadia Paleo-Earthquake | Cascadia | 8.2 | D | 2 |
| 1454 | 1454 Honshu Earthquake | Honshu | 8.4 | C | 1 |
| 1411 Oct 08th, 05:00 | 1411 Tibet Earthquake | Himalaya | 8 | B | 2 |
| 1400s | 15th Century Nepal Earthquake | Himalaya Megathrust | 8.2 | D | 1 |
| 1400s | 15th Century Sumatra-Andaman Paleo-Earthquake | Sumatra-Andaman | 9 | D | 1 |
| 1394s | 1394 Sumatra Earthquake | Sumatra-Andaman | 8.3 | D | 1 |
| 1361 Jul 26th | 1361 Nankaido Earthquake | Nankaido | 8.4 | C | 1 |
| 1344 Sep 14th | 1344 Nepal Earthquake | Himalaya Megathrust | 7.9 | C | 1 |
| 1320s | 14th Century Chile Paleo-Earthquake | Chile | 8.8 | D | 1 |
| 1303 Sep 25th | 1303 Hongdong Earthquake | Shaanxi | 7.5 | C | 2 |
| 1303 Sep 17th, 03:30 | 1303 Crete Earthquake | Hellenic Arc | 8.3 | B | 1 |
| 1293 May 20th | 1293 Nankaido Earthquake | Nankaido | 8 | D | 2 |
| 1255 Jun 07th | 1255 Nepal Earthquake | Himalaya Megathrust | 8 | C | 1 |
| 1220s | 12th Century Cascadia Paleo-Earthquake | Cascadia | 8.9 | D | 2 |
| 1150s | 12th Century Hokkaido Paleo-Earthquake | Hokkaido | 7.9 | D | 1 |
| 1120s | 12th Century Chile Paleo-Earthquake | Chile | 8.8 | D | 1 |
| 1100s | 12th Century Himalaya Earthquake | Himalaya Megathrust | 8.8 | D | 1 |
| 1099 Feb 16th | 1099 Nankaido Earthquake | Nankaido | 8.2 | C | 2 |
| 1096 Dec 17th | 1096 Nankaido Earthquake | Nankaido | 8.3 | C | 3 |
| 1076 | 1076 Manila Trench Earthquake | South China Sea | 8.8 | D | 1 |
| 1040s | 10th Century Cascadia Paleo-Earthquake | Cascadia | 8.3 | D | 2 |
| 1000s | 10th Century Bengal Earthquake | Myanmar | 8.5 | D | 1 |
| 958 Feb 23rd | 958 Iran Earthquake | Iran | 8 | C | 1 |
| 950s | 10th Century Sumatra-Andaman Paleo-Earthquake | Sumatra-Andaman | 9 | D | 1 |
| 887 Aug 17th | 887 Nankaido Earthquake | Nankaido | 8.6 | C | 2 |
| 869 Jul 09th | 869 Jogan Earthquake | Honshu | 8.8 | C | 6 |
| 856 Dec 22nd | 856 Iran Earthquake | Iran | 7.9 | C | 2 |
| 770s | 8th Century Valdivia Paleo-Earthquake | Chile | 9 | D | 1 |
| 770s | 8th Century Cascadia Paleo-Earthquake | Cascadia | 8.9 | D | 2 |
| 684 Nov 29th | 684 Nankaido Earthquake | Nankaido | 8.4 | C | 2 |
| 620s | 620 Valdivia Paleo-Earthquake | Chile | 8.5 | D | 1 |
| 590s | 6th Century Cascadia Paleo-Earthquake | Cascadia | 8.3 | D | 2 |
| 526 May 29th | 526 Antioch Earthquake | Dead Sea Fault Zone | 7.3 | C | 2 |
| 450s | 4th Century Cascadia Paleo-Earthquake | Cascadia | 8.8 | D | 2 |
| 447 Jan 26th | 447 Marmara Earthquake | Marmara Sea | 8 | C | 1 |
| 365 Sep 21st | 365 Crete Earthquake | Hellenic Arc | 8.4 | B | 5 |
| 190s | 2nd Century Cascadia Paleo-Earthquake | Cascadia | 8.4 | D | 2 |
*Quality of evidence indicates how well the event has been described in literature and scientific records.