The focus of the earthquake was relatively shallow at 33km (21mi), considering that earthquakes in northern Chile and Argentina may reach depths of 70km (43mi). Many of these people, including the nurse at right, contended with the waves near their source, along the coast of Chile. The family needed to cover half a mile just to reach the bridge that their neighbor had used. 2006. For example, in the town of Huara, more than 60% of houses were reportedly destroyed. Mr. The Rights Holder for media is the person or group credited. During the 1960 Chile earthquake, the western margin of the South American Plate lurched as much as 60 feet relative to the subducting Nazca Plate, in an area 600 miles long and more than 100 miles wide. The story was mentioned in a Time magazine article, although with little detail. These dams were removed later, with the exception of Calafqun Lake, which still retains its dam. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. El Canelo. From Chile the tsunami radiated outward, killing 61 people in Hawaii and 122 in Japan. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. On May 18, the Soviet leader, Nikita Khruschev, suggested treating the United States like a cat that had stolen cream. [73] This quake was reported to be centered approximately 35 kilometres (22mi) deep and several miles off shore. It is the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. People were afraid that buildings were about to collapse and many feared a tsunami would follow. They were released from prison after two years. Registered in England & Wales No. [4] Different sources have estimated the monetary cost ranged from US$400million to $800million[6] (or $4.01 billion to $8.021 billion in 2022, adjusted for inflation). Chile is located along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a known zone of high seismicity. It was the fifth largest earthquake ever to be recorded by a seismograph and ranks thirteen in the overall list including estimates. Some seismologists believe the eruption was linked to the Valdivia earthquake. These earthquakes formed a southward migrating foreshock sequence to the main Valdivia shock, which occurred just 15 minutes after the third event. The shock is generally agreed to have had a magnitude of 9.5, though some studies alternately proposed that it may have been 9.4 or 9.6. [61][62] COPERE had also been entrusted with coordinating provincial activities while CORFO remained the technical secretariat of those provincial committees. I walked downtown because the university is really close to the sea and we were afraid a tsunami would follow. Figueroa, Victor; Gayoso, Jorge; Oyarzun, Edgardo; Planas, Lenia. [49], Puerto Montt, a major city today, had in the early 1960s about 49,500 inhabitants. Heeding natural warnings by going to high ground probably saved hundreds of lives in Queule. Walls from surrounding houses started cracking, glass started to break, and cars started jumping. The water crested at 15 feet above sea level, reaching several feet above the trees base. The Nazca Plate is an oceanic tectonic plate in the eastern Pacific Ocean basin off the west coast of South America. This was among the properties of Ramn Atala, who was about to be carried away by the second wave in Maulln. Not far away, the onrushing water covered land 30 feet above sea level. El Canelo may refer to. The tsunami affected southern Chile, Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, eastern New Zealand, southeast Australia and the Aleutian Islands. [62], In 1974, after the 1971 eruption of Villarrica volcano, COPERE was officially succeeded by ONEMI (Ministry of Interior National Emergency Office)Chile's modern-day emergency management agencywhen it was authorized by law as an independent governmental office by President Salvador Allende. The focus of the earthquake was relatively shallow at 33 km, as other earthquakes in the region are known to reach depths of 70 km. The chapter also discusses the extent and effects of the hazards; their . A massive earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 has hit central Chile, affecting about two million people, officials say. 1. [70] He said that the Spanish settlers had evacuated and waited on high ground until after the dam burst, but many aboriginals died in the flood waters. [64][65] The victim was 5-year-old Jos Luis Painecur, an "orphan" (huacho) whose mother had gone to work as a domestic worker in Santiago and left her son under the care of his father. There was less damage and less injuries suffered here in Iquique than in some of the smaller villages inland. In much of this flooded area, the tsunami reached a height of 15 feet above sea level. One ship, Canelos, starting at the mouth of the Valdivia River, sank after being moved 1.5km (0.93mi) backward and forward in the river; as of 2005, its mast was still visible from the road to Niebla. Although a neighbor quickly took that route, the Navarro family stayed in their home, beside another tidal stream. This quake occurred along the coast of Chile on May 22, 1960. The event was named after the city most affected by the quake, Valdivia. He recalls that some of the houses, with their stoves still smoking, looked like ships. The house, on low ground west of Maulln, withstood the 1960 earthquake. [14], Soil subsidence also destroyed buildings, deepened local rivers and created wetlands in such places as the Ro Cruces and Chorocomayo, a new aquatic park north of the city. The boat Isabella in Baha Mansa quickly left the port but lost its anchors. Please Contact Us. After this wave had passed and they thought it was safe, Mr. Eaton and his companions returned to the bridge and continued to record the water level during several more waves of the tsunami (see diagram below). Then I noticed that people were moving rocks from in front of the bus and there was lots of debris on the road. Though a mile from the sea, most of Queule, Chile, was overrun and washed away by the tsunami that followed the 1960 Chile earthquake. The 1960 tsunami also deposited sand along the Ro Maulln, some of it on land owned by Juan Vera. [39], Unlike Valdivia, Osorno was saved from major destruction. Going to high ground and staying there helped save lives during the 1960 Chilean tsunami, not only in Chile but also in Onagawa, Japan. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. [64], The sacrifice was learned about by authorities after a boy in the commune of Nueva Imperial denounced to local leaders the theft of two horses; these were allegedly eaten during the sacrifice ritual. The combined effects of the disaster left two million people homeless. Many Chilean cities sustained significant damage, including Puerto Montt, where noticeable subsidence occurred, and Valdivia, where nearly half of the buildings were rendered uninhabitable. 35 houses were severely damaged and some 44 other suffered reparable damages. [23], In Valdivia the tsunami swell penetrated along Calle-Calle River as far as Huellelhue putting afloat piles of firewood that lay in the fields. At 16:20 UTC-4, a wave of 8m (26ft) struck the Chilean coast, mainly between Concepcin and Chilo. [37], The levels of material damage were relatively low given the high magnitude of the earthquake. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. What caused the Chile earthquake of 1960? [60], After the earthquake, the Chilean Ministry of Economics began to develop a comprehensive reconstruction plan. [10], While the Valdivia earthquake was extraordinarily large, the 2016 Chilo earthquake hints that it did not release all the potential slip in that segment of the plate interface. It does not store any personal data. in English from Illinois State University in 2005. This era of prosperity ended with the 1960 earthquake. Later, Carol and Ernest returned to Hilo after hearing on the radio that tsunami waves had already come into town and were only 7 feet high. The resulting tsunamis affected southern Chile, Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, eastern New Zealand, southeast Australia, and the Aleutian Islands. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. During the ride, Mr. Maldonado's horse had to jump newly formed cracks in the road. The streets were chaotic and it took me about 40 minutes to walk home as there were no buses running. [36], The eruption fed a 5.5km-long fissure on 135 heading where 21 individual vents have been found. Outside Corral the crew rescued six nearly unconscious and dehydrated children on board two boats. They survived the tsunami, but 15 other people near them died. BBC News website readers sent their eyewitness accounts of the earthquake which struck northern Chile on Monday. Earthquakes occur when the fault ruptures, suddenly releasing built-up energy. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Breadcrumbs Section. Carol was at her family's house on low ground in Hilo when the warning sirens sounded. After fleeing to high ground near Queule, more than 100 miles north of Maulln0), Filberto Henrquez saw houses floating away from the town. Among recorded earthquakes, it is followed by 9.2MW 1964 Alaska earthquake and (9.19.3) MW Indian Ocean earthquake of 2004. Click here to navigate to parent product. The death toll for the 1960 Valdivia earthquake was less considering its magnitude. Encyclopedic Entry Vocabulary On May 22, 1960, the most powerful earthquake in recorded history magnitude 9.5struck southern Chile. Riihue Lake is the lowest of the Seven Lakes chain and receives a constant inflow from the Enco River. [43] Aided by the United States, a geological survey of Valdivia was done following the earthquake and resulted in the city's first geological map. By 23 June, the main dam had been lowered from 24 to 15m (79 to 49ft), allowing 3billion cubic metres of water to leave the lake gradually, but still with considerable destructive power. The May 22nd 1960 Chilean earthquake is the largest earthquake on record with a magnitude 9.5 ( DeMets et al., 1990) for the main shock which occurred along a 1000 km N to S trending fault rupture at the subduction zone of the Nazca and South American plates ( Fig. The Valdivia Earthquake occurred at 19:11 UTC (15:11 local time) on 22 May, 1960, and is the largest earthquake recorded (M w 9.5). Disaster Research Project for 8th Grade Students. Studies have estimated the total number of fatalities at 1,655, 2231, 3000, 5700 and even 6,000. The tremor triggered a giant tsunami which caused destruction and deaths as far away as Japan, around a day later. ABSTRACT. The main tsunami traveled across the Pacific Ocean and devastated Hilo, Hawaii, where waves as high as 10.7 metres (35ft) were recorded over 10,000 kilometres (6,200mi) from the epicenter. On May 22, 1960, the most powerfulearthquake in recorded historymagnitude 9.5struck southern Chile. A few days later, on the afternoon of May 22, while out riding his horse, Mr. Argomedo felt more than a little shaking. The magnitude, how vast the size of something is, in this case the earthquake was 9.5 and great damage is reported. [53] Barns and industrial structures were destroyed by the quake. [74] This 2010 earthquake was the largest to affect Valdivia since the 1960 event. The damages were to areas of poor soil quality, chiefly former wetlands and artificial fills. The Great Chilean Earthquake or Valdivian Earthquake was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. The engine of Canelos was warmed up after the earthquake. ("The tsunami was so big that it even took the dead from their graves"). [28] These landslides did not cause many fatalities nor significant economic losses because most of the areas were uninhabited, with only minor roads. [17], A seiche of more than 1 meter was observed on Panguipulli Lake following the earthquake. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. [57] After the earthquake many families in Corral relocated to the neighbourhood of La Aguada. Because tides were then able to inundate the plantation, the ground became too wet and salty for the trees to survive (right). Chile was struck again by a powerful earthquake of 8.8MW in 2010. The weakened road was soon severed by the waves of the tsunami that followed the earthquake, leaving channels too wide even for a horse to jump. It seemed unlikely that we were actually going to be able to make it to Iquique on account of the road being closed up ahead, but somehow we got through and made it a couple of hours later than expected. Just after midnight, the water under the bridge rose to 4 feet (1.2 meters) above normal-the first wave of the tsunami had arrived. Turning around, they watched the 20-foot-high, nearly vertical front of the wave hit the bridge, and water splashed high into the air. It was initially assessed in 1960 with a magnitude (M w) of 8.6, but was recalculated as a 9.5 in 2007 (USGS, 2007). I am from Chile and lived through the 1985 and 75 earthquakes. Everyone was running into the streets in fear. Carol and her family survived the 1960 Chilean tsunami without serious injury.
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