Biggest earthquakes Biggest earthquakes The recent earthquake and aftershocks in Japan have once again thrust the destructive power of these natural disasters into the headlines. The following quakes have captured the attention of the world and remind us that Mother Nature is a powerful force. Japan A 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit near the northeastern coast of Japan on March 11, 2011, which triggered a destructive tsunami causing warnings to be issued throughout the Pacific region. The death toll continues to climb, and the Japanese government has estimated a steep national damage price tag Maule, Chile On Feb. 27, 2010, an earthquake measuring 8.8 magnitude shook Maule, Chile The tremors lasted about three minutes. The number of deaths was originally overestimated.How much damage did it cause? Haiti An earthquake measuring 7.0 magnitude claimed the lives of 222,570 people in Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010. Worldwide relief efforts were launched to aid the 300,000 injured a...