Week 16: Final

     Chile is exposed to a wide array of natural hazards. Among these hazards are earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, volcanic eruptions, and drought. The main natural hazards currently affecting Chile are earthquakes and tsunamis. Chile lies on the South American plate. Its West Coast borders the Nazca Plate, and its southernmost point is near the Antarctic Plate. The zone where these three plates meet is called the Chile Triple Junction. Chile is also a part of the Ring of Fire.

    Many earthquakes occur in Chile because it is part of the Ring of Fire and three tectonic plates intersect in the south. Chile has had multiple devastating earthquakes in the past, which makes earthquakes one of the most threatening natural hazards in Chile. Earthquakes can bring devastating effects, such as the destruction of infrastructure and tsunamis. They can also be life threatening. The largest earthquake occurred in 1960, and it had a magnitude of 9.5. This earthquake caused hundreds of buildings to collapse and it also triggered a tsunami. The earthquake and the resulting tsunami killed thousands of people and left around 2 million homeless. 

    Another natural hazard threatening Chile is tsunamis. Since Chile is on the Ring of Fire, it is prone to earthquakes, which in turn makes it prone to tsunamis. One example of a devastating tsunami occurred in 2010. This tsunami was triggered by a strong earthquake. Around 400,000 homes were destroyed and 500 people were killed. Many people were also left without water and electricity. Like earthquakes, tsunamis can threaten lives and damage infrastructure.

    While severe earthquakes and tsunamis are not extremely common, it is still vital to be aware of the risks and be prepared for an emergency. To help mitigate the effects of an earthquake or tsunami, efficient early warning systems must be installed. Alerts should be issued on radios, televisions, and phones. Additionally, there should be a phone app that issues alerts when an earthquake or tsunami is anticipated. Sirens should also be installed in towns to notify everyone of a natural hazard. Local organizations that educate the citizens on earthquakes and tsunamis should also be established. Such organizations can show town residents evacuation routes, provide emergency resources, and inform them on how to act during a natural hazard event. Finally, new urban planning regulations should be enforced. Chile’s coastline is 4,000 miles long, leaving much of the country exposed to tsunamis. Infrastructure should be constructed further away from the shore so it will not become damaged during a tsunami. Cities along the coastline should be helped first, as they experience earthquakes and tsunamis. Towns such as Puerto Montt and Biobio should be targeted for help because they have been severely damaged by earthquakes and tsunamis in the past.

    The best place to construct a house would be away from the coastline. An earthquake can strike anywhere, but coastline areas are in the most danger because they can suffer from both an earthquake and a tsunami. Earthquakes are common in all parts of Chile, but the Southernmost regions have a lower risk compared to the rest of the country. The regions of Tierra del Fuego and Ultima Esperanza, for instance, have less earthquakes and tsunamis. The inland areas of these regions are very isolated, but aren’t as frequently affected by earthquakes or tsunamis. 



Sources:

https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/explorations/12chile/background/edu/purpose.html#:~:text=Chile%2C%20and%20the%20other%20countries,called%20the%20East%20Pacific%20Rise.

https://www.britannica.com/event/Chile-earthquake-of-1960

https://www.britannica.com/event/Chile-earthquake-of-2010

https://reliefweb.int/report/chile/what-chile-did-right

https://www.worlddata.info/america/chile/tsunamis.php

https://thinkhazard.org/en/report/12962-chile-magallanes-y-antartica-chilena-ultima-esperanza/EQ


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Week 3: Earthquakes

Image
Being on the Ring of Fire makes Chile very prone to earthquakes. The seismic map below shows where most earthquakes occur in Chile. The red zones along the coast is where the most severe earthquakes happen. Chile has experienced many severe earthquakes before. The largest recorded earthquake happened in May of 1960, and had a magnitude of 9.5. This occurred west of Temuco. The most recent earthquake with the largest magnitude of 8.3 happened in 2015 near Illapel. Chile has an average of 1,024 earthquakes per year. Most of the earthquakes in Chile are of smaller magnitudes, and severe earthquakes do not occur that frequently.                                                     Earthquakes in Chile have led to tsunamis and collapsing buildings. Unfortunately, as a result, hundreds of people lost their lives. Chile makes a strong effort to keep its citizens...
Read more

Week 1: Introduction to Chile

Image
  Chile is a country located in South America. The capital of Chile is Santiago. Northern Chile is mostly a desert environment, whereas the central and southern regions are more temperate. Chile has a diverse landscape. It is bordered by the Andes Mountains in the east, and the Pacific Ocean in the west. As of 2024, the population is 19,777,514. Natural hazards are a natural event, such as an earthquake or a flood, that poses a threat to human life or property. A disaster is a high-risk situation that does not occur over a long span of time. A disaster can be classified by 100 or more people being affected, or the specific area of the event declaring a state of emergency. In contrast, a catastrophe is a major disaster that lasts over a longer period of time and requires large amounts of time and money to recover. A catastrophe is more severe than a disaster.  Links to sources:  People https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/chile-population/# chile-map  ...
Read more

Week 5: Volcanoes

Image
Chile is on the South American and Nazca tectonic plates. As a result of this, Chile often has earthquakes. Such earthquakes can trigger volcanic eruptions. One sign that a volcano could erupt is if there are frequent earthquakes occurring in one area for an extended period of time.  Around 2,000 volcanoes are spread across the Andes Mountains in Chile. Of these 2,000 volcanoes, only about 36 of them are currently active. After Indonesia, Chile has the largest volcano chain in the world! Most of the volcanoes in Chile are stratovolcanoes. Below is a picture of the Villarrica Volcano, which last erupted in 2024. It is one of the most active volcanoes in Chile. Although its last major eruption was in 1985, it has since had many small eruptions that affected neighboring regions.  While most of the volcanoes in Chile are inactive, it is still vital to have a strong plan on what to do in case of an eruption. The Chilean National Disaster Prevention and Response Service provides cit...
Read more