Chile is one of those countries that expects to experience large quakes. It's only four years since the 8.8 event at Maule much further to the south.
The drivers are the same. Chile runs the boundary between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates. These are vast slabs of the Earth's surface that grind past each other at a rate of about 80mm per year. The Nazca plate, which makes up the Pacific Ocean floor in this region, is being pulled down and under the South American coast. It makes the region one of the most seismically active on the globe.
This particular event occurred in what seismologists refer to as the Iquique seismic gap - a segment of the plate boundary that has been relatively quiet in recent times. The last big event here was the magnitude 8.8 tremor of 1877, just to the south, which claimed more than 2,000 lives.
Despite the strength of the quake, the region appears to have escaped significant damage
Two-metre-high waves hit Chile's coastline, but most tsunami alerts have now been lifted
President Michelle Bachelet arrives in the northern city of Iquique to see for herself the damage caused by Tuesday's earthquake
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet has praised the "calm behaviour" of residents following an 8.2-magnitude earthquake on Tuesday evening.
Nearly a million people were evacuated across the country after the authorities issued a tsunami warning.
"I think you have shown us all a tremendous example," said Ms Bachelet during a visit to the worst affected areas in northern Chile.
Six people have been reported dead and more than 2,600 houses were damaged.
Ms Bachelet declared two northern provinces - Arica and Parinacota, and Tarapaca - disaster areas.
The quake struck at 20:46 local time (23:46 GMT) about 86km (52 miles) north-west of the city of Iquique, a mining area,"We are here to recognise the calm behaviour of the people of Iquique, who showed great civic responsibility, as did those of Arica," said Ms Bachelet.
Fires destroyed some businesses in the area and fishermen found their boats sunken and damaged in Iquique harbour.
"The government is here to support you. I believe you've shown a great example," she said in the city of Arica.
Ms Bachelet called on residents to "work together now" to repair the damage caused by the quake.
Thousands of people slept in the open, but most of them have now returned home.
Although waves of up to 2.1m (about 6ft) hit some areas, most tsunami warnings had been lifted by daylight on Wednesday.
Dozens of aftershocks - including a 6.2-magnitude tremor - have continued since the quake.
Some 40,000 people in Tarapaca remain without power, said Ricardo Toro of Chile's National Emergency Office (Onemi).
No comments:
Post a Comment