Great earthquakes , such as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake , are associated with megathrust events in subduction zones . Their seismic moments can account for a significant fraction of the global seismic moment across century-scale time periods . Of all the moment released by earthquakes in the 100 years from 1906 through 2005 , roughly one-eighth was due to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake . This quake , together with the Good Friday earthquake ( Alaska , 1964 ) and the Great Chilean earthquake ( 1960 ) , account for almost half of the total moment
Good Friday earthquake
1964 Alaska earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami