In 1960, the world experienced one of the strongest earthquakes in history. On May 22 at 3:11 p.m., a magnitude 9.5 earthquake struck Valdivia, Chile, causing devastation to more than 40 percent of buildings and houses in the city. The resulting ground crack was about 1,000 kilometers long and left two million people homeless. With an estimated 6,000 deaths, it was one of the deadliest natural disasters in history.
This disaster wasn’t limited to just Valdivia as it also triggered tsunamis that hit other countries such as Japan, the Philippines, and New Zealand. These tsunamis resulted in significant destruction and loss of life with over 230,000 individuals being affected globally. The west coast of the United States was also affected by these tsunamis resulting in additional damage amounting to half a billion dollars.
Prior to this major earthquake, three strong tremors shook the region with the first measuring 8.1 on the Richter scale. This region is situated in an area of high volcanic and seismic activity which makes it part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. Just 15 minutes before the largest earthquake hit Valdivia, another strong tremor occurred which caused further damage to the already fragile infrastructure.
After this disaster, seismologists discovered that it was linked to an active volcano called Cordon-Caulle which became active for the first time in 40 years after the earthquake struck Valdivia. This revelation highlights how closely related earthquakes are to volcanic eruptions and how they can be caused by them as well as their impact on human life and property damage both locally and globally
