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2015 Illapel earthquake

Coordinates: 31°34′12″S 71°39′14″W / 31.570°S 71.654°W / -31.570; -71.654 (earthquake)
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2015 Illapel earthquake
USGS ShakeMap of the earthquake
UTC time??
Magnitude8.3 Mw[1]
Depth25.0 km (15.5 mi)
Epicenter31°34′12″S 71°39′14″W / 31.570°S 71.654°W / -31.570; -71.654 (earthquake)
Areas affected Chile
 Argentina[2]
Max. intensityVIII (Severe)
TsunamiYes
AftershocksEight of 6.0 Mw or higher
Casualties11 fatalities and 34 injuries in Chile 1 fatality and minor injuries in Argentina[3][4]

The 2015 Illapel earthquake occurred 46 km (29 mi) offshore from Illapel, Chile on September 16 at 19:54:33 Chile Standard Time (22:54:33 UTC) with a moment magnitude of 8.3[1][5] and lasting three minutes.[6] Several aftershocks of magnitude over 6 have taken place so far.[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] The Chilean government reported 11 deaths.[3][4] Another 34 people were injured.

Earthquake

The earthquake occurred on thrust faults along the boundary of the Nazca and South American plates. The region frequently produces large earthquakes, and 15 others of magnitude 7 or higher have taken place within 400 km of this epicenter over the past 100 years.[1]

Damage and range

Boats stranded in Coquimbo after the tsunami.

Illapel, an inland city of some 30,000 residents, was reported immediately to be without electricity or drinking water.[15] Two days after the quake, about 90,000 people were still without electricity.[16]

Tall buildings swayed and car alarms were set off in Buenos Aires, 1,110 km away,[3][17] and the earthquake was felt in São Paulo,[18] more than 2,600 km away.[19] The Argentine provinces of Mendoza, San Juan, Córdoba, Tucumán, La Rioja, San Luis and Santa Fe were affected by the earthquake as well.[20]

Tsunami

Street scene near the coast in Coquimbo in the quake and tsunami aftermath.

Tsunami watches, warnings, and advisories were issued in Ecuador, Peru, New Zealand, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Hawaii, California and Japan.[21] The first tsunami waves arrived on the Chilean coast within minutes.[22] A wave 4.5 m (15 ft) high was observed along the coast of Coquimbo and the cities of Coquimbo, Tongoy and Concón reported flooding;[3] large fishing vessels were swept into the streets of Coquimbo, which reported heavy damage.[23]

In Tongoy, "large parts of the sea front" were destroyed. Across the region at least 500 buildings were destroyed,[16] while dozens of beachfront homes in Los Vilos were damaged or destroyed.[23] A state of emergency was declared in Coquimbo a day after the tsunami, with troops to be deployed to the area.[16]

Evacuations

Chilean authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of the coast due to tsunami risk,[18] with many people in coastal areas receiving automatic notices by cellphone shortly after the quake.[6] The undersecretary for the ministry of the interior and public security reported that the evacuation affected one million people across the country.[3] The evacuation order was later cancelled.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "M8.3 – 46km W of Illapel, Chile". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  2. ^ Akkoc, Raziye; Alexander, Harriet (September 17, 2015). "Tsunami warnings from California to New Zealand after 8.3 quake hits Chile". The Telegraph.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Safi, Michael (September 17, 2015). "Chile earthquake: massive 8.3 magnitude tremor strikes Santiago". The Guardian. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  4. ^ a b "Gobierno confirma que cifra de fallecidos por terremoto aumenta a 10" [Government confirms that the number of deceased people by the earthquake increases to 10] (in Spanish). Ahora Noticias. September 17, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  5. ^ "Strong quake shakes Chile capital, causing buildings to sway", Associated Press, September 16, 2015. Accessed September 16, 2015
  6. ^ a b Henao, Luis Andres; Vergara, Eva (September 17, 2015). "Chile confronts major quake with fortified buildings, alerts". Associated Press. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  7. ^ "M6.4 – 58km W of Illapel, Chile". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  8. ^ "M6.1 – 44km WSW of Illapel, Chile". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  9. ^ "M6.2 – 70km W of Illapel, Chile". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  10. ^ "M7.0 – 25km W of Illapel, Chile". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  11. ^ "M6.4 - 64km NW of Illapel, Chile". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  12. ^ "M6.5 - 54km S of Ovalle, Chile". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  13. ^ "M6.7 - 53km W of Illapel, Chile". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  14. ^ "M 6.3 - 90km NW of Valparaiso, Chile". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  15. ^ "Tsunami warning after powerful earthquake hits Chile". Collie Mail. September 17, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  16. ^ a b c "Chile quake: State of emergency declared for Coquimbo". BBC News Online. September 17, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  17. ^ "Strong Chile earthquake sets off tsunami waves – BBC News". Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  18. ^ a b Bonnefoy, Pascale; Romero, Simon (September 16, 2015). "Chile Earthquake Strikes Coast, Forcing Residents to Evacuate". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  19. ^ "Illapel to São Paulo: 2620 km". Wolfram Alpha. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  20. ^ Gabriela Origlia and Pablo Mannino (September 16, 2015). "El sismo se sintió con fuerza en distintas provincias: los vecinos se autoevacuaron" (in Spanish). La Nación. Retrieved September 16, 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
  21. ^ "〔チリ中部沖M8.3〕津波注意報発表中 太平洋沿岸で最大0.8mの津波観測(18日13時30分現在)（レスキューナウニュース） - Yahoo!ニュース". Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  22. ^ Holthaus, Eric (September 17, 2015). "Small Tsunami Reaches Hawaii and California, Widespread Damage Reported in Chile". Slate. Retrieved September 18, 2015.
  23. ^ a b Iturrieta, Felipe (September 17, 2015). "Chileans pick through debris after powerful quake; 10 dead". Reuters. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
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