BREAKING 8.0 Magnitude earthquake in Northern Chile

[Col. Crackpot]

Associated Press

Magnitude-8.0 quake strikes northern Chile

By LUIS ANDRES HENAO
Associated Press


SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) -- A powerful magnitude-8.0 earthquake struck in off Chile's northern coast Tuesday night, and authorities ordered an evacuation of coastal areas in case of a tsunami. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck 61 miles (99 kilometers) northwest of the city of Iquique at 8:46 p.m., shaking a region that has been rocked by numerous quakes over the past two weeks.

The latest tremor also shook buildings in parts of the nearby nations of Bolivia and Peru. Waves measuring almost 2 meters (6 1/2 feet) already were striking cities on the northern coast.

A tsunami was expected to reach nearby cities throughout the night, and local TV images showed residents evacuating calmly. Chile's Emergency Office said a large tsunami wave was expected to hit the island of Juan Fernandez just before midnight local time.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued an alert for all of Latin America's Pacific coast.

Chile is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries. A magnitude-8.8 quake and ensuing tsunami in central Chile in 2010 killed more than 500 people, destroyed 220,000 homes, and washed away docks, riverfronts and seaside resorts.

The strongest earthquake ever recorded on Earth also happened in Chile - a magnitude-9.5 tremor in 1960 that killed more than 5,000 people.

Hundreds of earthquakes have shaken Chile's far-northern coast in the past two weeks, keeping people on edge as scientists said there was no way to tell if the unusual string of tremors was a harbinger of an impending disaster.

The unnerving activity began with a strong magnitude-6.7 quake on March 16 that caused more than 100,000 people to briefly evacuate low-lying areas, although no tsunami materialized and there was little physical damage from the shaking.

That's a big one...

[Eternal_Freedom]

According to the BBC it's up to 8.2 now and 2m waves are already hitting the coast 45 minutes after the quake, which was only 10km below the surface. Damn.

Source

An earthquake of 8.2 magnitude has struck off northern Chile, triggering a tsunami warning for all of Latin America's Pacific coastline, the US Geological Survey says.

It said the quake was very shallow, only 10km below the seabed, striking 86km (56 miles) north-west of the mining area of Iquique.

There are reports of 2m (6ft) waves heading for the Chilean coastline.

Chilean authorities have ordered the speedy evacuation of coastal areas.

There are some reports of landslides hitting highways.

A warning from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (TWC) said that the coasts of Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Nicaragua were all at risk of a tsunami.

"Everyone along our coast should be alert and ready," Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa said on Twitter.

The Chilean navy said some high waves had hit the coast within 45 minutes of the quake.

"An earthquake of this size has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines near the epicentre within minutes and more distant coastlines within hours," a TWC statement said.

Chile is one of the most seismically active countries in the world.

Central and southern areas of the country were hit by a powerful earthquake of 8.8 magnitude quake followed by a tsunami that devastated scores of towns in February 2010.

[Crossroads Inc.]

I heard a Tsunami has been sighted, but cannot find anything searching online for evidence.
8.Anything is MASSIVE, I am curious how this will play out. It sounds as though they got evacuations going within seconds of the quake being recorded.

Hears hoping there will be minimal deaths. Although I am curious how big the wave may be....

EDIT:
Here we go,
Wave hits news:
http://rt.com/news/earthquake-strikes-c ... uique-713/

A tsunami wave has hit the northern coast of Chile after a massive 8.2 magnitude earthquake struck off the country's shore Tuesday.

The Chilean navy said the first sign of the tsunami hitting the coast was within 45 minutes of the quake.

Chile’s emergency ministry ONEMI says there have been reports of landslides causing some blockage on roads and highways.

The quake occurred Tuesday 95 km northwest mining area of Iquique. The epicenter was located at a shallow depth of about 20km below the seabed.

Three aftershocks – ranging from magnitude 5 to 5.4 - have been reported in northern Chile, according to Telemundo.

All of the Latin American Pacific coast is under threat for tsunami activity, according to the USGS. A tsunami warning has been issued for Chile, Peru, and Ecaudor, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Nicaragua are under tsunami watch.

Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC) said in a bulletin. "It may have been destructive along coasts near the earthquake epicenter and could also be a threat to more distant coasts.”

The Chile National Office of Emergency of the Interior Ministry has ordered a preventative evacuation for the coastal areas of Arica, Parinacota, and Tarapacá, La Tercera reported.

[Pelranius]

Peru might be the most vulnerable to tsunamis, given proximity to earth quake, population density near the coast and sometimes lenient enforcement of building codes.

[Broomstick]

I heard a Tsunami has been sighted, but cannot find anything searching online for evidence.
8.Anything is MASSIVE, I am curious how this will play out. It sounds as though they got evacuations going within seconds of the quake being recorded.

Ever since the Boxing Day Tsunami people worldwide seem to take the tsunami threat a lot more seriously, and even more so since the 2011 Japan quake. I suspect that will help to limit casualties.

[Eternal_Freedom]

Well according to one of the initial articles posted everyone was on alert after that smaller quake earlier in March. No doubt that helped speed up evacuations.

[Borgholio]

Well according to one of the initial articles posted everyone was on alert after that smaller quake earlier in March. No doubt that helped speed up evacuations.

Yeah when 6.7 is considered "smaller", even those of us in CA begin to worry.

[Mr. Coffee]

Somewhere in Chile right before this happened a father sat down next to his young son and said "Hey, pull my finger". There is no amount of therapy that will help that child.

[Eternal_Freedom]

Somewhere in Chile right before this happened a father sat down next to his young son and said "Hey, pull my finger". There is no amount of therapy that will help that child.

I want to hate you but that's actually pretty funny, damnit.

On a serious note, I haven't seen any more articles on BBC, and I dunno whether that's good or bad. I'm inclined to say good.

[Zaune]

Somewhere in Chile right before this happened a father sat down next to his young son and said "Hey, pull my finger". There is no amount of therapy that will help that child.

As someone who nearly lost relatives to the Boxing Day Tsunami, I should really not be laughing this hard.