Great Chilean Earthquake
The Great Chilean Earthquake or Valdivian Earthquake was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. The quake occurred in the early evening (19:11 UTC) of May 22, 1960, and had a 9.5 rating[1] on the Moment magnitude scale. The earthquake affected southern Chile, Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, and the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.
Its epicenter was Valdivia, Chile. The earthquake caused tsunamis that pounded the Chilean coastline with waves of up to 25 meters. The main tsunami traveled across the Pacific Ocean and caused great damage to Hilo, Hawaii. Waves as high as 10.7 meters (about 35 feet) were recorded 10,000 kilometers from where the earthquake started. These waves travelled as far as Japan and the Philippines.
The total number of deaths from the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Chile has been estimated at 490 to 5700.[2] The Chilean government estimated 2 million people were left homeless and the damage was $550 million USD.[2]
Great Chilean Earthquake Media
- Graph of largest earthquakes 1906-2005.png
The Valdivia earthquake (light blue at the bottom left of this graph) released almost a quarter of all global seismic energy between 1906 and 2005
- 1960 Valdivia earthquake.jpg
USGS ShakeMap for the mainshock
- Tsunami travel time Valdivia 1960.jpg
Travel time of the tsunami across the Pacific Ocean at one-hour intervals
- Sunken steamer Carlos Haverbeck and Canelos - Chile, in the autumn of 1960.png
Wrecks of Carlos Haverbeck (top) and Canelo (bottom).
- Hilo after Tsunami 1960.jpg
Hilo, Hawaii, after the tsunami
- Great Chilean Earthquake damage at Kamaishi.jpg
Effect of the tsunami at Kamaishi, Japan
- Cordon Caulle eruption 1960.jpg
Eruption of Cordón Caulle following the earthquake
- The center of Corral was almost completely destroyed by a tsunami - Autumn 1960.png
The destroyed center of Corral, Chile
- Destroyed steel factory near Corral - Photo from the autumn of 1960.png
Destroyed infrastructure of Altos Hornos y Acerías de Corral, a steel factory closed a few years before the earthquake.
References
- ↑ "M 9.5 - 1960 Great Chilean Earthquake (Valdivia Earthquake)". U.S. Geological Survey. U.S. Department of the Interior. November 7, 2016. Retrieved July 6, 2019.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "May 22, 1960 Southern Chile Earthquake and Tsunami" (PDF). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. U.S. Department of Commerce. March 2015. Retrieved July 6, 2019.