The earthquake in Chile is 8.8 on the Richter Scale so it is of extreme intensity - ground movement is about 63 times that generated in the Haitian quake (Richter scale 7) while 483 times the energy was generated in the earthquake. The Richter scale is calculated as the logarithm to base 10 of the amplitude of the strongest wave of the quake. The damage in Chile is immense – hundreds killed and 1.5 million left homeless – but the effects are less severe than they would have been had Chile not been prepared. The most intense earthquake in history occurred in Chile in 1960 – 9.5 on the Richter scale – and this killed 2,000 people. Indeed the tsunami induced by that quake induced 25 metre high waves which battered Chile and sites 10,000 kilometres away. The Chilians have consequently set high building standards in order to accommodate anticipated shocks – much of the damage will be concentrated in buildings not covered by such regulation.
Recent Comments