Island of hokkaido, Japan (1730)

When the earthquake of the Island Of Hokkaido, Japan (1730) 137,000 people died. The magnitude of the earthquake was 7.3. The main thing about this earthquake is that it occurred along a subduction zone- witch means that one of the earths surface plates goes under another- Unlike the San Andreas Fault in Southern California, where one plate slides along the other. Subduction Faults are prone to hold more energy then release it in a sharp vertical motion of one plate. One plate was pushed up 8 feet along an area of 93 miles long and 31 miles wide. This vertical motion of the seabed that the earthquake had made also caused a Tsunami.

Xi'an, China

In Jan. 23, 1556, a massive earthquake in Xi'an province in northern China, believed to be the deadliest earthquake ever recorded.

The Shaanxi earthquake's epicenter was actually in the Wei River Valley in the Shaanxi Province, near the cities of Huaxian, Weinan and Huayin. In Huaxian, every single building and home was demolished, killing more than half the residents of the city, with a death toll estimated in the tens of thousands. It was a similar situation in Weinan and Huayin. In some places, deep crevices opened in the earth. Destruction and death was everywhere, affecting places as far as away from the epicenter. The earthquake also triggered landslides, which contributed to the massive death toll.

http://www.cwanswers.com/8921/shaanxi_earthquake

Aleppo, Syria

This earthquake was among the deadliest ever recorded, that struck the Syrian city of Aleppo on Oct. 11, 1138. The city suffered extensive damage, and it is estimated that 230,000 people were killed. This earthquakes magnitude was 8.5 and was labeled the fourth worst earthquake in the world.

Delhi, India

This is a map of Delhi India. One of the biggest earthquakes happend here in 893 A.D. Approximately 180, 000 people were killed, the earthquake was rated an 8.4 on the Ricther Scale, and destroyed the capital city of India.