Ian
priscilla 1Earthquake in Chile
March 23rd 2010 01:42
A resident observes the San Francisco de Curico church after it was damaged in a major earthquake in Curico, Chile on March 1, 2010.
The 2010 Chilean earthquake occurred off the coast of the Maule Region of Chile on February 27, 2010, at 03:34 local time, rating a magnitude of 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale and lasting about three minutes. An aftershock of 6.2 was recorded 20 minutes after the initial quake. Two more aftershocks of magnitudes 5.4 and 5.6 followed within an hour of the initial quake. By March 6, more than one hundred thirty aftershocks had been registered, including thirteen above magnitude 6.0. The cities experiencing the strongest shaking—IX (Ruinous) on the Mercalli intensity scale—were Talcahuano, Arauco, Lota, Chiguayante, Cañete, Talca, Concepcion, and San Antonio. The earthquake was felt in the capital Santiago at Mercalli intensity scale VIII (Destructive). Tremors were felt in many Argentine cities, including Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza and La Rioja. Tremors were felt as far north as the city of Ica in southern Peru. Tsunami warnings were issued in 53 countries, and a tsunami was recorded, with amplitude of up to 2.6 m (8 ft 6 in) high, at Valparaíso. President Michelle Bachelet declared a "state of catastrophe".
A boat lies marooned on a street in Talcahuano, Chile, Monday, March 1, 2010. An 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck central Chile early Saturday triggering a tsunami that hit coastal communities.
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. It also moved the entire city of Concepción 10 feet to the west. The capital Santiago, moved 11 inches west, and even Buenos Aires, nearly 800 miles from the epicenter, shifted an inch.
An armed man stands guard on his rooftop in Talcahunao, Chile on March 1, 2010, as civil unrest and mass looting has led to a curfew being imposed.
In Chile, at least 500,000 homes are estimated to be damaged. At least 500 people were reported killed.
Rescuers carry a puppy found alive inside a destroyed house in Constitucion, Chile, Monday, March 1 , 2010.
The images in this post sourced from the Big Picture. Read the full article here.
A woman stands inside a destroyed house in Talca, Chile on March 1, 2010.
*This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia page for 2010 Chile earthquake.
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