The 2010 Pichilemu earthquakes ( es, link=no, Terremoto de Pichilemu de 2010), also known as the Libertador O'Higgins earthquakes, were a pair of
intraplate earthquake
The term intraplate earthquake refers to a variety of earthquake that occurs ''within the interior'' of a tectonic plate; this stands in contrast to an interplate earthquake, which occurs ''at the boundary'' of a tectonic plate. Intraplate eart ...
s measuring 6.9 and 7.0 that struck
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
's
O'Higgins Region on 11 March 2010 about 16 minutes apart. The earthquakes were centred northwest of the city of
Pichilemu.
The earthquakes were caused by increased regional
stress
Stress may refer to:
Science and medicine
* Stress (biology), an organism's response to a stressor such as an environmental condition
* Stress (linguistics), relative emphasis or prominence given to a syllable in a word, or to a word in a phrase ...
arising from an
earthquake on 27 February, centered offshore
Maule Region, which was felt throughout central Chile. The Hawaii-based
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) is one of two tsunami warning centers that are operated by NOAA in the United States. Headquartered on Ford Island, HI, the PTWC is part of an international tsunami warning system (TWS) program and s ...
pointed out the possibility of local tsunamis within of the
epicentre
The epicenter, epicentre () or epicentrum in seismology is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates.
Surface damage
Before the instrumental pe ...
, although small, but violent waves were seen in the Pichilemu and
Bucalemu area. One person was reported dead. At least eleven aftershocks immediately followed, causing panic throughout coastal towns between the
Coquimbo
Coquimbo is a port city, commune and capital of the Elqui Province, located on the Pan-American Highway, in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. Coquimbo is situated in a valley south of La Serena, with which it forms Greater La Serena with more than ...
and
Los Lagos regions.
The earthquakes were especially destructive in the epicentre town,
Pichilemu, capital of
Cardenal Caro Province
Cardenal Caro Province ( es, Provincia Cardenal Caro) is one of the three provinces of the central Chilean region of O'Higgins (VI). The capital of Cardenal Caro is Pichilemu.
Name
The province is named after Cardinal José María Caro Rodríguez ...
. The city hosts five National Monuments of Chile, of which two, the
Agustín Ross Park
Agustín Ross Park ( es, Parque Agustín Ross) is a park located in the Agustín Ross Avenue, in front of the old Ross Casino, in Pichilemu. It is a National Monument of Chile
The National Monuments of Chile (Spanish: ''Monumentos Nacionales d ...
and the
Agustín Ross Cultural Centre
Agustín Ross Cultural Centre (Spanish, '' Centro Cultural Agustín Ross''), previously known as Casino Ross (''Ross Casino''), is the cultural center of the city of Pichilemu in Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Region, Chile. It was constru ...
, were seriously damaged by the earthquake. They also damaged the villages of
La Aguada and
Cardonal de Panilonco
Cardonal de Panilonco, or just Panilonco ( arn, metal head, ) is a Chilean village located north of Pichilemu, Cardenal Caro Province
Cardenal Caro Province ( es, Provincia Cardenal Caro) is one of the three provinces of the central Chilean regio ...
.
Rancagua
Rancagua () is a city and commune in central Chile and part of the Rancagua conurbation. It is the capital of the Cachapoal Province and of the O'Higgins Region, located south of the national capital of Santiago.
It was originally named Sant ...
, the capital of O'Higgins Region, was also damaged, leading President
Sebastián Piñera
Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique OMCh (; born 1 December 1949) is a Chilean billionaire businessman and politician who served as president of Chile from 2010 to 2014 and again from 2018 to 2022.
The son of a Christian Democratic polit ...
to declare a state of catastrophe in that region.
Background
![Plaza Arturo Prat y Quioscos Después](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Plaza_Arturo_Prat_y_Quioscos_Despu%C3%A9s.jpg)
Nearly all of the territory of Chile lies above the
convergent boundary
A convergent boundary (also known as a destructive boundary) is an area on Earth where two or more lithospheric plates collide. One plate eventually slides beneath the other, a process known as subduction. The subduction zone can be defined by a ...
where the
Nazca Plate subducts beneath the
South American Plate at a rate of about 71 mm per year. Earthquakes occur along the plate interface and in both the subducting and overriding plates. Within the South American Plate shallow earthquakes occur on
reverse
Reverse or reversing may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Reverse'' (Eldritch album), 2001
* ''Reverse'' (2009 film), a Polish comedy-drama film
* ''Reverse'' (2019 film), an Iranian crime-drama film
* ''Reverse'' (Morandi album), 2005
* ''Reverse'' ...
,
normal Normal(s) or The Normal(s) may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Normal'' (2003 film), starring Jessica Lange and Tom Wilkinson
* ''Normal'' (2007 film), starring Carrie-Anne Moss, Kevin Zegers, Callum Keith Rennie, and Andrew Airlie
* ''Norma ...
and
strike-slip faults.
The subduction zone along the Chilean coast produced the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, the
1960 Valdivia earthquake
The 1960 Valdivia earthquake and tsunami ( es, link=no, Terremoto de Valdivia) or the Great Chilean earthquake (''Gran terremoto de Chile'') on 22 May 1960 was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. Various studies have placed it at 9.4– ...
.
Some earthquakes which occurred near the epicentre of the 11 March 2010 event are the 1985
Algarrobo and
Rapel Lake
Rapel Lake (Spanish: ''Lago Rapel'' or ''Embalse Rapel'') is an artificial lake created by a dam on the Rapel River. It is located in the Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Region, Central Chile.
The reservoir was created with the aim of feedin ...
earthquakes.
On 27 February 2010, a strong earthquake, which reached a magnitude of 8.8 on the
moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale (MMS; denoted explicitly with or Mw, and generally implied with use of a single M for magnitude) is a measure of an earthquake's magnitude ("size" or strength) based on its seismic moment. It was defined in a 1979 pape ...
, hit central Chile. The earthquake occurred in the region of the plate boundary between the
Nazca
Nazca (; sometimes spelled Nasca; qu, Naska) is a city and system of valleys on the southern coast of Peru. It is also the name of the largest existing town in the Nazca Province. The name is derived from the Nazca culture, which flourished in ...
and
South American plates, offshore Maule Region. The earthquake produced a tsunami which caused great damage in cities and towns along the Chilean coast; Pichilemu was badly damaged after the earthquake and tsunami struck.
The 6.9 and 7.0 earthquakes of 11 March 2010 occurred two weeks after the 27 February event.
Chilean seismologists, including Sergio Barrientos from the University of Chile Seismological Service, had suggested that the absence of an aftershock greater than magnitude 6 following the February 27 quake indicated that there remained energy with the potential to be released.
[ ] Two foreshocks of the 11 March events occurred on 5 March: one reached magnitude 5.7, and the other magnitude 5.2; both were felt between the Valparaíso and Maule regions.
Earthquake sequence
The Pichilemu earthquakes were caused by the change in regional
stress
Stress may refer to:
Science and medicine
* Stress (biology), an organism's response to a stressor such as an environmental condition
* Stress (linguistics), relative emphasis or prominence given to a syllable in a word, or to a word in a phrase ...
from the 27 February earthquake. Preliminary analyses by the
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
(USGS) of the 11 March earthquake locations and seismic-wave radiation patterns suggested that the events resulted from normal faulting within the
subducting
Subduction is a geological process in which the oceanic lithosphere is recycled into the Earth's mantle at convergent boundaries. Where the oceanic lithosphere of a tectonic plate converges with the less dense lithosphere of a second plate, the ...
Nazca plate or the overriding South America plate, unlike the 27 February earthquake, which occurred as
thrust fault
A thrust fault is a break in the Earth's crust, across which older rocks are pushed above younger rocks.
Thrust geometry and nomenclature
Reverse faults
A thrust fault is a type of reverse fault that has a dip of 45 degrees or less.
If ...
ing on the interface between the two plates.
Later in 2010, University of Chile Seismologist Sergio Barrientos stated that the earthquakes were produced inside the South American plate.
![Seismic Hazard Map 2010 Pichilemu Earthquake](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Seismic_Hazard_Map_2010_Pichilemu_Earthquake.jpg)
The earthquakes' depths were estimated as and by the University of Chile Seismological Service (''Servicio Sismológico de la Universidad de Chile''),
and and by the USGS.
On 15 March 2010, seismologist Mario Pardo from the
University of Chile
The University of Chile ( es, Universidad de Chile) is a public research university in Santiago, Chile. It was founded on November 19, 1842, and inaugurated on September 17, 1843. Seismological Service ruled out that
Pichilemu was experiencing a
seismic swarm, after public concerns about the continued aftershocks in the area; as of that date, more than 50 aftershocks had occurred in the area, the strongest of them measuring 6.7 in the moment magnitude scale, minutes after the initial quake. From the pattern of aftershocks, it has been suggested that the earthquakes originated from rupture along a previously unknown
geological fault, the
Pichilemu Fault
The Pichilemu Fault ( es, Falla de Pichilemu), also referred to as the Pichilemu-Vichuquén Fault (''Falla de Pichilemu-Vichuquén''), is a Chilean geological fault, located in Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Region, some kilometers away fro ...
, between Pichilemu and the commune of
Vichuquén
Vichuquén is a commune in the Curicó Province of Chile's Maule Region.
History
The Spanish arrived along the Lico rivers in 1585, where settlements of the Mapuche and Inca already existed. In 1865, Vichuquén founded its capital of the villa ...
in
Maule Region, at 15 km depth, 40 km in length and 20 km wide.
At first it was not known whether this fault was formed during the earthquakes or if it was just reactivated,
however geologist José Cembrano from the University of Chile affirmed that "
he faultcorresponds to a long life fault, in a million years time, whose activity had not been detected before."
In a 2012 publication titled ''Aftershock Seismicity of the 27 February 2010 Mw 8.8 Maule Earthquake Rupture Zone'', it was stated that, in total, 10,000
aftershocks were located in the Pichilemu area for the first six months after the mainshock; this pronounced
crustal aftershock activity with mainly
normal faulting mechanisms found in approximately a wide region, with sharp inclined borders and oriented oblique to the
trench
A trench is a type of excavation or in the ground that is generally deeper than it is wide (as opposed to a wider gully, or ditch), and narrow compared with its length (as opposed to a simple hole or pit).
In geology, trenches result from ero ...
.
Reaction
![Sebastián Piñera asume como Presidente de Chile en solemne ceremonia en el Congreso Nacional](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Sebasti%C3%A1n_Pi%C3%B1era_asume_como_Presidente_de_Chile_en_solemne_ceremonia_en_el_Congreso_Nacional.jpg)
The earthquakes took place minutes before the new
President of Chile
The president of Chile ( es, Presidente de Chile), officially known as the President of the Republic of Chile ( es, Presidente de la República de Chile), is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Chile. The president is r ...
,
Sebastián Piñera
Miguel Juan Sebastián Piñera Echenique OMCh (; born 1 December 1949) is a Chilean billionaire businessman and politician who served as president of Chile from 2010 to 2014 and again from 2018 to 2022.
The son of a Christian Democratic polit ...
, was sworn in, at about , at the Chilean congress in
Valparaíso
Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...
, where the shaking was clearly felt.
Piñera was at the
Palace of Cerro Castillo
The Palace of Cerro Castillo (Spanish: ''Palacio de Cerro Castillo'') is the official country retreat and summer residence of the President of Chile. Constructed in 1929 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style, it is located in Viña del Mar and is ...
at the time of the earthquakes, and as he left the palace, he was seen "looking worried";
Michelle Bachelet
Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria (; born 29 September 1951) is a Chilean politician who served as United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights from 2018 to 2022. She previously served as President of Chile from 2006 to 2010 and 2014 to 201 ...
, the outgoing president, was also seen "worried" by the earthquakes as she entered the Congress.
''
La Nación
''La Nación'' () is an Argentine daily newspaper. As the country's leading conservative newspaper, ''La Nación''s main competitor is the more liberal '' Clarín''. It is regarded as a newspaper of record for Argentina.
Its motto is: "''La Na ...
'' newspaper reported some journalists attempted to flee the Congress building.
According to Spanish newspaper ''
El Mundo'', there was "nervousness" at the ceremony, and the ceremony narrator called for calm, adding that the Congress building could even stand stronger earthquakes.
![Presidente Piñera en Rancagua tras terremoto de Pichilemu de 2010](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Presidente_Pi%C3%B1era_en_Rancagua_tras_terremoto_de_Pichilemu_de_2010.jpg)
Presidents
Néstor Kirchner
Néstor Carlos Kirchner (; 25 February 195027 October 2010) was an Argentine lawyer and politician who served as the President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007, Governor of Santa Cruz Province from 1991 to 2003, Secretary General of UNASUR and ...
of
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
,
Evo Morales
Juan Evo Morales Ayma (; born 26 October 1959) is a Bolivian politician, trade union organizer, and former cocalero activist who served as the 65th president of Bolivia from 2006 to 2019. Widely regarded as the country's first president to c ...
of Bolivia,
Álvaro Uribe
Álvaro Uribe Vélez (born 4 July 1952) is a Colombian politician who served as the 31st President of Colombia from 7 August 2002 to 7 August 2010.
Uribe started his political career in his home department of Antioquia. He held offices in t ...
of
Colombia,
Rafael Correa
Rafael Vicente Correa Delgado (; born 6 April 1963), known as Rafael Correa, is an Ecuadorian politician and economist who served as President of Ecuador from 2007 to 2017. The leader of the PAIS Alliance political movement from its foundation ...
of Ecuador, and
Fernando Lugo
Fernando Armindo Lugo Méndez (; born 30 May 1951) is a Paraguayan politician and laicized Catholic bishop who was President of Paraguay from 2008 to 2012. Previously he was a Roman Catholic priest and bishop, serving as Bishop of the Diocese ...
of
Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
were present at the ceremony, but television footage showed that the inauguration was not interrupted, even though there was a
tsunami warning in place;
however, it was reported the ceremony was concluded more quickly than planned.
President Piñera cancelled the ceremonial lunch with his visitors and traveled to
Rancagua
Rancagua () is a city and commune in central Chile and part of the Rancagua conurbation. It is the capital of the Cachapoal Province and of the O'Higgins Region, located south of the national capital of Santiago.
It was originally named Sant ...
, one of the cities most affected by the earthquakes;
Piñera subsequently declared a catastrophe state in O'Higgins Region as a result of the earthquakes, and appointed Army General Antonio Yackcich as Area Commander in Chief (''Jefe de Plaza'') for the region, while he was visiting Rancagua that day.
The declaration meant that "the military would occupy the area to keep order and prevent the kind of looting that occurred in Concepción during the first two to three days after last month's quake", according to ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
''.
Tsunami
![Militaries in the La Cruz Hill](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Militaries_in_the_La_Cruz_Hill.jpg)
A
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...
-wide
tsunami
A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater exp ...
warning was not issued by the
Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) is one of two tsunami warning centers that are operated by NOAA in the United States. Headquartered on Ford Island, HI, the PTWC is part of an international tsunami warning system (TWS) program and s ...
, although the organization pointed out the possibility of local tsunamis within of the
epicentre
The epicenter, epicentre () or epicentrum in seismology is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates.
Surface damage
Before the instrumental pe ...
, roughly the area between
La Serena and
Concepción.
Half an hour after the first earthquake, the
Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the
Chilean Navy
The Chilean Navy ( es, Armada de Chile) is the naval warfare service branch of the Chilean Armed Forces. It is under the Ministry of National Defense. Its headquarters are at Edificio Armada de Chile, Valparaiso.
History
Origins and the War ...
(''Servicio Hidrográfico y Oceanográfico de la Armada'', SHOA) issued a tsunami warning for the area between Coquimbo and Los Lagos regions, as a way of "keeping people protected" against the possible occurrence of new tsunamis.
President Piñera urged coastal residents to move to higher ground in case of a tsunami.
Following the
tsunami alert, thousands of residents of central Pichilemu fled to
La Cruz Hill, with some of them staying there for several days,
and received advice from members of the Army.
People from the village of
Cáhuil
Cáhuil ( arn, Place of seagulls, ) is a Chilean village located south of Pichilemu, at the mouth of the seasonal Nilahue Estuary, in the O'Higgins Region. Its economy is based on the production of sea salt, oysters, and mussels. The estuary is ...
stayed at Cordón.
The tsunami warning emitted by SHOA was lifted that same day at around .
According to a preliminary report by the
National Office of Emergency of the Interior Ministry
ONEMI or National Office of Emergency of the Interior Ministry ( es, Oficina Nacional de Emergencia del Ministerio del Interior) is a Chilean government agency dedicated to the prevention, organization, coordination and information relative to na ...
(''Oficina Nacional de Emergencias del Ministerio del Interior'', ONEMI) on 11 March 2010, only 'small waves, without any
pecialkind of characteristics' were seen in the area surrounding Pichilemu,
while the USGS reported a small tsunami, with sea wave heights of 16 centimetres (0.525 ft) at
Valparaíso
Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...
, and 29 centimetres (0.951 ft) at
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_t ...
.
Interior Minister
Rodrigo Hinzpeter
Rodrigo Javier Hinzpeter Kirberg (born 27 October 1965) is a Chilean lawyer and politician. He was one of the founders of National Renewal, a center-right political party. He was appointed Interior Minister on 11 March 2010 by President of Chil ...
reported violent waves in Pichilemu and Bucalemu.
[ ]
Damage and casualties
![Pichilemu post office demolition](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Pichilemu_post_office_demolition.jpg)
At Pichilemu, the epicentre town, the earthquakes destroyed the
balustres surrounding
Agustín Ross Park
Agustín Ross Park ( es, Parque Agustín Ross) is a park located in the Agustín Ross Avenue, in front of the old Ross Casino, in Pichilemu. It is a National Monument of Chile
The National Monuments of Chile (Spanish: ''Monumentos Nacionales d ...
, damaged severely the recently re-inaugurated
Agustín Ross Cultural Centre
Agustín Ross Cultural Centre (Spanish, '' Centro Cultural Agustín Ross''), previously known as Casino Ross (''Ross Casino''), is the cultural center of the city of Pichilemu in Libertador General Bernardo O'Higgins Region, Chile. It was constru ...
, and the
Espinillo, and
Rodeillo villages.
The earthquake was accompanied by "great noise", according to witnesses from the Pichilemu villages of
Cardonal de Panilonco
Cardonal de Panilonco, or just Panilonco ( arn, metal head, ) is a Chilean village located north of Pichilemu, Cardenal Caro Province
Cardenal Caro Province ( es, Provincia Cardenal Caro) is one of the three provinces of the central Chilean regio ...
and
La Aguada;
most of the already damaged buildings in La Aguada fell down, including the local church. The road to Cardonal de Panilonco was damaged, and many houses built with
adobe did not resist the shaking.
Outside Pichilemu, in
Rancagua
Rancagua () is a city and commune in central Chile and part of the Rancagua conurbation. It is the capital of the Cachapoal Province and of the O'Higgins Region, located south of the national capital of Santiago.
It was originally named Sant ...
, local mayor Eduardo Soto reported severe damage to homes in the town. The Santa Julia highway overpass located between
Rancagua
Rancagua () is a city and commune in central Chile and part of the Rancagua conurbation. It is the capital of the Cachapoal Province and of the O'Higgins Region, located south of the national capital of Santiago.
It was originally named Sant ...
and
Graneros
Graneros is a Chilean commune and city in Cachapoal Province, O'Higgins Region.
Deportes
Graneros se conoce como unas de las candidatas a ganar la copa de la región Libertador Bernardo Ohiggins
Tiene su Estadio renovado,El Estadio Miguel Riffo ...
collapsed,
and part of the
Pan-American highway
The Pan-American Highway (french: (Auto)route panaméricaine/transaméricaine; pt, Rodovia/Auto-estrada Pan-americana; es, Autopista/Carretera/Ruta Panamericana) is a network of roads stretching across the Americas and measuring about in to ...
was damaged.
A power outage affected Pichilemu for two days, beginning right after the earthquake struck, and there were partial power outages in
Mostazal
Mostazal () is a Chilean commune in Cachapoal Province, O'Higgins Region. The capital of the commune is the city of San Francisco de Mostazal.
Geography
The commune spans an area of . The ''Plaza de San Francisco'' has an elevation of .
Demog ...
,
San Fernando
San Fernando may refer to:
People
*Ferdinand III of Castile (c. 1200–1252), called ''San Fernando'' (Spanish) or ''Saint Ferdinand'', King of Castile, León, and Galicia
Places Argentina
*San Fernando de la Buena Vista, city of Greater Buenos ...
and
Peumo
Peumo is a Chilean city and commune in Cachapoal Province, O'Higgins Region. It is believed that Peumo was named for the vast amount of Cryptocarya alba, or Peumo trees, that grow there.
Demographics
According to the 2002 census of the Nation ...
.
In
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...
, "windows rattled, buildings trembled and cellphone service failed", according to a ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
'' article.
The old Basílica del Salvador in Santiago, which was damaged during the
1985 Algarrobo earthquake
An earthquake measuring 8.0 struck Santiago Chile on 3 March 1985, and ended up killing 177 people and injuring about 2,575 others. This earthquake was being felt between the northern Antofagasta Region and the southern Los Lagos Region. It was ...
and was never repaired, suffered additional damage. In Nilahue Barahona, a village near the town of
Pumanque
Pumanque is a Chilean commune in Colchagua Province, O'Higgins Region.
Demographics
According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Pumanque spans an area of and has 3,442 inhabitants (1,793 men and 1,649 women), making the c ...
, electric cables fell to the ground during the earthquake, causing a fire that burned of a pine, eucalyptus and grassland forest. The earthquake was also reported to have been felt in
Mendoza,
Bariloche
San Carlos de Bariloche, usually known as Bariloche (), is a city in the province of Río Negro, Argentina, situated in the foothills of the Andes on the southern shores of Nahuel Huapi Lake. It is located within the Nahuel Huapi National Park ...
,
Córdoba,
San Rafael, Buenos Aires,
Montevideo, and
Asunción
Asunción (, , , Guarani: Paraguay) is the capital and the largest city of Paraguay.
The city stands on the eastern bank of the Paraguay River, almost at the confluence of this river with the Pilcomayo River. The Paraguay River and the Bay o ...
.
One person died of a heart attack during the earthquakes in
Talca
Talca () is a city and commune in Chile located about south of Santiago, and is the capital of both Talca Province and Maule Region (7th Region of Chile). As of the 2012 census, the city had a population of 201,142.
The city is an importan ...
, Maule Region.
A
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
summary of the earthquakes reported damage at
Rancagua
Rancagua () is a city and commune in central Chile and part of the Rancagua conurbation. It is the capital of the Cachapoal Province and of the O'Higgins Region, located south of the national capital of Santiago.
It was originally named Sant ...
,
177 kilometers northeast of Pichilemu. Relief efforts for the 27 February earthquake stalled for about six hours because of the constant aftershocks.
According to the U.S.
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (abbreviated as NOAA ) is an United States scientific and regulatory agency within the United States Department of Commerce that forecasts weather, monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditio ...
's
National Geophysical Data Center
The United States National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) provided scientific stewardship, products and services for geophysical data describing the solid earth, marine, and solar-terrestrial environment, as well as earth observations from spac ...
, the damage caused by the earthquakes and the accompanying small tsunami was "limited", adding that "a rough estimate of the
dollar
Dollar is the name of more than 20 currencies. They include the Australian dollar, Brunei dollar, Canadian dollar, Hong Kong dollar, Jamaican dollar, Liberian dollar, Namibian dollar, New Taiwan dollar, New Zealand dollar, Singapore dollar, ...
amount of damage" was "roughly corresponding to less than one million".
Aftershocks
![House in Pichilemu, Chile, after 2010 earthquake](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/House_in_Pichilemu%2C_Chile%2C_after_2010_earthquake.jpg)
Following the main shock, there were two aftershocks of magnitude 6 or greater. The first of them occurred at , fifteen minutes after the initial quake, and was centered in the commune of
La Estrella,
Cardenal Caro Province
Cardenal Caro Province ( es, Provincia Cardenal Caro) is one of the three provinces of the central Chilean region of O'Higgins (VI). The capital of Cardenal Caro is Pichilemu.
Name
The province is named after Cardinal José María Caro Rodríguez ...
, at a depth of , reaching a magnitude of 6.7; another aftershock, of magnitude 6.0, took place eleven minutes later, at , this time centered in Pichilemu, at a depth of .
In total, there were ten aftershocks within the six hours after the 6.9 magnitude earthquake, two of magnitude 6 or greater, and seven between 5 and 6.
Almost two months later, on 2 May 2010, an aftershock of magnitude 5.8
MW struck the Chilean
O'Higgins Region, at . The aftershock was centered southwest of
Navidad, and occurred at a depth of , according to the University of Chile Seismological Service.
The National Emergencies Office (ONEMI) reported that the aftershock was felt most strongly in
Talca
Talca () is a city and commune in Chile located about south of Santiago, and is the capital of both Talca Province and Maule Region (7th Region of Chile). As of the 2012 census, the city had a population of 201,142.
The city is an importan ...
, south of Santiago, and that there were no casualties, only some telephone lines had collapsed.
Six other aftershocks subsequently hit the Pichilemu area that day.
The United States Geological Survey measured the aftershock with a magnitude of 5.9.
A further aftershock of the Pichilemu earthquake occurred on 29 September 2010 at .
It reached
magnitude
Magnitude may refer to:
Mathematics
*Euclidean vector, a quantity defined by both its magnitude and its direction
*Magnitude (mathematics), the relative size of an object
*Norm (mathematics), a term for the size or length of a vector
*Order of ...
5.6, and its epicentre was centered southwest of
Lolol
Lolol ( Mapudungun: "land of crabs and holes"; ) is a Chilean commune and town in Colchagua Province, O'Higgins Region.
History
During the 17th century, several Haciendas were created throughout the Colchagua Valley; they were great lands whic ...
,
southwest of
Santa Cruz,
at a depth of .
Telephone lines collapsed in
O'Higgins Region. No infrastructural damage or casualties were reported. The aftershock was felt between the
Valparaíso
Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...
and
Maule regions. The event reached
Mercalli
The Modified Mercalli intensity scale (MM, MMI, or MCS), developed from Giuseppe Mercalli's Mercalli intensity scale of 1902, is a seismic intensity scales, seismic intensity scale used for measuring the intensity of shaking produced by an earthq ...
V intensity in
Rancagua
Rancagua () is a city and commune in central Chile and part of the Rancagua conurbation. It is the capital of the Cachapoal Province and of the O'Higgins Region, located south of the national capital of Santiago.
It was originally named Sant ...
,
Navidad,
Talca
Talca () is a city and commune in Chile located about south of Santiago, and is the capital of both Talca Province and Maule Region (7th Region of Chile). As of the 2012 census, the city had a population of 201,142.
The city is an importan ...
,
Curicó
Curicó (), meaning "Black Waters" in Mapudungun (originally meaning "Land of Black Water"), is the capital city of the Curicó Province, part of the Maule Region in Chile's central valley.
The province lies between the provinces of Colchagu ...
, amid other cities and towns.
As of February 2013, there have been about 8,500 aftershocks of the Chilean February and March 2010 earthquakes according to the University of Chile Seismological Service, with most taking place in the proximities of Pichilemu. Seismologist Sergio Ruiz said that "a significant number of aftershocks" will take place at least until 2015.
Media coverage
The earthquakes were reported by local, national and international news media. Locally, online newspaper ''
Pichilemu News
Pichilemu (, ), originally known as Pichilemo, is a beach resort city and commune in central Chile, and capital of Cardenal Caro Province in the O'Higgins Region. The commune comprises an urban centre and twenty-two villages, including Cirue ...
'' published an article named "First signs of change?: Shaken handover ceremony in Chile because of new earthquake aftershocks" ("¿Los primeros signos del cambio?: Movido cambio de mando se vivió en el país ante nuevas réplicas del terremoto") on 11 March;
five days later, local newspaper ''
El Expreso de la Costa'' published an interview with Mario Pardo, seismologist in charge of the geophysics department of the
University of Chile
The University of Chile ( es, Universidad de Chile) is a public research university in Santiago, Chile. It was founded on November 19, 1842, and inaugurated on September 17, 1843. , who recommended people of Pichilemu to "try to remain calm, the worst already happened". The only local radio that continued broadcasting through the day of the earthquakes was ''
Radio Entre Olas'', directed by Jorge Nasser Guerra, who along with two other radio workers, reportedly were the only ones not to be evacuated after the earthquakes in Pichilemu. Because the earthquakes provoked a power outage, the radio worked with "emergency equipment". Previously, after the 27 February earthquake, ''Entre Olas'' did not stop broadcasting either, despite there was a power outage that lasted for several days.
Nationally distributed newspaper ''
El Mercurio
''El Mercurio'' (known online as ''El Mercurio On-Line'', ''EMOL'') is a Chilean newspaper with editions in Valparaíso and Santiago. Its Santiago edition is considered the country's newspaper of record and it is considered the oldest daily in ...
'' published on its 12 March 2010 main page the headline "6.9
agnitudeaftershock marks the most seismic day after the
earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...
" ("Réplica de 6,9° marca el día más sísmico post terremoto"), adding that "
venteen of the twenty seisms that occurred yesterday
1 March
Events Pre-1600
*509 BC – Publius Valerius Publicola celebrates the first triumph of the Roman Republic after his victory over the deposed king Lucius Tarquinius Superbus at the Battle of Silva Arsia.
* 293 – Emperor Diocletian ...
in central-southern Chile had their epicentre in
Pichilemu,
Region of O'Higgins, which was declared in Disaster State yesterday." On that same day,
Santiago
Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...
-based newspaper ''
La Tercera'' published on their headline: "Piñera faces first crisis as he takes office as new President" ("Piñera enfrenta primera crisis al asumir como nuevo Presidente"); ''La Tercera'' elaborated: "The 6.9 Richter magnitude earthquake, which occurred minutes before the power handover took place, added an additional quota of drama to the oath of Sebastián Piñera, whose agenda was already modified by the 27 February disaster." Other newspapers of national distribution where the earthquake was reported on its main page included ''
Las Últimas Noticias
''Las Últimas Noticias'' ( es, The Latest News) is a Chilean, daily middle market tabloid newspaper owned by El Mercurio SAP. This company publishes various newspapers for a different audience: El Mercurio people look up to and ability to view, ...
'' (which featured a photograph of President Piñera aboarding a helicopter in military dress), ''
Publimetro
Metro International is a Swedish global media company based in Luxembourg that publishes the ''Metro'' newspapers. Metro International's advertising sales have grown at a compound annual growth rate of 41 percent since launch of the first news ...
'', and ''
La Nación
''La Nación'' () is an Argentine daily newspaper. As the country's leading conservative newspaper, ''La Nación''s main competitor is the more liberal '' Clarín''. It is regarded as a newspaper of record for Argentina.
Its motto is: "''La Na ...
'', whose main headline said "Emergency measures marked start of Piñera
s presidency ("Medidas de emergencia marcan partida de Piñera").
Throughout Chile, regional newspapers also reported the earthquakes and tsunami warning on their edition of 12 March 2010. Among these are ''La Estrella de Arica'' (
Arica
Arica ( ; ) is a commune and a port city with a population of 222,619 in the Arica Province of northern Chile's Arica y Parinacota Region. It is Chile's northernmost city, being located only south of the border with Peru. The city is the capita ...
), ''La Estrella de Iquique'' (
Iquique
Iquique () is a port city and commune in northern Chile, capital of both the Iquique Province and Tarapacá Region. It lies on the Pacific coast, west of the Pampa del Tamarugal, which is part of the Atacama Desert. It has a population of 191, ...
), ''El Mercurio de Antofagasta'', ''La Estrella del Norte'' (both from
Antofagasta
Antofagasta () is a port city in northern Chile, about north of Santiago. It is the capital of Antofagasta Province and Antofagasta Region. According to the 2015 census, the city has a population of 402,669.
After the Spanish American wars ...
), ''El Mercurio de Calama'', ''La Estrella del Loa'' (both from
Calama), ''El Diario de Atacama'', ''Diario Chañarcillo'' (both from
Copiapó
Copiapó () is a city and commune in northern Chile, located about 65 kilometers east of the coastal town of Caldera. Founded on December 8, 1744, it is the capital of Copiapó Province and Atacama Region.
Copiapó lies about 800 km nort ...
), ''El Día'' (
La Serena), ''
El Mercurio de Valparaíso
''El Mercurio de Valparaíso'' () The oldest continuously circulating periodical, published under the same name, in Spanish language. It was founded on September 12, 1827. It is based in Valparaíso, Chile.
See also
*''El Mercurio
''El M ...
'', ''La Estrella de Valparaíso'' (both from
Valparaíso
Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...
), ''El Líder'' (
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, subdivision_t ...
), ''El Tipógrafo'' (
Rancagua
Rancagua () is a city and commune in central Chile and part of the Rancagua conurbation. It is the capital of the Cachapoal Province and of the O'Higgins Region, located south of the national capital of Santiago.
It was originally named Sant ...
), ''
La Prensa ''La Prensa'' ("The Press") is a frequently used name for newspapers in the Spanish-speaking world. It may refer to:
Argentina
* ''La Prensa'' (Buenos Aires)
* , a current publication of Caleta Olivia, Santa Cruz
Bolivia
* ''La Prensa'' (La Paz ...
'' (
Curicó
Curicó (), meaning "Black Waters" in Mapudungun (originally meaning "Land of Black Water"), is the capital city of the Curicó Province, part of the Maule Region in Chile's central valley.
The province lies between the provinces of Colchagu ...
), ''
El Sur
Sur or SUR or El Sur (Spanish "the South") may refer to:
Geography
* Sur or Shur (Bible), the wilderness of Sur/Shur from the Book of Exodus
* Sur (river), a river of Bavaria, Germany
* Súr, a village in Hungary
* Sur, a district of the city of ...
'' (
Concepción), ''El Austral de Temuco'' (
Temuco
Temuco () is a List of cities in Chile, city and Communes of Chile, commune, capital (political), capital of the Cautín Province and of the Araucanía Region in southern Chile. The city is located south of Santiago de Chile, Santiago. The city ...
), ''
El Diario Austral de Los Ríos'' (
Valdivia
Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder Pedro de Valdivia and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and Cau-Cau R ...
), ''El Austral de Osorno'' (
Osorno), ''
El Llanquihue
''El Llanquihue'' is a Chilean daily newspaper published in the city of Puerto Montt
Puerto Montt (Mapuche: Meli Pulli) is a port city and commune in southern Chile, located at the northern end of the Reloncaví Sound in the Llanquihue Province ...
'' (
Puerto Montt), and ''La Prensa Austral'' (
Punta Arenas
Punta Arenas (; historically Sandy Point in English) is the capital city of Chile's southernmost region, Magallanes and Antarctica Chilena. The city was officially renamed as Magallanes in 1927, but in 1938 it was changed back to "Punta Are ...
).
Among the international media who reported on the earthquakes were the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
.
in Valparaíso, Chile, the strongest since the devastating Feb. 27 earthquake"; the photograph was followed by the headline "For Chile, More Aftershocks, and an Inauguration". The newspaper published an extensive article titled "Aftershocks Jolt Chile as New President Is Sworn In", which stated that the earthquakes "almost overshadowed the inauguration of Chile’s first right-wing leader in 20 years
Other newspapers who included headlines on the earthquake on their 12 March 2010 main pages include ''
).
.
* 14:39 M6.9
* 14:55 M7.0
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