Cumulative Seismic Moment Worldwide

Tracking global seismic energy release from 1900 to present

Understanding Seismic Moment

Seismic moment (M₀) is a measure of the total energy released by an earthquake. It's calculated as:

M₀ = μ × A × D

Where μ is the shear modulus, A is the fault area, and D is the average displacement.

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Total Moment (N·m)
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Largest Contributor

Major Seismic Events

The largest earthquakes dominate the cumulative seismic moment:

  • 1960 Chile (Mw 9.5) - Largest recorded earthquake
  • 2004 Sumatra (Mw 9.1) - Indian Ocean tsunami
  • 2011 Tōhoku (Mw 9.1) - Japan earthquake and tsunami
  • 1964 Alaska (Mw 9.2) - Great Alaska earthquake

These mega-earthquakes can release more energy than thousands of smaller earthquakes combined.