1960 Concepción earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 1960 Concepción earthquake was actually a succession of three destructive earthquake
s that happened between 21 and 22 May 1960.
The first was on May 21 at 06:02 UTC-4
. Its epicenter
was west of Curanilahue
, Biobío Region, Chile
, and its magnitude was 7,9 or 8,3MW
and 7,3 or 7,5MS
. In this earthquake, which lasted 35 seconds, was destroyed one third of the buildings in the city of Concepción.
The second happened on May 22 at 06:32 UTC-4
. Its epicenter was east of Curanilahue
, Biobío Region, Chile
, and its magnitude was 7,3 MS
.
The third happened the same day at 14:55 UTC-4
. Its magnitude was 7,8 MS
. This earthquake happened 15 minutes before the 1960 Valdivia earthquake.
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s that happened between 21 and 22 May 1960.
The first was on May 21 at 06:02 UTC-4
UTC-4
UTC−04-00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of −04.This offset is used in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone in Canada and the North American Eastern Time Zone during daylight saving time , in the Caribbean region this is considered as the Eastern Caribbean timezone...
. Its epicenter
Epicenter
The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth's surface that is directly above the hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or underground explosion originates...
was west of Curanilahue
Curanilahue
Curanilahue is a Chilean commune and city in Arauco Province, Biobío Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Curanilahue spans an area of and has 31,943 inhabitants . Of these, 30,126 lived in urban areas and 1,817 in rural areas...
, Biobío Region, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and its magnitude was 7,9 or 8,3MW
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
and 7,3 or 7,5MS
Surface wave magnitude
The surface wave magnitude scale is one of the magnitude scales used in seismology to describe the size of an earthquake. It is based on measurements in Rayleigh surface waves that travel primarily along the uppermost layers of the earth...
. In this earthquake, which lasted 35 seconds, was destroyed one third of the buildings in the city of Concepción.
| 21 May at 6:02 UTC earthquake | ||
|---|---|---|
| City | Mercalli intensity scale Mercalli intensity scale The Mercalli intensity scale is a seismic scale used for measuring the intensity of an earthquake. It measures the effects of an earthquake, and is distinct from the moment magnitude M_w usually reported for an earthquake , which is a measure of the energy released... | | Damage |
| Concepción | IX | 125 dead. One third of the buildings was destroyed. |
| Talcahuano Talcahuano Talcahuano is a port city and commune in the Biobío Region of Chile. It is part of the Greater Concepción conurbation. Talcahuano is located in the south of the Central Zone of Chile.-Geography:... |
IX | 65% of buildings were destroyed. |
| Coronel | IX | |
| Lota Lota, Chile Lota is a city and commune located in the center of the Chile on the Gulf of Arauco. It lies within the Concepción Province of the Biobío Region.-History:... |
IX | |
| Lebu Lebu, Chile Lebu is a port city and commune in central Chile administered by the Municipality of Lebu. Lebu is also the capital of Arauco Province in Bío-Bío Region... |
X | |
The second happened on May 22 at 06:32 UTC-4
UTC-4
UTC−04-00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of −04.This offset is used in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone in Canada and the North American Eastern Time Zone during daylight saving time , in the Caribbean region this is considered as the Eastern Caribbean timezone...
. Its epicenter was east of Curanilahue
Curanilahue
Curanilahue is a Chilean commune and city in Arauco Province, Biobío Region.-Demographics:According to the 2002 census of the National Statistics Institute, Curanilahue spans an area of and has 31,943 inhabitants . Of these, 30,126 lived in urban areas and 1,817 in rural areas...
, Biobío Region, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and its magnitude was 7,3 MS
Surface wave magnitude
The surface wave magnitude scale is one of the magnitude scales used in seismology to describe the size of an earthquake. It is based on measurements in Rayleigh surface waves that travel primarily along the uppermost layers of the earth...
.
The third happened the same day at 14:55 UTC-4
UTC-4
UTC−04-00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of −04.This offset is used in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone in Canada and the North American Eastern Time Zone during daylight saving time , in the Caribbean region this is considered as the Eastern Caribbean timezone...
. Its magnitude was 7,8 MS
Surface wave magnitude
The surface wave magnitude scale is one of the magnitude scales used in seismology to describe the size of an earthquake. It is based on measurements in Rayleigh surface waves that travel primarily along the uppermost layers of the earth...
. This earthquake happened 15 minutes before the 1960 Valdivia earthquake.