As a geophysicist with a focus on seismology, I can provide you with information on the largest earthquake ever recorded. The largest earthquake with an instrumentally documented magnitude was the Great Chilean Earthquake of May 22, 1960. This seismic event occurred near Valdivia, in southern Chile, and was measured to have a magnitude of 9.5 on the Richter scale by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). It is also known as the "1960 Valdivia Earthquake." The earthquake caused significant damage and triggered tsunamis that affected not only Chile but also other countries around the Pacific Ocean. read more >>

The world's largest earthquake with an instrumentally documented magnitude occurred on May 22, 1960 near Valdivia, in southern Chile. It was assigned a magnitude of 9.5 by the United States Geological Survey. It is referred to as the "Great Chilean Earthquake" and the "1960 Valdivia Earthquake."read more >>