Chile.. 8.8 in magnitude earthquake! Unheard of right?? ..Wrong! The area around Chile is extremely active and has been for years. According to the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), Coastal Chile has experienced 13 events of earthquakes at magnitudes 7.0 and higher since 1973. This isn't exactly a long period of time, so you can clearly understand how active this area really is. In fact, the tectonic plates around Chile move at 80 millimeters per year.
Even though a few millimeters doesn't exactly seem like a lot in terms of movement, towards the inner core of the Earth, it really is. When tectonic plates move, there is a series of compression and shearing that takes place between the plates. This activity then causes waves to generate and move towards the surface of the earth, therefore resulting in an earthquake.
The Image above is a graph of seismic activity. You can clearly see where the recent "hot spots" are in red, as well as any locations of activity over the past five years in pink. Contrary to what most understand, there has been a lot of activity going on over the years!
have you ever experienced an earthquake? I was in Cali for a 6.something when I was a kid. Very weird feeling...
ReplyDeletekeep posting.
-prof O