Scientists estimate that this earthquake shifted Earth's axis and shortened the length of a day by 1.26 microseconds. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). The waves caused millions of dollars of damage at Hilo Bay on the main island of Hawaii, where they also killed 61 people. Cleanup operations commencing in Hilo, Hawaii island, Hawaii, following the tsunami caused by the May 22, 1960, earthquake off the coast of Chile. Damage costs were $1 billion (1960 rate). The Japan earthquake of 2011 had a magnitude of 9.0; it spawned a tsunami that killed an estimated 19,300 people in Japan and knocked out the electrical power to Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, creating the world’s second most serious nuclear emergency. Many Chilean cities sustained significant damage, including Puerto Montt, where noticeable subsidence occurred, and Valdivia, where nearly half of the buildings were rendered uninhabitable. 2.226 people were killed and 3,000 were injured. Exactly 16 Minutes after the severe aftershock, the Earth literally opened up. Chile earthquake of 1960, the largest earthquake recorded in the 20th century. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. In the Philippines, tsunami waves left 32 dead or missing. About 3,000 people were injured. The VSP moment for 1960 earthquake totals 9.5 × 10 22 N m, about one fifth of the value estimated for the foreshock-mainshock sequence from seismic methods. Other notable shallow tsunami-generating earthquakes include the 1906 M8.5 earthquake near Esmeraldas, Ecuador, the 1922 M8.5 … Map depicting the epicentre of the earthquake off the coast of Chile, May 22, 1960. Chile is not only the longest country on Earth, it is also one of the most earthquake prone nations. Transcript [Music] ED HERLIHY: The torment of a nation. The earthquake hit at 3:11 pm approximately 100 miles (160 km) off the coast of Chile, parallel to the city of Valdivia. Almost every 5 years an earthquake occurs in Chile. In fact, the most powerful earthquake ever recorded was a 9.5 in 1960 in close proximity to the epicenter of Saturday’s quake. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Scientists estimate that this earthquake shifted Earth's axis and shortened the length of a day by 1.26 microseconds. Chile was left with major destruction from the earthquake and a large tsunami which swept across the Pacific. Updates? Omissions? Though the havoc wreaked by the shaking was not inconsequential, most casualties resulted from the descent 15 minutes later of a tsunami that rose up to 80 feet (25 metres) high on the expanse of Chilean coastline—bounded by the cities of Lebu and Puerto Aisen—that paralleled the subducting plate. In 1960, Valdivia experienced a magnitude 9.5 earthquake which shook the ground for 12 minutes and killing 1,665 people. The 1960 Chile earthquake was the largest earthquake of the 20th Century. When it was over, the busy harbor town of Valdivia was flattened and entire coastal villages had disappeared. 1647. 1960 Chile earthquake. As our map shows, it ruptured a part of the Chilean coast immediately north of the gigantic rupture plane of the 9.5 earthquake, which happened 55 years ago today. The strongest aftershock at 2:55 pm on Sunday reached a magnitude of 7.9. The rupture zone stretched from estimates ranging from 500 kilometers (311 miles) to almost 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) along the country’s coast. The black and white distance scale is in kilometers. Earthquakes in Chile. On May 22, 1960, the stress built up by years of increasing compressional force between the rocks of one plate and another was released by fracturing rocks. Chile has had a lot of earthquakes. Keep up to date with more stories like this by liking our Facebook page! (hra106), Cooperative Institute for Deep Earth Research (CIDER), Northern California Earthquake Data Center (NCEDC), :  Destruction in the Eastern Aegean Sea, :  An Explosion in Beirut heard all over the Middle East, :  Quake in Turkey highlights the hazard in the East Bay. With a magnitude of 9.5, the earthquake was the most powerful such event of the 20th century. Article media libraries that feature this video: History of Chile, Chile earthquake of 1960. Every once in a while, like during the fatal days in May 1960, this strain is released in a sequence of giant temblors, which cause the Earth to ring. Chile is located on a tectonic plate boundary and a subduction zone called the Peru-Chile trench. (The earthquake of 22-May-1960), A forlorn man sitting amongst the rubble in the city of Valdivia after the 9.5 quake in 1960. The Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 was caused by a magnitude 9.1 earthquake; it killed at least 225,000 people in a dozen countries. According to modern calculations, this Great Chile Earthquake of May 22, 1960 had a moment magnitude of 9.5, which makes it the largest earthquake ever recorded, bigger even than the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964, which registered 9.2 on the world record scale. This list of earthquakes in Chile includes every known major earthquake that was felt or with its epicenter within Chile's … Universal Studios. On May 22, 1960, the most powerful earthquake in recorded history— magnitude 9.5—struck southern Chile. The cities of Puerto Montt and Valdivia experienced extensive damage. It is subducting under (that is, being forced under) the South American plate. Richard Pallardy received a B.A. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Chile It even caused a slight hiccup to the unstoppable rotation of our planet, making the days a few milliseconds shorter. 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. This map shows the rupture areas (pink) of the last two giant earthquakes in Chile, the 9.5 quake of 1960 and the 8.8 quake of 2010. Chile was hit by 17 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4 and more in 1960. Destruction after the largest earthquake of the century in Valdivia on May 22, 1960 Time line of Earthquakes in Chile. The 1960 Valdivia earthquake was the largest event recorded by a seismograph. Corrections? About 3,000 people were injured. Since 1900, numerous magnitude 8 or larger earthquakes have occurred on this subduction zone interface that were followed by devastating tsunamis, including the 1960 M9.5 earthquake in southern Chile, the largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in the world. The reason why the earthquake accrued is the Nazca Plate has been colliding and subducting underneath the South American plate for thousands of years. Newsreel describing the Chile earthquake of 1960. Source: Press Association. Since that earthquake Chile was struck on February 27, 2010 with an 8.8 earthquake that caused the Earth to spin slightly faster. The earthquake of 2008 in Chile was not as big as 1960 but not as little as ones before. The Cordón-Caulle volcano erupting, Los Lagos, Chile, May 24, 1960. The earthquake was a megathrust earthquake resulting from the release of mechanical stress between the subducting Nazca Plate and the South American Plate, on the Peru–Chile Trench.Subduction zones are known to produce the strongest earthquakes on earth, as their particular structure allows more stress to build up before energy is released. It occurred in the afternoon (19:11 GMT, 15:11 local time), and lasted for approximately 10 minutes. Valdivia earthquake Various studies have placed it at 9.4–9.6 on the moment magnitude scale. (Click to view larger image.). In fact, during the past 150 years or so, Chile has had more giant quakes with magnitudes of 8 and larger than any other region in to world. The strongest known Chilean earthquakes ≥ 8.5 M since the year 1500. …were severely damaged in the 1960 earthquake and by the ensuing tsunami. Only aftershocks above magnitude 6.5 will be listed to prevent cluttering. The first Concepción earthquake struck at 06:02 on 21st May 1960. Though the oblique angle by which the waves approached the Pacific coast of the United States mitigated their force, Crescent City, California, saw waves of up to 5.6 feet (1.7 metres), and boats and docks in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Long Beach were damaged. Chile has been decimated by earthquakes before. Index maps.a, Plate-tectonic setting of south-central Chile. The entire coastline, which stretches for more than 2600 miles in the north-south direction, is dominated by the collision between the Nazca Plate and the South American continent. A sudden breaking in the rocks along a roughly 560–620-mile (900–1,000-km) stretch of the Nazca Plate caused the earthquake, which has been generally agreed to have had a magnitude of 9.5—the largest earthquake recorded in the 20th century. For several days after the earthquake, the whole Earth rang like a bell. They formed part of the foreshock sequence for the 1960 Valdivia earthquake, the largest recorded earthquake in history. The event was named after the city most affected by the quake, Valdivia. Suddenly, at two minutes after 6 am local time, the Earth under the coastal town of Concepcion began to shake violently. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. From a plate tectonics point of view, South America is relatively stable, but the Nazca Plate is pushing eastward at a rate of approximately 2 inches per year. It struck off the coast of South Central Chile on May 22, 1960.  |  There were four foreshocks bigger than 7.0, including one that was a 7.9. It was located in Valdivia in May,22,1960. The fault-displacement source of the earthquake extended over an estimated 560–620 mile (900–1,000 km) stretch of the Nazca Plate, which subducted under the South American Plate. It hit off the coast of Chile and was a 9.5 magnitude earthquake. It also puts a huge amount of mechanical strain on the western edge of South America. The combined effects of the disaster left two million people homeless. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership, https://www.britannica.com/event/Chile-earthquake-of-1960, Michigan State University - The Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960, Examine how the Chile earthquake of 1960 devastated and reduced the entire nation in shambles, Castro, Chiloé Island after the Chile earthquake of 1960, tsunami damage in Hilo, Hawaii after the Chile earthquake of 1960. It is the strongest earthquake ever recorded. The magnitude of the Valdivia earthquake was between 9.4 – 9.6 which makes it the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. The 1960 Valdivia earthquake (Spanish: Terremoto de Valdivia) or the Great Chilean earthquake (Gran terremoto de Chile) on 22 May 1960 was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. 1960 Valdivia earthquake damage, USGS. Notice any needed corrections? The first was on May 21 at 06:02 UTC-4. Though the death toll was never fully resolved, early estimates ranging into the thousands were scaled back to 1,655. Please email us at corrections@wearemitu.com. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. (Click to view larger image.) The Nazca plate is a large tectonic plate that underlies the Pacific Ocean near the western coast of South America. Looking at it from a geologic, that is very long term perspective, the 2010 M8.8 temblor was actually a sequitur of the giant quake 50 years earlier. Two days later the Cordón Caulle volcano in Chile’s Lake District erupted after nearly 40 years of inactivity, an event thought by some seismologists to be linked to the quake. Its epicenter was near Cañete, Bío Bío Region, Chile, and its magnitude was 8.1 or 8.3 M W and 7.3 or 7.5 M S. This earthquake, which lasted 35 seconds, destroyed a third of the buildings in the city of Concepción. The combined effects of the disaster left two million people homeless. A fault line, more than 600 miles long ruptured and left devastation, destruction and a giant tsunami in its wake. Earthquakes in Chile. Important fractures of the oceanic lithosphere bound the 1960 rupture and are offered as a potential source of fault segmentation within the Chilean subduction zone. Examine how the Chile earthquake of 1960 devastated and reduced the entire nation in shambles. Chile's President Jorge Alessandri called off the festivities and started to coordinate the emergency response to this very severe quake. The enormity of the seafloor shifts that caused the tsunamis was such that the waves that arrived nearly 15 hours later in the Hawaiian Islands—6,200 miles (10,000 km) away—still crested at nearly 35 feet (11 metres) at landfall in some places. The tsunami, caused by this monster quake, wreaked havoc all across the Pacific, from Hawaii to Japan and Alaska. 1) ‘Earthquakes don’t kill people, buildings do’ After being hit by the planet’s largest-ever recorded earthquake back in 1960, Chile developed strict anti-seismic building codes. Various studies have placed it at 9.4–9.6 on the moment magnitude scale. The force of the wave—caused by an earthquake on May 22, 1960, off the coast of Chile—was enough to bend parking meters to the ground. Map by Diego Melgar, BSL. Though the death toll in Chile was never fully resolved, early estimates of deaths worldwide, ranging into the thousands, were scaled back to 1,655. This downward movement not only causes tension in the sinking plate itself, which leads to some of the deepest earthquakes in to world. The Valdivia Earthquake took place on the southern coast of Chile, near the city of Valdivia at 3:11 pm (local time) on May 22, 1960. This quake occurred along the coast of Chile on May 22, 1960. Categories:   But nobody knew that the worst was yet to come.  |, May 22, 2015  The magnitude of the 1960 earthquake in Chile is roughly 1.3 times that of Haiti's 2010 earthquake. Today in Earthquake History Valdivia, ChileAerial view, flying over devastated area. The 21st of May 1960 was a Saturday and in Chile most people were preparing for the traditional commemoration of the Battle of Iquique, a naval battle which Chile lost against Peru during the War of the Pacific at the end of the 19th century. b, Documented effects of the 1960 earthquake and its historical predecessors. Channel 500 Special News Report about the earthquake that struck Chile in 1960 and caused a tsunami that affected much the Pacific. He was a research editor with Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. from 2008 to 2016 and worked on Britannica Blog from 2010... Homes in Valdivia, Chile, destroyed by the earthquake of 1960. The magnitude of the 1960 earthquake in Chile is roughly 1.3 times that of Haiti's 2010 earthquake. A few minutes later, after this 8.3 magnitude earthquake was over, 125 people were dead and a third of the buildings in town lay in ruins. Chile 1960 Earthquake Rita Rodriguez Great Chilean earthquake Is the most powerful earthquake ever recorded. Within the next ten minutes two separate 8.6 events merged into the largest earthquake the modern world had ever seen. It was actually a series of strong earthquakes that affected Chile between May 21, 1960 and June 6, 1960. The subduction of the fast-moving Nazca Plate has a history of producing massive quakes. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. 1960-06-06 05:55:48 UTC 7.8 magnitude, 15 km depth Puerto Chacabuco, Aisén, Chile 7.8 magnitude earthquake 1960-06-06 05:55:48 UTC at 05:55 June 06, 1960 UTC As the quake occurred just prior to a revolution in seismologic technology in the 1960s, these figures are based mainly on post hoc analysis. 58,622 homes were destroyed. (2002) 127,750; (2017) municipality, 166,080.…. The biggest earthquake in Chile for 1960 had a magnitude of 9,6 (22/05/1960) Newsreel describing the Chile earthquake of 1960. The largest earthquake ever recorded in history by a seismograph was the May 22, 1960 earthquake in Chile. The Chile earthquake of 1960 remains the largest earthquake recorded to date. Huge earthquake hits Chile On May 21, 1960, the first tremor of a series hits Valdivia, Chile. The Chile earthquake of 1960 remains the largest earthquake recorded to date. Other recent earthquakes have caused more damage and loss of life, however. 1960. The responders were interrupted by dozens of aftershocks, whose epicenters slowly migrated south from Concepcion. May 22, 2015 (The earthquake of 22-May-1960) A forlorn man sitting amongst the rubble in the city of Valdivia after the 9.5 quake in 1960. Paired arrows indicate plate convergence at 8.4 cm yr-1. Humans and chimpanees share 96 percent of the same genome. Hence in this collision it is pushed down into the Earth's mantle in a subduction zone, technically also called a Wadati-Benioff zone. Originating off the coast of southern Chile on May 22, 1960, the temblor caused substantial damage and loss of life both in that country and—as a result of the tsunamis that it generated—in distant Pacific coastal areas. Source: Press Association International cooperation in this area began following the 1960 Chile earthquake which, at magnitude 9.5, is the largest ever recorded. Buildings damaged by earthquake and fire, Castro, Chiloé Island, after the Chile earthquake of May 22, 1960. There was another earthquake before and after 1960. In Chile, the earthquake and the tsunami that followed took more than 2,000 lives and caused property damage estimated at $550 million (1960 dollars). Several coastal towns were inundated by a 25-metre (80-foot) tsunami. The shock of this upward thrust also pushed the water above the plate boundary upward, creating a wave that moved outward in all directions. largest earthquake ever recorded. Earthquakes are caused by movements within the Earth's crust and uppermost mantle.They range from events too weak to be detectable except by sensitive instrumentation, to sudden and violent events lasting many minutes which have caused some of the greatest disasters in human history. The tsunami traveled across the Pacific Ocean in the hours after the earthquake; the waves killed 61 people in Hawaii, nearly 140 in Japan, and 32 in the Philippines. A series of foreshocks the previous day had warned of the incipient disaster; one, of magnitude 8.1, caused major destruction in Concepción. At the bottom of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the Nazca plate is being forced under the South American plate. When they reached the main Japanese island of Honshu 22 hours after their generation, the waves had subsided to about 18 feet (5.5 metres) and laid waste to over 1,600 homes and killed 138 people. 3. in English from Illinois State University in 2005. Debris from buildings damaged by a nearly 35-foot (11-metre) tsunami, Hilo, Hawaii island, Hawaii. During the lifetime of this blog alone, a magnitude 8.2 struck in April of last year and a magnitude 8.8 caused major destruction early in 2010. Because the Nazca Plate carries mostly oceanic crust, it is denser than the mostly continental South America. Further inland, giant landslides had buried villages and towns. 2. Various shots, ruined buildings, rubble, etc. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/day-1960-chilean-earthquake-and-tsunami Map showing the extent of the tsunami generated by the Chile earthquake of 1960. Chile has had: (M1.5 or greater) 3 earthquakes in the past 24 hours 11 earthquakes in the past 7 days; 57 earthquakes in the past 30 days; 751 earthquakes in the past 365 days Pop. The force of the sudden movement along a roughly 560–620-mile (900–1,000-km) stretch of the Nazca plate pushed part of the leading edge of the South American plate upward. From Chile the tsunami radiated outward, killing 61 people in Hawaii and 122 in Japan. #3 It was preceded by three earthquakes known as the 1960 Concepción earthquakes Before the Great Chilean earthquake, three earthquakes struck Chile which were a fore-shock to the main event and are known as the 1960 Concepción earthquakes.