WebProNews

Tag: chile earthquake

  • Chile Earthquake: Bigger One May be Coming

    Chile Earthquake: Bigger One May be Coming

    The 8.2-magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of northern Chile Tuesday evening was big — leaving at least six dead in its wake — and yet, scientists predict another bigger earthquake may be looming.

    “This magnitude, 8.2, is not the large earthquake that we were expecting in this area,” said Mark Simons, a geophysicist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

    “We’re expecting a potentially even larger earthquake,” he said. “It could be tomorrow. Or it could come in 50 years. We do not know when it’s going to occur.”

    “The big question is, is this a foreshock to an even bigger earthquake to come?” said Rick Allmendinger, a geologist who specializes in earthquake analysis at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and a visiting professor at the Universidad Católica del Norte in Antofagasta, Chile.

    “It probably has not released all of the stored-up energy on the subduction earthquake fault in northern Chile,” he said. “For the sake of all of our friends in the region, we’re hoping that there isn’t a bigger one still to come.”

    The quake struck around 8:46 p.m. local time and had a depth of 12.5 miles. Of the six known fatalities, four were blamed on heart attacks occurring during the quake. Two other victims were apparently crushed.

    Nearly 928,000 people were evacuated, said the director of Chile’s office of national emergency, Ricardo Toro.

    The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued several warnings but canceled them by early Wednesday. Tsunami watches that initially extended as far north as Mexico’s Pacific Coast were also canceled.

    An 8.2-magnitude earthquake is capable of causing tremendous damage, however the damage has been reported as minimal.

    Officials say lives were saved because of the steps the Chile has taken in recent years to protect its people and structures in the event of an earthquake.

    Image via YouTube

  • Powerful Chile Earthquake “Not The Big One”

    An enormous 8.2-magnitude earthquake struck Chile on Tuesday evening, creating landslides and cutting off power to thousands, with a possible tsunami to follow.

    The earthquake was so powerful it was felt 300 miles away from its center in Bolivia’s capital, CBS News’ Vicente Arenas reports.

    The quake hit at 8:46 pm, local time, and was located about 60 miles northwest of the town of Iquique.

    There were five deaths directly related to the quake, four men and one woman – three were crushed, and two died from heart attacks, said Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo.

    Due to the threats of a tsunami, thousands were evacuated from low-lying areas, but most began to return home as the Chilean tsunami alerts were lifted.

    About 300 inmates escaped from a women’s prison in the city of Iquique, forcing the closure of the border with Peru, Penailillo said.

    Chile previously experienced an 8.8-magnitude earthquake on February 27, 2010, when nearly 500 people were killed, which had residents on edge.

    “Many people are fearful after experiencing the powerful earthquake in 2010, so they immediately fled for higher ground when they heard the tsunami warning,” said Fabrizio Guzman, World Vision emergency communications manager in Chile.

    “There have been multiple aftershocks and communications have been cut off in many of the affected areas. So people are waiting in the dark hills not knowing what is to come, and hoping they will be able to return to their homes safely.”

    The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued many tsunami warnings, but they were all canceled by early Wednesday.

    The town of Iquique, with a population of more than 200,000, did see 7-foot waves.

    “The fact is, we will know the extent of the damage as time goes by and when we inspect the areas in the light of day,” Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet said early Wednesday. “The country has faced these first emergency hours very well.”

    What is most frightening is that Caltech has warned this isn’t the big one expected in Chile.

    “This magnitude 8.2 is not the large earthquake that we were expecting in this area,” said Mark Simons, a geophysicist at Caltech in Pasadena, California. “We’re expecting a potentially even larger earthquake.”

    It is expected, but it could be tomorrow or in the distant future. “We do not know when it’s going to occur,” he said.

    Chile sits on an arc of volcanoes and fault lines circling the Pacific Ocean known as the “Ring of Fire.” This area sees frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, however, there is an area that hasn’t been active lately and is expected to release some steam in the near future, explained Simons.

    The area to the north and south of Tuesday’s quake “did not rupture in this event,” Simons said. And it’s “still an area that hasn’t ruptured in 140-odd years.”

    Given that it’s an area of frequent quakes, and frequent ruptures, it may only be a matter of time.

    “We expect another 8.8-8.9 earthquake here sometime in the future,” Simons said.

    The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center scrambled on Tuesday trying to determine the level of danger for the west coast so that early warnings could be issued, those areas possibly affected were: Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California, as well as Canada’s British Columbia.

    The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center’s spokesman Gerard Fryer told CNN there is “clearly not going to be any hazards to the coastline of North America.”

    The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did issue a tsunami warning for Hawaii, saying strong currents may pose a hazard to swimmers and boaters.

    Image via YouTube

  • Chile Earthquake Sparks Tsunami, Prison Break

    Chile suffered a major earthquake on Tuesday evening of about an 8.2 magnitude, which set off a tsunami and forced evacuations all along the coast.

    The quake struck 50 miles southwest of Cuya in northern Chile, in an area that is sparsely populated. Major damage was avoided, according to reports, as were casualties, but the event caused landslides and power outages that affected a women’s prison in Iquique, where 300 prisoners escaped. The military is reportedly sending out forces to help keep order and protect against looting and vandalism.

    The situation was being watched carefully on Tuesday night due to the possibility of aftershocks; Chilean Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo said President Michelle Bachelet was fully informed of everything that was going on with the jailbreak and was on task.

    “We have taken action to ensure public order in the case of Iquique, where we’ve had a massive escape of more than 300 female prisoners from the Iquique jail, so that the armed forces and police can coordinate and provide tranquility and security to the residents,” he said.

    Many who have already lost their homes are worried that the quake was simply a forerunner to something even bigger, and experts say there is a possibility of aftershocks.

    “The big question is – is this magnitude 8.1 earthquake the ‘big one’ that we have been expecting in northern Chile, or is this a foreshock to an even bigger earthquake to come?” said Cornell University structural geologist Rick Allmendinger. “As big as an 8.1 is, it probably has not released all of the stored up energy on the subduction earthquake fault in northern Chile. For the sake of all of our friends in the region, we’re hoping that there isn’t a bigger one still to come.”

    Image via Thinkstock

  • Chile Earthquake Causes Tsunami And Landslides

    A magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck off the coast of Chile on Tuesday and caused a large Tsunami and several landslides. Five people have died as a result of the earthquake, either from heart attacks or fallen walls. The landslides washed away homes and roads, making it hard for many people to evacuate the area or find help.

    No significant damage has been reported in coastal areas in Chile, but power outages have occurred in many areas near where the quake, tsunami and landslides occurred. A prison break also occurred around the time of the tsunami and over 300 women escaped from a nearby prison. Many of them have already been captured and searches are underway for the rest of them.

    The quake struck 61 miles northwest of the Chilean city of Iquique at 8:46 p.m. The first tsunami wave was reported by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center 45 minutes later. Coastal areas were evacuated as soon as the quake was reported.

    Chile is the world’s No. 1 copper producer and there are numerous mines in the area. Mine owners confirmed that no workers were injured as a result of the earthquake and that no mines were damaged.

    At least 10 strong aftershocks followed in the first quake, including a 6.2 tremor. Seismologists warn that aftershocks could continue for several hours and even days and that another massive earthquake could possibly occur as well.

    Chile is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries and is often hit by strong quakes. Tsunami alert centers have been successful in helping people evacuate dangerous areas in time and saving lives. In 2010, an 8.8-magnitude quake triggered a tsunami that caused massive damage to several coastal towns in central-south Chile and killed 526 people.

    Although some cleanup and repairs will be necessary, Chile is fortunate to have only suffered minor damage.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Chile Earthquake Rocks Country Sunday

    Chile Earthquake Rocks Country Sunday

    CNN tells us that a 6.7- magnitude earthquake hit Chile’s Pacific coast Sunday for their first earthquake of the year. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake was felt within 60 kilometers with a depth of 20 kilometers.

    Thankfully, there was only minor reported damage with no deaths; 100,000 people were directed to briefly evacuate coastal areas before the earthquake to prevent any major catastrophe if a consequential tsunami occurred.

    The earthquake was also followed by a brief 5.1 tremor along with three 4.9 quakes.

    The earthquake was initially reported as a 7.0 quake, which would have caused substantially more damage. So far, the only reported damage Chile has seen from the quake Sunday is some broken windows and two roadside rock falls. Chile’s precious copper mines were unscathed, and the mandatory evacuation was recalled close to three hours after the earthquake.

    Chile is known to be a country with a high risk for earthquakes. The country’s worst recorded earthquake killed more than 5,000 people in 1960, and registered a whopping 9.5. The volatile landscape has also recently seen its share of tragic earthquakes; an 8.8 earthquake that caused a massive tsunami killed more than 500 people and destroyed over 200,000 homes in 2010. The commercial damage from the quake was also traumatic to the country’s economy as coastal resorts and docks were dismembered and washed away by the strong waves.

    There are no reports of any upcoming earthquakes in the area in the near future. There are no specific times of the year for earthquakes to occur in any area, as the aforementioned earthquakes occurred in the months of May and October, respectively.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons