Since 1900 , the only earthquakes recorded with a greater magnitude were the 1960 Great Chilean earthquake ( Magnitude 9.5 ) and the 1964 Good Friday earthquake in Prince William Sound ( Magnitude 9.2 ) . The only other recorded earthquakes of magnitude 9.0 or greater were off Kamchatka , Russia , on 4 November 1952 ( magnitude 9.0 ) and Tōhoku , Japan ( magnitude 9.1 ) in March 2011 . Each of these megathrust earthquakes also spawned tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean . However , in comparison to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake , the death toll from these earthquakes was significantly lower , primarily because of the lower population density along the coasts near affected areas , the much greater distances to more populated coasts , and the superior infrastructure and warning systems in MEDCs ( More Economically Developed Countries ) such as Japan
Great Chilean earthquake
1960 Valdivia earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami