The Pacific Plate is large and primary free of continents. It has a hot spot that it revolves around to some extent and that Hot Spot (click here) Hawii which will be sprouting a new island sometime in the near 'geological' future. The Hot Spot is at the terminal end of the Hawaiian Ridge - Emperor Seamount Chain. All that, except for the Hawaiian Islands and some atolls are under ocean surface.
The Pacific Plate touches the Cocas Plate and Nazca Plate as well as the Antarctica Plate. It was the Nazca Plate which was the immediate villain in this instance. HOWEVER, 2 miles of displacement of the lithosphere required a substantial PUSH. It is my estimate the push came from a free floating Pacific Plate due to a loosened North America Plate.
At least 521 people killed, 56 missing, about 12,000 injured, 800,000 displaced and at least 370,000 houses, 4,013 schools, 79 hospitals and 4,200 boats damaged or destroyed by the earthquake and tsunami in the Valparaiso-Concepcion-Temuco area.
At least 1.8 million people affected in Araucania, Bio-Bio, Maule, O'Higgins, Region Metropolitana and Valparaiso.
The total economic loss in Chile was estimated at 30 billion US dollars. Electricity, telecommunications and water supplies were disrupted and the airports at Concepcion and Santiago had minor damage. The tsunami damaged or destroyed many buildings and roads at Concepcion, Constitucion, Dichato and Pichilemu and also damaged boats and a dock in the San Diego area, USA.
Maximum acceleration of 0.65g was recorded at Concepcion and more than 2 m of uplift along the coast was observed near Arauco. Felt (IX) at Concepcion; (VIII) at Chiguayante, Coronel, Lebu, Nacimiento, Penco, Rancagua, Santiago, San Vicente, Talca, Temuco and Tome; (VII) from La Ligua to Villarrica; (VI) as far as Ovalle and Valdivia.
Felt in Chile as far as Iquique and Punta Arenas. Felt (V) at Cutral-Co and San Juan, (IV) at Cordoba and Mendoza and (III) at Buenos Aires, Argentina and (II) at Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Felt in much of Argentina and in parts of Bolivia, southern Brazil, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. Seiches were observed on Lake Pontchartrain, Louisiana, USA. A Pacific-wide tsunami was generated. Tsunami wave heights in centimeters (above sea level) were recorded at the following selected tide gauges:...
Strong earthquake strikes central Chile (click here)
January 02, 2011By the CNN Wire Staff
A 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck the central coastal area of Chile on Sunday, some 70 kilometers (45 miles) northwest of Temuco, the U.S. Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of major damage or injury.
The quake, which stuck around 5:20 p.m. (3:20 p.m. ET), was felt as far away as Santiago, roughly 595 km (370 miles) north of where the USGS said the quake occurred. The epicenter was more than 10 miles underground, the USGS said.
Loreto Henriquez, manager of the Holiday Inn Express in Temuco, felt the quake for about a minute, describing it as loud and strong. She said people ran into the streets, but did not report any major damage.
SANTIAGO
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake rattled central Chile on Wednesday, shaking buildings in the capital Santiago, but there were no reports of any damage or injuries, the government said.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck 45 miles north-northeast of the central Chilean port city of Valparaiso, at a depth of 15.3 miles.
Reuters witnesses said buildings swayed in Santiago, 75 miles miles to the east.
"There are no reports of any damage or injuries," a spokeswoman for state emergency office Onemi told Reuters.
Quake-prone Chile's economy is still recovering from a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake a year ago, which hammered towns, infrastructure and industries in south-central Chile and killed more than 500 people.
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake rattled central Chile on Wednesday, shaking buildings in the capital Santiago, but there were no reports of any damage or injuries, the government said.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck 45 miles north-northeast of the central Chilean port city of Valparaiso, at a depth of 15.3 miles.
Reuters witnesses said buildings swayed in Santiago, 75 miles miles to the east.
"There are no reports of any damage or injuries," a spokeswoman for state emergency office Onemi told Reuters.
Quake-prone Chile's economy is still recovering from a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake a year ago, which hammered towns, infrastructure and industries in south-central Chile and killed more than 500 people.
