How Big Was the 1960 Chile Earthquake?

The 1960 Chile earthquake is quite astounding. It measured a 9.5 on the Moment Magnitude Scale, of which the highest any earthquake can possible measure is a 10.

The Chilean earthquake of 1960 receives the title of the biggest earthquake ever measured. It was named the largest earthquake ever in terms of how much energy was released from the shake, not by how many people died or by how much damage was caused.

Impact of the 1960 Chilean Earthquake

As we are sure that you can imagine, this earthquake had enormous impact since it was of such grand proportions. Here are some of the effects:

• Although there was not the most damage ever due to an earthquake, repair for man made structures cost over half a billion dollars.
• A great mass of materials came flying down the mountains during this earthquake. Landslides occurred, and debris and rock came tumbling on down. Obviously, this creates unsafe conditions, but also altered the surface and landscape of the region to a great degree.
• The landslides changed the way that the bodies of water were situated in the area. Some of the rivers got completely cut off, which wound up forming new lakes. Other rivers were entirely rerouted, sending their waters and the inhabitants on new paths.
• Areas on the coast of Chile sunk. As the land levels decreased, the water levels around it increased, causing massive flooding in some of these coastal regions.
• The earthquake caused tsunamis which traveled thousands of miles around the world. Places such as Hawaii, Japan, and the Philippines experienced severe damage due to the force of these powerful waves.

If you think that an earthquake only has repercussions for the place of origin, you are certainly incorrect, as you can see from all of the results of the shake.

Human Losses

The earthquake in Chile did not have the most human deaths as a result. In fact, it does not even appear on the top 10 list of deadliest earthquakes, which is quite an interesting observation.

The number of human losses because of the Chilean earthquake of 1960 totalled 1655. The most deaths on record due to an earthquake is an estimated 820,000 to 830,000 in a 1556 earthquake in China. In modern times, the 2004 earthquake in Indonesia claimed over 230,000 victims.

Tracking Past Earthquakes

The 1960 Chile earthquake was certainly the largest earthquake reported; however, it may or may not have been the biggest earthquake experienced.

Throughout the history of the world, there have been scores upon scores of immense earthquakes. We might not even know about some of them, especially if they happened a long time ago. However, in general, scientists, archaeologists, and others in the field are able to determine dramatic weather episodes and shifts in the earth from quite awhile back. There is no doubt that the 1960 Chile earthquake was a huge earthquake event.