Earthquake in Chile

Any help or information of missing persons can find on the page of Google Crisis Response.
On Saturday, the 27th of February 06:34 GMT (03:34 local time) happened to a strong earthquake opposite to the coasts of VII Region of the Maule, in Chile. The epicenter has been located to approximately 100 km Talca, the capital of the region, and to 320 km to the south-west of Santiago, capital of the country. The seismological services have registered it with magnitudes of:
8.8 USGS (USA) Brings 8.8 (earlier 8.3, now corrected) SSN (Chile) Brings
A big number of replies has registered, as it can be appreciated on the page of the USGS (or by means of his file of Google Earth), the page of the SSN or in Google Earthquake. This way the replies map is seen until now:
To see Earthquake in Chile 27/02/10 in a bigger map
Next we have the map of preliminary intensities calculated by the USGS:

This map shows the theoretical intensities (generated from a model) of the USGS, which values and colors correspond to the Scale of Mercalli. The central rectangle indicates the area of rupture of the earthquake, where it is more probable that replies happen. In this case, the earthquake would have generated intensities of up to VII and VIII along the whole region of the Maule, as well as adjacent regions with minor intensity, including the Argentina.

VII. Very Loudly. Stopping is difficult. Damaged furniture. Insignificant damages in structures of good design and construction. Light damages to moderated in well built ordinary structures. Considerable damages you structure poorly constructed. Damaged masonry. Perceptible for persons in vehicles in movement. VII. Destructive: Light damages in specializing structures. Considerable damages in well built ordinary structures, possible collapses. Severe damage in structures poorly built. Masonry seriously damaged or destroyed. Furniture completely out of place.

These values are confirmed in the map of reports of real intensities, also compiled by the USGS.

The preliminary written report of the USGS explains the origin of the earthquake (square brackets and linkage added by me):

This earthquake happened in the limit between the badges of Nazca and South American. Both badges converge [they shock one with other one] to a 80 mm valuation per year. The earthquake generated for a type movement inverse flaw in the contact between 2 badges, where the Nazca badge slides under the South American badge [in a process known as subduction]. (...) it is possible to wait for a strong and wide replies sequence.

The coast of Chile has a long earthquakes history. From 1973 7.0 have happened up to 13 magnitudes earthquakes or major.

This badges contact is indicated in the following graph by the purple line, with the epicenter of the earthquake to the center.

The PTWC expressed a tsunami alert for Chile, Peru and Ecuador, as well as for the rest of the Pacific Ocean. According to the first reports, the waves that came to the Chilean coasts would have reached between 0.5m and 1m of height, in addition to a locality with more of 2m of height. Nevertheless, this information is considered to be preliminary, since the real height of the waves might be much major, as they will confirm further on. Also there is reportardo the arrival of waves of tsunami of some tens centimeters to diverse regions of the basin of the Pacific Ocean, included Hawaii and Japan, as it appears in the following video:

The Hydrographic Service and Oceanográfico of the Navy of Chile brought light changes of the sea level, and discarded the tsunami alert, which would have been an error, since with the step of the hours there was revealed the flood and ravages that caused waves of between 10 and 15 meters in the islands Juan Fernández, as well as in the coastal localities of Concepcion, Talcahuano and someone others. The Direction of Hydrography and Navigation of the Marina of Peru also discarded the tsunami alert; nevertheless, after the retirement of the sea was observed in several localities, prevention measures were taken in case the comeback of the wave was violent, made that happily did not happen.

For these cases in which the opinion about the PTWC seems to be contradicted with that of the local institutions, the most advisable thing is to stay attentive before any strange occurrence in the sea. The PTWC explains (emphasizes added by me):

A tsunami is a series of waves and the first wave might not be the biggest. It is not possible to predict the height of the waves and it can change significantly along the coast due to local effects. The time between a wave of tsunami and the following one can be 5 minutes to 1 hour, and the threat can continue several hours as the multiple waves come.

When big waves are not observed for 2 hours from the estimated arrival time, or destructive waves have not happened for at least 2 hours, the local authorities can assume that the threat has happened. (...) Because the local conditions can cause a big changeability in the occurrence of waves of tsunami, the assertion of the event must be done by the local authorities.

Finally I recommend a series of linkage to diverse resources on this earthquake:
News: Earthquake Chile, Google News
Photos: Twitcaps, Flickr
Videos: YouTube
Real-time: Twitter
That is quite for the time being, of presenting some innovation to him, I will keep on updating the entry.
More news about earthquakes in the world in Seismology.
Blogalaxia Tags: earthquake quake earthquake chili santiago conception talca maule 27+de+febrero 2010 8.8 8.3 magnitude intensity photos videos map geology you answer tsunami epicenter USGS SSN - Thanks for reading the MiGeo feed: http://www.migeo.pe/