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Chile (1) -- News -- 2010
Destructive earthquake in Maule Region
27.02.2010
On February 27, 2010, at 03:34 local time (06:34 UTC), an earthquake occurred off the coast of the Maule Region of Chile
rating a magnitude of 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale and lasting 90 seconds.
It was strongly perceived in six Chilean regions (from Valparaiso in the north to Araucania in the south), that together make up 80% of the country's population.
The cities experiencing the strongest shaking—VIII (Destructive) on the Mercalli intensity scale—were Arauco and Coronel, Chile.
The earthquake was felt in the capital Santiago at Mercalli intensity scale VII (Very Strong).
Tremors were felt in many Argentine cities, including Buenos Aires, Cordoba, Mendoza and La Rioja.
Tremors were felt as far north as the city of Ica in southern Peru (approx. 2400 km).
The earthquake triggered a tsunami which devastated several coastal towns in south-central Chile and damaged the port at Talcahuano.
Tsunami warnings were issued in 53 countries, causing minor damage in the San Diego area of California and in the Tohoku region of Japan,
where damage to the fisheries business was estimated at USD$66.7 million.
The earthquake also generated a blackout that affected 93% of the country's population and which went on for several days in some locations.
President Michelle Bachelet declared a "state of catastrophe" and sent military troops to take control of the most affected areas.
Chile (1) -- Analyses -- 2010
More about the earthquake
07.04.2010
Seismologists estimate that the earthquake was so powerful that it may have shortened the length of the day by 1.26 microseconds and moved the Earth's
figure axis by 8 cm or 2.7 milliarcseconds. Precise GPS measurement indicated the telluric movement moved the entire city of Concepcion 3.04 metres
to the west. The capital Santiago, experienced a displacement of almost 24 centimetres west, and even Buenos Aires, about 1,350 kilometres from Concepcion,
shifted 3.9 centimetres.
The epicenter of the earthquake was offshore from the Maule Region, approximately 11 km southwest of Curanipe and 100 km north-northeast of Chile's second
largest city, Concepcion. The earthquake also caused seiches to occur in Lake Pontchartrain to the north of New Orleans, United States, located nearly 7,500 kilometres
from the epicenter of the quake.
The were 486 victims
The loss for the insurers due to the earthquake is estimated between 3 and 5 billion euro.
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