Disaster Declared for Chile Quake Zone

SEISMIC HAZARD
LARGE EARTHQUAKE ALONG PERU-CHILE TRENCH
DISASTER DECLARED FOR EQ ZONE
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Chile declares disaster zones after major earthquake

Chilean President has declared parts of northern Chile disaster areas after a large earthquake measuring 8.2Mw struck offshore about 95km NW of Iquique.

The quake struck off the northern coast of Chile late Tuesday, triggering tsunami waves of up to 2.1m that hit the coastal areas.

There have been reports of large landslides, fires, power cuts and prison escapes. The landslides reportedly blocked highways, hampering mass evacuation efforts.

Quake-related deaths stood at five, with more than 80,000 people displaced as of posting,  reported the interior ministry.

President Bachelet said she would visit Arica and Tarapaca regions on Wednesday, and would dispatch the military  to the disaster areas to prevent looting and disorder.

Earthquake Details

Magnitude: 8.2Mw
Location: 19.642°S, 70.817°W
Depth: 20.1km (12.5mi)
Date/Time: 2014-04-01 at 23:46:46 UTC
Nearby Cities: 95km (59mi) NW of Iquique, Chile

Aftershocks

Dozens of aftershocks, including at least 27 significant shocks measuring up to 6.2Mw have struck the area as of posting.

Earthquake Location Map. Source: USGS/EHP

Since march 16, hundreds of earthquakes have occurred along the Peru-Chile trench off the northern coast of Chile. A 6.7 magnitude quake struck the region on March 16, prompting the authorities to evacuate about 120,000 people in low-lying areas.

FIRE-EARTH Earthquake Forecast for Chile

On March 17, 2014, FIRE-EARTH posted an Earthquake Forecast for Chile, which was immediately hacked. The update was posted at Another Significant Aftershock Strikes Coastal Chile, on the same day, which stated:

FIRE-EARTH Models show a large earthquake could strike along Peru-Chile Trench in the coming weeks.

Tsunami Forecast: Large tsunami waves highly probable.

Forecast Details

• Magnitude: ≥8.2Mw
• Location: 23.6°S, 70.8ºW
• Depth: 30km
• Time: March 17 – April 29, 2014
• Probability of Occurrence: 0.75
• Total Earthquake Energy for the Episode ≥ 0.25EJ

Tsunami Warning/ Watch/ Advisory

A TSUNAMI ADVISORY CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR THE STATE OF HAWAII, according to NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI.

Related Links

• M8.2 Strikes Coast of Chile April 2, 2014
• Enhanced Seismicity Continues Along Peru-Chile Trench on March 24, 2014
• Significant Seismic Activity Continues Along Peru-Chile Trench March 22, 2014
• FIRE-EARTH Forecast: Large Earthquake Could Strike Peru-Chile Trench March 17, 2014
• Another Significant Aftershock Strikes Coastal Chile March 17, 2014
• Intense Seismicity Along Peru-Chile Trench March 16, 2014