![]() The base map layer uses a digital elevation model and a bathymetry map to show the contours of the land surface and seafloor. ![]() Larger quakes are represented by larger circles. Circles show the location of earthquakes and aftershocks in the two days after the initial M8.3 earthquake, as reported by the USGS National Earthquake Information Center. Areas where the ground shifted the most (vertically, horizontally, or both) are represented in yellow, while areas with little change are represented in purple. On both the close-up and the broad-view maps, the amount of land motion is represented in shades from yellow to purple. By comparing measurements made on August 24 and September 17, Cunren Liang, Eric Fielding, and other researchers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory were able to determine how the land surface shifted during and after the earthquake. Sentinel-1A carries a synthetic aperture radar (SAR) instrument, which beams radio signals toward the ground and measures the reflections to determine the distance between the ground and the satellite. The maps above show how the Earth moved in mid-September, as observed by the Copernicus Sentinel-1A satellite (operated by the European Space Agency) and reported by ground stations to the U.S. Still, demanding building codes and extensive disaster preparedness meant the loss of life and property was much less than in other, smaller earthquakes around the world (such as Nepal or Haiti). The earthquake and tsunami caused substantial damage in several Chilean coastal towns, and at least 13 deaths have been reported. Smaller tsunami waves raced across the Pacific and showed up on the shores of Hawaii and other islands. The most recent occurred on September 16, 2015, when a magnitude 8.3 quake struck near the coast of central Chile along the boundary of the Nazca and South American tectonic plates.ĭubbed the Illapel earthquake, the shaking lasted at least three minutes and propelled a 4.5-meter (15-foot) tsunami wave that washed into Coquimbo and other coastal areas. The strongest quake on record was recorded there in 1960, and at least three “ great” quakes have hit the country since 2000. Sitting along the southeast edge of the Pacific “ Ring of Fire,” Chile is no stranger to earthquakes and tsunamis.
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