Chile, Valdivia (LEDC)
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Causes
The Great Chilean Earthquake was caused by a mega thrust (Subduction zone) occurring at a destructive margin. Here the Nazca Plate is forced downwards by the South American Plate creating a subduction zone and in this case creates the Peru-Chile Trench. The Nazca Plate is being forced down as it is a oceanic crust and is younger, heavier and can sink. The South American Plate on the other hand is continental is lighter and is permanent. Therefore the Nazca Plate is being destroyed at the plate boundary. The earthquake happened as pressure was built up as friction was present as the Nazca Plate moved down and it was then released as the plates got pass one another to create the 9.5 magnitude earthquake.
Social Impacts
The earthquake was estimated to have destroyed 40% of all houses in Valdivia leaving 20,000 people homeless and many of the people may of left the town all together as the city blocks remained empty until the 1990's. Subsidence (when the land sinks downwards) was present as the soil destroyed buildings, sank riverbeds and created wetlands as it flooded some areas. The city also lost all water and electricity supply, with the lack of portable water being a major problem for the region. After the initial impact America set up a field hospital and Mexico donated a public school. The total death toll was estimated from 2,200 to 6,000 and was due to the low population density of the area.
Economic Impacts
The earthquake and tsunami caused much damage not only to Chile but other place around the world such as Hawaii and Japan. The estimated cost of the damage of the time for Chile was estimated of US $400 million to US $800 million (or $2.9-$5.8 billion dollars to these times). Japan faced US $50 million worth of damage and Hawaii with US $75 million. The earthquake also destroyed industrial buildings of the area and took out the dairy industry with farms, barns, livestock and people being killed/ destroyed from the earthquake and following tsunami.
Environmental Impacts
The earthquake created many environmental impacts with the main one being the tsunami following the earthquake. The tsunami caused and made a larger spread of damage reaching Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, eastern New Zealand, south-east Australia. The earthquake triggered landslides around Valdivia in particular along the southern parts of the Andes Mountain Range. Though these landslides did not cause much causalities due to no inhabitants within the area. But the landslides did happen to block lakes which started to flood; the lakes were quickly looked after as workers came to prevent flooding with blocking it up with mud carried by bulldozers. The earthquake also lead to a volcanic eruption at Cordon Caulle with 48hrs after the earthquake. More eruptions may of occurred but due to the lack of communication at the time this is unknown.
The Great Chilean Earthquake was caused by a mega thrust (Subduction zone) occurring at a destructive margin. Here the Nazca Plate is forced downwards by the South American Plate creating a subduction zone and in this case creates the Peru-Chile Trench. The Nazca Plate is being forced down as it is a oceanic crust and is younger, heavier and can sink. The South American Plate on the other hand is continental is lighter and is permanent. Therefore the Nazca Plate is being destroyed at the plate boundary. The earthquake happened as pressure was built up as friction was present as the Nazca Plate moved down and it was then released as the plates got pass one another to create the 9.5 magnitude earthquake.
Social Impacts
The earthquake was estimated to have destroyed 40% of all houses in Valdivia leaving 20,000 people homeless and many of the people may of left the town all together as the city blocks remained empty until the 1990's. Subsidence (when the land sinks downwards) was present as the soil destroyed buildings, sank riverbeds and created wetlands as it flooded some areas. The city also lost all water and electricity supply, with the lack of portable water being a major problem for the region. After the initial impact America set up a field hospital and Mexico donated a public school. The total death toll was estimated from 2,200 to 6,000 and was due to the low population density of the area.
Economic Impacts
The earthquake and tsunami caused much damage not only to Chile but other place around the world such as Hawaii and Japan. The estimated cost of the damage of the time for Chile was estimated of US $400 million to US $800 million (or $2.9-$5.8 billion dollars to these times). Japan faced US $50 million worth of damage and Hawaii with US $75 million. The earthquake also destroyed industrial buildings of the area and took out the dairy industry with farms, barns, livestock and people being killed/ destroyed from the earthquake and following tsunami.
Environmental Impacts
The earthquake created many environmental impacts with the main one being the tsunami following the earthquake. The tsunami caused and made a larger spread of damage reaching Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, eastern New Zealand, south-east Australia. The earthquake triggered landslides around Valdivia in particular along the southern parts of the Andes Mountain Range. Though these landslides did not cause much causalities due to no inhabitants within the area. But the landslides did happen to block lakes which started to flood; the lakes were quickly looked after as workers came to prevent flooding with blocking it up with mud carried by bulldozers. The earthquake also lead to a volcanic eruption at Cordon Caulle with 48hrs after the earthquake. More eruptions may of occurred but due to the lack of communication at the time this is unknown.