• Chile Earthquake
• Winter Destruction, Round 2
• Grabbing Gold  by the Handful 

Chile Earthquake

By Sarah Matson

Fifty years ago, on May 22, 1960, Chile was annihilated by an earthquake with a magnitude of 9.5 in Valdivia. It was recorded as being the largest earthquake in recorded history, and for releasing the most energy. While many other earthquakes have struck Chile since 1960, the magnitudes of these subsequent earthquakes have never been as devastating. The earthquake resulted in several tsunamis to nearby countries, such as Japan, the Philippines, and Hawaii. Although the 1960 earthquake was the largest earthquake at the time, about one month ago an earthquake slightly smaller devastated Chile just as much.

On February 27^th, the Maule Region in Chile was hit by yet another earthquake just before 3:30 in the afternoon, lasting approximately three minutes. This earthquake had a magnitude of 8.8 and was over 22 miles deep.

The earthquake was the result of the Nazca and South American tectonic plates converging. There were several aftershocks at a less severe magnitude from the initial earthquake which resulted in more damage. There was an estimated 1.5 million people displaced as a result of the many aftershocks.

The Chilean President, Michelle Bachelet said, "The forces of nature have hurt our country greatly. We are now having to face adversity and stand again."

The 2010 earthquake in Chile was tied for the fifth largest earthquake in the world since 1900. Both in 1960 and 2010, the destruction was not nearly as bad as it could have been due to the sufficient structures of the buildings. This earthquake was far less destructive than the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti a month earlier. This is because the building codes in Chile were modified and more stringent than Haiti.

Winter destruction, round 2
By: Cassandra Sullivan
 
February vacation was coming to an end with most final plans in place when New England weather decided to create chaos.
It was Thursday, February 25 night and the rain went from a light drizzle to a complete downpour in a matter of seconds, but that was only the beginning of what would become a devastating storm. Parts of New Hampshire and Massachusetts were hit with 60 mph winds, even stronger in some areas, which lead to destruction. Trees were knocked over and roots were taken right out of the ground in some places.
 
The rest of the environment was also greatly affected by this storm; lakes and ponds’ water levels became much higher than usual, damage was caused by falling trees and powerful gusts of winds, and to top it all off, there were power outages similar to those that occurred during the 2008 Ice Storm.
 
This fierce storm caused power outages throughout New Hampshire; an estimated 265,000 residents were without power. Most local towns were hit hard by this outrageous weather. Between Friday morning and Tuesday night most people received their power back, although some had to wait an even longer period of time. After this crazy weather had passed, the sun began to shine and the temperature was in the high 50’s and even hit 70 one day, which is definitely unusual for this time of year.
 
Two weeks later though, the rain and wind returned. The rain levels were at a new record high, six or more inches of rain fell across many places throughout New Hampshire and Massachusetts and caused damage in homes and outside of them as well. Many roads became flooded, some even had to be completely shut down due to the high amounts of water. Also, the wind caused more power outages as well as knocking trees down creating their own damage. There’s the old saying that March comes in like a lion and leaves like a lion, and it definitely has been true this year.