Chile earthquake moved entire city 10 feet

Map depicting the movement of parts of South America as a result
of the Chile earthquake.  See a larger map below.  (Ohio State
University)

The monstrous magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck off the coast of Chile last month moved the city of Concepcion 10 feet to the west. Scientists also said that the nation’s capital of Santiago was shifted 11 inches to the west-southwest.

Last month’s temblor, the fifth largest earthquake since 1900, has already been shown to have been powerful enough to have shifted the earth’s axis and shortened the length of Earth’s days.

Not only were cities in Chile affected, but other locations much farther away were moved as well. Buenos Aires in Argentina on the other side of the South American continent moved 1 inch to the west. Valparaiso and Mendoza, Argentina also recorded significant movement. The Falkland Islands and Fortaleza, Brazil, far from the epicenter were moved.

News of the significant movement of the Earth was announced yesterday but scientists from Ohio State University, the University of Hawaii, the University of Memphis and the California Institute of Technology.

Mike Bevis, professor of earth sciences at Ohio State University, said that the team compared GPS measurements taken before the quake to ones recorded since. “By reoccupying the existing GPS stations, CAP can determine the displacements, or 'jumps', that occurred during the earthquake,” he said.

The west coast of South America is part of the region known as the Pacific Ring of Fire – a volcanically and seismically active region that encircles much of the Pacific Ocean. Researchers said last month’s quake occucred where the Nazca tectonic plate is being forced underneath the South American Plate.

Related:

• Chile earthquake ties for fifth most powerful since 1900
• Largest earthquake in history - Magnitude 9.5 near Chile, May 22, 1960

Preliminary Coseismic Displacement Field M 8.8 Maule Earthquake, Chile, Feb 27 2010
(Ohio State University)

On the net: Researchers show how far South American cities moved in quake