On 11 March 2011, Japan suffered the strongest earthquake in its history (and one of the strongest in world history), which was also its costliest earthquake, and indeed the costliest natural disaster in history. The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake measured 9.0 on the moment magnitude scale and produced a tsunami approximately 10 meters (33 feet) high. Despite the warning systems, thousands were killed by the quake and tsunami. Over 100,000 buildings were damaged with several towns essentially completely destroyed. Hundreds of aftershocks, including some over 7 MW, continued after the first earthquake. As a result of the Fukushima I nuclear accidents that followed the tsunami, attention has been drawn attention to ongoing concerns over Japanese nuclear seismic design standards. Copyright: National Geographic