Earthquake off Russia coast sixth biggest in recorded history

The colossal magnitude 8.8 earthquake off Russia's coast early Wednesday is set to be one of the largest ever recorded if its magnitude is not revised down by scientists studying the data.

The quake is tied for the sixth-largest on record, according to the US Geological Survey. It is the most powerful since the 2011 earthquake off Japan's east coast, which triggered the Fukushima tsunami and nuclear disaster.

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That quake, which had a magnitude of 9.1, was about 2.8 times stronger than Wednesday's. It killed more than 15,000 people and displaced 130,000 more, and created a tsunami 50 feet tall that rushed inland for miles with the speed of a locomotive, swallowing everything in its path and flooding more than 200 miles of shoreline.

For each whole-number increase in magnitude, the seismic energy released by a quake increases by about 31.6 times, according to the US Geological Survey. This means that a magnitude 8.8 earthquake produces about 31.6 times more energy than a magnitude 7.8 quake.

The strongest earthquake ever recorded, according to the US Geological Survey, was the magnitude 9.5 quake off the coast of Chile in 1960. It killed 1,655 people and displaced 2 million more.

The US Geological Survey estimated that Wednesday's quake would result in tens of billions of dollars in economic damage for Russia. "Extensive damage is probable and the disaster is likely widespread," the agency said, adding, "Past events with this alert level have required a national or international level response."

Here are the five strongest earthquakes on record, according to the US Geological Survey:

-- Valdivia, Chile, 1960, magnitude 9.5

-- Alaska, United States, 1964, magnitude 9.2

-- Sumatra, Indonesia, 2004, magnitude 9.1

-- Tohoku, Japan, 2011, magnitude 9.1

-- Kamchatka, Russia, 1952, magnitude 9.0