Download 2010 Chile earthquake

2010 Chile earthquake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article documents a recent major earthquake. Information regarding it
may change rapidly as it progresses. Although this article is updated frequently,
it may not reflect the most current or official information about this earthquake
for all areas.
Wikinews has related news: 8.8 magnitude earthquake hits Chile; tsunami
warnings issued throughout Pacific rim
2010 Chile earthquake
Date
03:34:14, 27 February 2010 (UTC-3)
06:34:14, 27 February 2010 (UTC)
Magnitude
Depth
Epicenter
location
8.8 Mw
35 kilometres (22 mi)
35°50′46″S 72°43′08″W35.846°S
72.719°WCoordinates:
35°50′46″S
72°43′08″W35.846°S 72.719°W
Countries or
regions
Chile, Maule Region, Biobío Region
affected
Max. intensity MM VIII[1]
Tsunami
Casualties
Widespread warnings for most of the
Pacific coasts.[2]
708 fatalities[3]
The 2010 Chile earthquake occurred off the coast of the Maule Region of Chile[4] on
February 27, 2010, at 03:34 local time (06:34 UTC), rating a magnitude of 8.8 on the
moment magnitude scale and lasting for about three minutes.[5][6] The cities experiencing
the strongest shaking—VIII (Destructive) on the Mercalli intensity scale—were
Talcahuano, Arauco, Lota, Chiguayante, Cañete, and San Antonio.[1] The earthquake was
felt in the capital Santiago at Mercalli intensity scale VII (Very Strong).[7] Tremors were
felt in many Argentine cities, including Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza and La
Rioja.[8][9] Tremors were felt as far north as the city of Ica in southern Peru.[10] Tsunami
warnings were issued in 53 countries,[7] and a tsunami was recorded, with amplitude of
up to 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) high, in the sea at Valparaíso, Chile. President Michelle Bachelet
declared a "state of catastrophe". She also confirmed the deaths of at least 708 people.[11]
Many more have been reported missing.[12][13][14]
The epicenter of the earthquake was offshore from the Maule Region, approximately
8 km (5.0 miles) west of Curanipe and 115 km (71 mi) north-northeast of Chile's second
largest city, Concepción.[15][16] The earthquake also caused seiches to occur in Lake
Pontchartrain to the north of New Orleans, United States, located nearly 4,700 miles
(7,600 km) from the epicenter of the quake.[17]

Geology
The Nazca Plate is subducting under the South American Plate. This movement causes
seismicity and volcanism throughout Chile.
Main articles: Nazca Plate and Geology of Chile
The earthquake occurred along the boundary between the Nazca Plate and the South
American Plate. At the location of this earthquake, the plates converge at 80 mm/year (~3
in/year). The earthquake is characterized by a thrust-faulting focal mechanism, caused by
the subduction of the Nazca plate beneath the South American plate.[15]
The coastal part of Chile has a history of great megathrust earthquakes originating from
this plate boundary, such as the 1960 Valdivia earthquake. More recently, this plate
boundary ruptured at the 2007 Antofagasta earthquake.
The segment of the fault zone that ruptured in this earthquake was estimated to be
249 km (155 mi) long, and immediately to the north of the 373 km (232 mi) segment that
ruptured in the 1960 earthquake.[18]
Aftershocks
An aftershock of 6.2 was recorded 20 minutes after the initial quake.[19][20] Two more
aftershocks of magnitudes 5.4 and 5.6 followed.[20] The USGS said that "a large vigorous
aftershock sequence can be expected from this earthquake".[15] By 00:00 am UTC March
1, more than one hundred aftershocks were registered, including eight above magnitude
6.0.[21]
A 6.9-magnitude offshore earthquake struck approximately 185 miles southwest of, and
less than 90 minutes after, the initial shock; however, it is not clear if that quake is related
as of February 27, 2010.[22] A separate earthquake of magnitude 6.3 occurred in Salta,
Argentina, at 3:45 pm UTC on February 27, at a depth of 38.2 km (23.7 mi).[23] Minor
quakes generated by the main one could be felt as far away as São Paulo, Brazil,[24]
located about 3,000 km (1,900 mi) away from Concepción. Two were injured and one
died in Salta, Argentina [25].
Damage and casualties
According to an Associated Press Television News cameraman, some buildings have
collapsed in Santiago and there are power outages in parts of the city.[26] A fire was
reported in a chemical plant in an outskirt of Santiago and caused the evacuation of the
neighborhood.[19] Santiago's International Airport seems to have been damaged and the
airport authority has closed off all flight operations for the next 24 hours from around
12:00 UTC.[4] As of Sunday, Feb. 28th, the Santiago airport has reopened to incoming
international flights, and flights of the national carrier Lan Airlines will land Sunday.[27]
Santiago's national Fine Arts Museum was badly damaged. An apartment building's twostory parking lot collapsed, smashing about 50 cars. According to one health official,
three hospitals in Santiago collapsed, and a dozen more south of the capital also suffered
significant damage.[28] In Talca, 167 miles south of Santiago, all but two of the local
hospital’s thirteen wings were in ruins. Dr. Claudio Martinez was quoted as saying,
“We’re only keeping the people in danger of dying.” Hospital staff attempted to transport
some patients to Santiago Sunday morning, but roads were blocked.[29] At least 500,000
homes are estimated to be damaged.[30]
Many cities in Maule region were seriously affected by the earthquake. Curanipe, only 8
km from the epicenter, was hit by tsunami after the earthquake and still remained isolated
from outside as of February 28.[31] A surfer described the tsunami "...was like the one in
Thailand, a sudden rise of water. One could not estimate the dimension of the wave,
because it was advancing foam. There were 10 to 15 rises, the last one being at 08:30 in
the morning."[32] In Talca, the capital of Maule region, many dead were trapped in the
rubble. The administrative building was uninhabitable, and the authorities had to be set
up in the parade ground.[33]
Damaged buildings and fires were reported in Concepción.[34] Rescue teams had
difficulty accessing Concepción because of the damaged infrastructure.[19] A fourteenstorey residential building collapsed, reduced to a height equivalent to about three
storeys, trapping about a hundred people; only about six months had passed since the
turnover of the building, so half of the apartments were unoccupied.[35] A 2.34 m tsunami
wave hit Talcahuano, a port city and part of the Concepción conurbation. The tsunami
caused serious damage to port facilities and lifted boats out of the water.[36]
Dilapidated buildings could be seen on the streets of Temuco, about 400 km from the
epicenter. The adobe of some buildings fell. Two people were reported dead because of
not having been able to escape from a discothèque. On February 27, it was reported that
"to find a store open is almost impossible" ("Encontrar un negocio abierto es casi
imposible").[37]
About 24 hours after the quake more than 300 confirmed deaths had been reported and
the toll is rising.[38]
The Chilean National Emergency Office (Oficina Nacional de Emergencia) estimated
that the intensity of the earthquake was 9 on the Mercalli scale in the Biobío Region and
8 in Santiago.[19][39] USGS put the intensity in Talcahuano at MM VIII, in Santiago and
Concepcion at MM VII and in Valparaiso at MM VI.[1]
Slight damage to
Structural damage buildings in Santiago
USGS shake
caused by the
de Chile on the
map of the
earthquake.
morning after the
earthquake.
earthquake.
The death regonal toll in the
2010 Chile earthquake by
14.35 and 15.35 on February
the 27th, 03.23 on February
the 28th and the aparently
final death toll of 05.00 on
March the 1st.
Humanitarian response
Main article: Humanitarian response to the 2010 Chile earthquake
Despite Chilean president Michelle Bachelet's earlier statement that Chile did not need
international aid,[40] leaders of many countries and intergovernmental organizations,
including the United Nations and European Union, responded to the earthquake and sent
messages of condolence to the government and people of Chile over the loss of lives and
property. Argentina, the United States, United Kingdom, People's Republic of China,
Singapore, Haiti, and Pakistan were among the countries that responded earliest
following the quake.[41][42] Appeals for humanitarian aid were issued by the UK-based
Oxfam, Save the Children and others.
Conditions in the aftermath
Initial chaos and disorder
Nearly half the regions in the country were declared Catastrophe Zones and curfew was
ordered in some areas as there has been looting and public disorder.[43] One day after the
earthquake, on February 28, 2010, some affected cities were in a state of chaos and
massive raids took place in supermarkets in Concepción. The items stolen included not
only food and other items of living necessity, but also electronic materials and other nonedible merchandise. In order to control these acts of vandalism, a special force (GOPE) of
Carabineros was sent to disperse revolters with tear gas bombs and water cannons.[44]
Government response
Four hours after the earthquake, when the death count was still low, Chilean president
Michelle Bachelet provided a press conference in which she informed the population of
the situation and stated that Chile did not yet need international aid.[40] However, about 2
million people have been affected by the quake with more than 500,000 houses
completely damaged. In many cities people have been sleeping in tents in parks or merely
on streets because of fear for aftershocks. The government is also set to begin distributing
food and other vital aid around the country.[45]
On February 28, President Bachelet has stated that her government has reached an
agreement with the country’s major supermarkets that would allow them to give away
basic foodstuffs in stock to those affected by the earthquake.[46] As of February 28,
Santiago's subway service is already partially available and it is supposed to be fully
operative on March 1.[47]
Tsunami
Wikinews has related news: Pacific Rim braces for tsunami following major
Chilean earthquake
A tsunami warning was first declared for Chile and Peru,[48] and a tsunami watch for
Ecuador, Colombia, Antarctica, Panama and Costa Rica.[49][50] The warning was later
extended to a Pacific Ocean-wide warning, covering all coastal areas on the Pacific
Ocean except the west coast of the United States, British Columbia, and Alaska.[51]
Hawaiian media reported that tsunami warning sirens sounded at 6 am local time.[52] The
U.S. Tsunami Warning Center issued advisories about potential tidal waves of less than
1 m (3 ft 3 in) striking the Pacific Ocean coastline between California and most of Alaska
late in the afternoon or through the evening 12 or more hours after the initial
earthquake.[53]
The tsunami warning was cancelled for all countries except Japan and Russia in PTWC
Bulletin 18 of 00:12 UTC on 28 February 2010.[54]
In general, tsunamis tend to come in several waves, of which the first may not be the
highest.[55][56]
The tsunami's passage as recorded by National Data Buoy Center Deep-ocean
Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) buoy 34142, located in the southeastern
Pacific Ocean 630 nautical miles (1170 km) southwest of Lima, Peru.
A tsunami amplitude of up to 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) high was recorded in the sea at Valparaíso,
Chile.[19][57][58] A wave amplitude of 2.34 m (7.68 ft) was recorded at Talcahuano in the
Biobío Region.[2] Robinson Crusoe Island, the largest of the Juan Fernández Islands, was
struck by a large wave led to the deaths of four people on the island, with eleven people
reported as missing, according to Provincial Governor Ivan De La Maza. Chilean
president Michelle Bachelet is reported to have sent an aid mission to the remote
island.[59][60]
As a precaution against the coming tsunami, partial evacuation was ordered in Easter
Island, about 3,510 km away from the coast of Chile. The tsunami wave arrived in Easter
Island at 12:05 UTC, measuring 0.35 m.[61][62]
The U.S. National Weather Service's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a tsunami
warning throughout a huge swathe of the Pacific region, including Antarctica.[63] In the
Americas, the warning extends to Chile (including Easter Island), Colombia, Costa Rica,
Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Panama.[63] A warning was also issued for
the Oceania and Pacific Islands nations and territories of American Samoa, Australia, the
Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia (including the FSM states of Chuuk,
Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap), Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Hawaii, Jarvis Island, Johnston
Island, the Kermadec Islands, Kiribati, Marcus Island, the Marshall Islands, Midway
Island, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau, Papua
New Guinea, Pitcairn Islands, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvalu,
Wallis and Futuna and Wake Island.[63] Tsunami warnings are also in effect as far away
as East and Southeast Asia including Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Russia and
Taiwan.[63]
Coastal areas of Canada's westernmost province British Columbia were under a tsunami
advisory.[64] No large wave was expected to strike British Columbia, but strong local
ocean currents combined with a wave put low-lying coastal regions at risk of flooding.[64]
The first wave was expected to reach southern British Columbia at 3:11 p.m. local
time.[64] Residents were advised to avoid beaches, harbours and marinas.[65]
A tsunami advisory was also issued for coastal areas of California, Oregon, Washington
and southern Alaska in the United States.[66] This tsunami advisory was canceled as of
7:13 AM UTD on February 28.[67]
Russian authorities lifted a tsunami alert for the Kamchatka coast, after the arrival of a
0.8 meter surge that caused no damage.[68] The tsunami was also reported to be small
along the Japanese coast passed without incident. Many coastal areas in Japan had been
evacuated as a precaution.[69]
Oceania
New Zealand
Initially, the New Zealand Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management
(CDEM) said they did not expect a tsunami to reach New Zealand,[70] but later issued a
warning stating that waves of up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) high were likely for the eastern[71] and
later the entire New Zealand coast.[72] By 7:55 pm UTC (8:40 am local), Civil Defence
reported wave activity of 50 cm (1.6 ft) in the Chatham Islands,[73] and 2 m (6 ft 7 in)
surges were reported there later in the morning.[74] A surge 2.2 m (7 ft 3 in) high hit the
South Island's Banks Peninsula,[72][75] while surges up to 1 m (3 ft 3 in) high were
reported in the northern North Island.[76] By mid afternoon (local time), Civil Defence
had downgraded the tsunami warning to an alert, while still advising that sea levels could
change quickly for up to 24 hours from the initial surge.[77]
Australia
The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Center (JATWC) sent out tsunami warnings for
New South Wales, Queensland, Lord Howe Island, Norfolk Island, Tasmania, and
Victoria. The organization warned of the possibility of dangerous waves, strong ocean
currents and foreshore flooding to occur on the east coast of Australia for several hours
on Sunday.[78] As a result of the warnings, patrolled beaches in New South Wales and
Queensland remained closed (red flags) and lifeguards ushered people to leave the water.
However beach goers and surfers have ignored the warnings. Numerous onlookers have
also crowded parts of the shore to view potential effects of the tsunami.[79] The beach ban
was lifted by the end of the day and there was no reports of damage, flooding or other
emergencies. Tsunami waves of between 10 cm and 50 cm were recorded and their
surges were believed to have created strong currents. Increases in sea levels include:
Norfolk Island 50 cm, Gold Coast (Qld) 20 cm, Port Kembla (NSW) 14 cm, Southport
(Tas) 17 cm.[79]
French Polynesia
A wave measuring up to 6 ft (1.8 m) high struck portions of French Polynesia between
3:50 pm to 5:50 pm UTC (6:50 am to 6:50 am local), with no reports of injuries as of
February 28, 2010.[80] A wave 4 meters high is reported to have struck Hiva Oa in the
Marquesas Islands.[81] The first waves were expected to hit the main island of Tahiti at
approximately 4:50 pm UTC (7:50 am local).[82] Cars and other automobiles were banned
from roads closer than 500 m (1,600 ft) from the Pacific Ocean.[82]
Réseau France Outre-mer in Papeete reported that a wave measuring less than 1 m
(3 ft 3 in) passed east of the Gambier Islands with no damage, according to Monique
Richeton, the mayor of Rikitea.[80][82] Residents of the Tuamotus, which are low-lying,
were told to move to the highest points on the island.[82]
American Samoa
The first wave was expected to reach American Samoa, which is still recovering from the
2009 Samoa earthquake and tsunami, at 8:51 local time.[82] Lieutenant Governor Ipulasi
Aitofele Sunia urged residents not to rush to A'oloau, a high elevation area on Tutuila, as
it could cause traffic jams, putting safety at risk.[82] Many coastal towns, including the
main city of Pago Pago, had already been heavily damaged in the 2009 tsunami. The first
wave arrived on Pago Plaza at 21:58 UTC.
Philippines
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) issued an advisory
that tsunami wave(s) were expected to hit the eastern coast of the Philippines on Sunday
between 5:00 am and 6:30 am UTC (1:00 pm and 2:30 pm local). Residents of 19 eastern
provinces "are advised to prepare for possible evacuation."[83] However, at 3:15 PM on
February 28, 2010, all warnings have been cancelled.[84]
Hawaii
United States Senators Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka issued a joint press release
announcing the first tsunami evacuation in Hawaii since 1994.[85][86] Warning sirens were
sounded throughout the state, as hotels in Waikiki evacuated tourists at 6 a.m. People in
tall buildings were encouraged to move above the third floor. Waves measuring nine feet
high were originally predicted to strike Hilo Bay on the Big Island of Hawai'i at
11:05 a.m. local time (2105 GMT),[87] but by 11:18 a.m., major receding and waves had
not been reported on the shoreline but drops over 10 m (33 ft) and ten wave crests up to
20 m (66 ft) were recorded offshore southeast of Honolulu, and discoloration was
reported by 11:20 a.m. By 11:40, several waves hit the islands amounting to raising and
lowering of the sea near the coast, and a fourth wave hit around 1:12 p.m. The tsunami
warning for Hawaii was canceled in the early afternoon on Saturday, February 27.
Gerard Fryer, a geophysicist for the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center was quoted as
saying: “We expected the waves to be bigger in Hawaii, maybe about 50 percent bigger
than they actually were." [88] Early in the morning, the Center expected waves of 10 feet.
In actuality, the highest tsunami waves ended up being about 5 to 6 feet peak to
trough.[89]
North America
California
Small waves were expected in California, and receding was reported at Long Beach,
California. Minor damage was reported on some coastal areas. The tsunami damaged
navigation buoys at Ventura, California.[90] Additionally, a boat was torn loose from its
mooring and minor erosion occurred within Ventura Harbor. Damage to docks and
pilings in the area was moderate.[91]
British Columbia
At around 11:00 pm UTC (3:00 pm local), a tsunami warning was issued for coastal
British Columbia. Extra precautions were already in place due to the 2010 Winter
Olympic Games being held in Vancouver at the time.[92]
Question of whether tsunamis were overestimated
The projections use DART (Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis) gauges
spread along the sea floor, which is a fairly new technology. Initial deep sea readings
showed wave height of 25 centimeters, which is huge for deep water according to Gerard
Fryer of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. He went on to say, “although it was huge,
we didn't quite know what it meant because we haven't much experience with those. As
we get more under our belts, we'll get better."[89]
Data
The following data, published by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and the West
Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center, lists measured and reported values of the
tsunami when it arrived at specific places.
Station
Tsunami arrival data[2][93][94]
Country or
Latitude Longitude
territory
Talcahuano
Chile
36.7 S
73.4 W
Valparaiso
Corral
San Felix
Caldera
Ancud
Coquimbo
Iquique
DART Lima
Antofagasta
Arica
Callao
Easter Island
Chile
Chile
Chile
Chile
Chile
Chile
Chile
33 S
39.9 S
26.3 S
27.1 S
41.9 S
30 S
20.2 S
18 S
23.2 S
18.5 S
12.1 S
27.2 S
71.6 W
73.4 W
80.1 W
70.8 W
73.8 W
71.3 W
70.1 W
86.4 W
70.4 W
70.3 W
77.2 W
109.5 W
Quepos
Galapagos Islands
DART Marquesas
Islands
Rikitea
Height Height
(m)
(ft)
2.34
7.7
1.29
0.90
0.53
0.45
0.62
1.32
0.28
0.24
0.49
0.94
0.36
0.35
4.2
2.9
1.7
1.5
2.0
4.3
0.9
0.8
1.6
3.1
1.2
1.1
14:16
0.24
0.8
90.3 W
14:52
0.35
1.2
8.5 S
125 W
15:31
0.18
0.6
23.1 S
134.9 W
15:59
0.15
0.5
Chile
Chile
Peru
Chile
Costa
Rica
Ecuador 0.4 S
French
Time
(UTC)
06:53 27
Feb
07:08
07:39
08:15
08:34
08:38
08:52
09:07
09:41
09:41
10:08
10:29
12:05
Polynesia
DART Manzanillo
Manzanillo
Hiva Oa
Nuku Hiva
Papeete
Cabo San Lucas
Rarotonga
Acapulco
DART San Diego
Lottin Point
DART Tonga
Apia
Nukualofa
Pago Pago
Monterey,
California
San Diego,
California
San Francisco,
California
Hilo, Hawaii
Kuamalapau,
Hawaii
Kahului, Hawaii
Santa Barbara,
California
Barber's Point,
Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Kawaihae, Hawaii
16.0 N
Mexico 19.1 N
French
9.8 N
Polynesia
French
8.9 S
Polynesia
French
17.5 N
Polynesia
Mexico 22.9 N
Cook
21.2 S
Islands
Mexico 16.8 N
32.2 N
New
37.6 S
Zealand
23 S
Samoa 13.8 S
Tonga 21.1 S
107 W
104.3 W
16:11
17:05
0.07
0.32
0.2
1.0
139.0 W
17:41
1.79
5.9
140.1 W
17:45
0.95
3.1
149.6 W
18:10
0.16
0.5
109.9 W
18:33
0.36
1.2
159.8 W
19:07
0.15
0.5
99.9 W
120.7 W
19:31
19:31
0.62
0.06
2.0
0.2
178.2 E
19:34
0.15
0.5
168.1 W
171.8 W
175.2 W
20:03
20:18
20:24
0.04
0.13
0.1
0.1
0.4
0.3
American
Samoa
United
States
United
States
United
States
United
States
United
States
United
States
United
States
United
States
United
States
United
14.3 S
170.7 W
20:27
0.22
0.7
36.6 N
121.9 W
20:31
0.28
1.1
32.7 N
117.2 W
20:36
0.13
0.4
37.8 N
122.5 W
21:20
0.26
0.8
19.7 N
154.9 W
21:20
0.86
2.8
20.8 N
156.9 W
21:36
0.18
0.6
20.9 N
156.5 W
21:47
0.98
3.2
34.4 N
119.7 W
21:50
0.53
1.7
21.3 N
158.1 W
21:57
0.12
0.4
21.3 N
150.4 W
22:00
0.25
0.8
20 N
155.5 W
22:11
0.52
1.7
States
Crescent City,
United
California
States
Vanuatu
Vanuatu
United
Johnston Atoll
States
United
Nawiliwili, Hawaii
States
United
Sitka, Alaska
States
Guam
Guam
[95]
Minamitorishima
Japan
DART Saipan
41.7 N
124.2 W
22:13
0.37
1.2
17.8 S
168.3 E
22:46
0.15
0.5
16.7 N
169.5 W
22:48
0.22
0.7
22 N
159.4 W
23:23
0.37
1.2
57.1 N
135.3 W
0.08
0.3
13.4 N
24.1N
19.1 N
144.7 E
153.5E
155.8 E
0.16
0.1
0.08
0.5
0.3
0.3
Tsunami ETA NOAA (hour
0=06:34 UTC Feb 27)
The energy model map of the
tsunami.
00:11 28
Feb
03:07
03:43
03:55
Countries with coastal areas at
risk (in pink).
Compared to past earthquakes
This was the strongest earthquake affecting Chile since the magnitude 9.5 1960 Valdivia
earthquake (the most energetic earthquake ever recorded worldwide), and is the strongest
earthquake worldwide since the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake.[96] It is the seventh
strongest earthquake ever recorded (the 1906 Ecuadorian earthquake is tied for seventh
with it), far more forceful than the 7.0 Mw earthquake in Haiti in January 2010.[97]