The surface energy of the seismic waves from the earthquake was calculated to be at joules , which is nearly double that of the 9.1 Mw 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami that killed 230,000 people . If harnessed , the seismic energy from this earthquake would power a city the size of Los Angeles for an entire year . The seismic moment ( M0 ) , which represents a physical size for the event , was calculated by the USGS at 3.9 × 1022 joules , slightly less than the 2004 Indian Ocean quake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami