Chile: 1 Million Evacuated and 5 Dead After Earthquake Magnitude 8.3

In Chile, 1 million people have been evacuated and at least five people have been killed after a powerful 8.3-magnitude earthquake which caused flooding in coastal areas. Fifteen-foot waves struck the hard-hit coastal town of Coquimbo. Hundreds of thousands are without electricity.

Tectonic Summary

The September 16, 2015 M 8.3 earthquake west of Illapel, Chile, occurred as the result of thrust faulting on the interface between the Nazca and South America plates in Central Chile. At the latitude of this event, the Nazca plate is moving towards the east-northeast at a velocity of 74 mm/yr with respect to South America, and begins its subduction beneath the continent at the Peru-Chile Trench, 85 km to the west of the September 16 earthquake. The size, location, depth and mechanism of this event are all consistent with its occurrence on the megathrust interface in this region.