Earthquakes occur several hundred times a day, every day, all over the globe. But most are only of a magnitude 2 or smaller, and rarely felt. It is only the notable earthquakes, usually of a magnitude 6 or higher, that become destructive to populated areas.
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Newsweek has plotted the biggest earthquakes that have occurred around the globe so far this year, of a magnitude 6 or higher.
This includes the two biggest earthquakes of the year, which occurred in Japan and Taiwan. Other earthquakes to hit with a magnitude 6 or higher so far this year occurred in the Philippines, Afghanistan, Tonga, Brazil, China, Vanuatu, Guatemala, Macquarie Island, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
The U.S. Geological Survey classes these earthquakes as "significant," which are decided by a combination of magnitude, how many people felt the tremor, and the pager alert levels triggered.
"The largest earthquakes this year were the magnitude 7.5 Jan 1 2024 Noto Peninsula event in Japan and the magnitude 7.4 Apr 2 2024 16 km S of Hualien City event in Taiwan," Jonathan Stewart of the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, told Newsweek.
"These are both notable events, but the number of global events thus far this year has not been unusually large or small," added Stewart, who is an expert in earthquake engineering.
The Noto Peninsula earthquake in Japan caused widespread destruction, most notably in nearby Suzu, Wajima, Noto and Anamizu. The 7.5 magnitude earthquake also caused damage to neighboring communities of Toyama and Niigata, and caused about 245 deaths.
Earthquakes in Japan are not rare, as it is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. It sits atop four tectonic plates that rub together almost constantly. Although most of them are not felt, there are 1,500 tremors in Japan ever year.
Huge ones like this, however, are not reported as often. The Noto Peninsula earthquake was notable not just because of its magnitude, but it caused the first major tsunami warning in the country since 2011.
The more recent Hualien earthquake struck 18 kilometers southwest of Hualien City in Taiwan, at a magnitude of 7.4. This was the strongest earthquake Taiwan has seen since 1999. At least 18 people died and more than 1,000 more were injured.
Stewart said that there are multiple research areas to focus on regarding earthquakes of this size.
"Understanding the hazard that earthquakes of this size produce in terms of the strength of the ground shaking and the factors that control it, and the amount of permanent ground deformations from faulting and secondary effects such as liquefaction and landslides," Stewart said. "Understanding how infrastructure responds to the extreme loading produced by such large events."
Assessing what policies can be put into place to promote the "rapid recovery" of affected communities is also key, Stewart said, as is mitigating the effects of future quakes.
Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about earthquakes? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Robyn White is a Newsweek Nature Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on wildlife, science and the ... Read more
