What plates caused the Valdivia earthquake?

What plates caused the Valdivia earthquake?

The 1960 Chile earthquake was caused by the Nazca plate releasing tension and descending 15 meters underneath the South American Plate. It happened 30.5 km off the Chilean coast. My reaserach focused on the nearest city to the epicenter; Valdivia, Chile (39.8º S Lat.,73.24º W Long.).

What is Valdivia known for?

Today Valdivia is an industrial and commercial city, famous for its excellent German style beer, its university, and for the Valdivia cultural activities’ week, time when you can see a river carnival with allegoric ships’ parade included.

How long did the Valdivia earthquake last?

approximately 10 minutes
It occurred in the afternoon (19:11 GMT, 15:11 local time), and lasted for approximately 10 minutes….1960 Valdivia earthquake.

Iquique Santiago Punta Arenas
UTC time 1960-05-22 19:11:14
Local date 22 May 1960
Local time 15:11:14
Duration approx. 10 minutes

What country is Valdivia in?

Valdivia, city, Los Ríos región, southern Chile. It lies at the confluence of the Calle Calle and Cruces rivers, where they flow into the Valdivia River, 11 miles (18 km) from the Pacific Ocean. Valdivia, Chile.

Is Valdivia on a plate boundary?

Chile been at a convergent plate boundary that generates megathrust EQ since Paleozoic era (500 million years ago) > strongest EQ ever measured in the world was the 1960 Valdivia EQ (9.5) and the most recent boundary rupture caused the 2007 Tocopilla EQ.

What type of fault is the Valdivia earthquake?

When portions of the Earth’s crust moves sideways, the result is a horizontal motion along a “strike-slip” fault. The most famous example is California’s San Andreas Fault, which stretches some 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) from southern California to north of San Francisco.

When did the Valdivia earthquake happen?

May 22, 19601960 Valdivia earthquake / Start date

On May 22, 1960 a great Mw 9.5 earthquake, the largest earthquake ever instrumentally recorded, occurred off the coast of southern Chile. This earthquake generated a tsunami that was destructive not only along the coast of Chile, but also across the Pacific in Hawaii, Japan, and the Philippines.

What is the meaning of Valdivia?

The original bearer of the name Valdivia, which is a local surname, once lived, held land, or was born in the beautiful region of Spain. This place-name is derived from the Asturian word val-di-vieso, which means old man’s-valley.

What did the Valdivia earthquake destroy?

Approximately 1,655 killed, 3,000 injured, 2,000,000 homeless, and $550 million damage in southern Chile; tsunami caused 61 deaths, $75 million damage in Hawaii; 138 deaths and $50 million damage in Japan; 32 dead and missing in the Philippines; and $500,000 damage to the west coast of the United States.

How bad was the Valdivia earthquake?

The earthquake hit at 3:11 pm approximately 100 miles (160 km) off the coast of Chile, parallel to the city of Valdivia. 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.

Is Valdivia a good place to live?

The Hidden Gem But when you look closer at the sum of its characteristics, it turns out to be a great place to live that scores high in quality of life, freedom, and safety. Valdivia is a small river town in southern Chile that is surrounded by green hills and is close to the ocean.

Are earthquakes common in Valdivia?

With a strength of 9.5 on the moment magnitude scale, Chile’s Valdivia earthquake of 1960 still ranks as strongest earthquake ever measured. An estimated 1,600 people were killed by both the earthquake and its subsequent tsunami.

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