Chile Earthquake Of 1960 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Chile Earthquake Of 1960 - Research Paper Example The resulting tsunami affected Southern Chile, Japan, Hawaii, southeast Australia, the Philippines, the Aleutian Islands and eastern New Zealand (U.S. Geological Survey 4). The earthquake struck at 7.11 PM around 160 kilometers off the Chile’s coast and paralleled to Valdivia city. It agrees that, the shock had up to 9.5 magnitudes, though some researchers say that it may have been 9.6 or 9.4. The previous day, a series of foreshocks warned for incipient disaster. The major demolition in Concepcion was; as a result of magnitude 7.9. The source of fault-displacement of the earthquake covered over approximately 560-520miles (900-1,000km) area of Nazca Plate subducted underneath South American Plate. The epicenter was around 570 kilometers near Lumaco, south of Santiago, making Valdivia the most affected city. The immensity of the shifts of the seafloor that influenced the tsunamis big. Such that, nearly 15 hours later, the waves that arrived in the islands of Hawaiian, that is 6,200miles away, crested about 35feet at landfall in particular places (Thompson, 34). Most of the Chilean cities, including Puerto Montt, a noticeable subsidence happened. In Valdivia, almost half of the buildings were declared uninhabitable due to great damage they sustained. Even though the havoc caused by the shaking was not minor, most casualties resulted from 15 minutes later descent that rose up to 25 meters (80 feet) high on the Chilean coastline expanse. Puerto Aisen and Lebu cities bound it. The cities are also parallel to the subducting plate. The number of casualties and monetary losses that rose from the widespread disaster is not accurate.