I am reading about the Chile earthquake and tsunami that took place in 1960. I w

Question

I am reading about the Chile earthquake and tsunami that took place in 1960. I was given this article to read and answer questions. The only question I am having trouble answering is this one:

https://www.npr.org/2016/08/29/490239181/when-the-biggest-earthquake-ever-recorded-hit-chile-it-rocked-the-world

4. Why would the size and shape of Chile have changed the way it did

Chile actually grew in size during the earthquake and I cannot figure out why. I know it has to do with it being a convergent boundary but I'm stuck..

Please emphasize on how the earthquake changed the size of chile. Thank you

Explanation / Answer

GREAT CHILEAN EARTHQUAKE also termed as Valdivia earthquake occurred on 22 may 1960 an earthquake off the coast of South Central Chile. Till date this particular earthquake is considered as most powerful megathrust ever recorded on earth, with a magnitude of about 9.5.

Chile lies over the NAZCA PLATE and SOUTH AMERICAN PLATE and there has been subduction zone built in between both these plates. Typically Nazca plate do move only nine centimeters a year but at this subduction zones pressure was built and Nazca plate was moved fifteen metres under the south American plate. This sudden movement resulted in a 9.5 magnitude earthquake, pushing the tsunami hundreds of miles.

Basically megathrust earthquakes can generate tsunami and this Chilean earthquake resulted tsunami caused localized tsunamis which severely battered the Chilean coast with waves upto 25 metres. The source of this earthquake extended over a distance of about 1100 kilometers along the southern Chilean coast and seismic waves excited by the earthquake caused destruction in JAPAN, HAWAII and PACIFIC COAST of the United States.

The major reason why the earthquake changed the size and shape of chile is because of LANDSLIDES. This Chilean earthquake caused landslides effect where enormous amounts of debris and water from both earthquake and tsunami rushed across the Chilean landscape causing floods and thereby changing the size and shape of chile literally. This great damage struck chile but impacted the entire world and changed the world's view on natural hazards.

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