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Chilean City Moved 10 Feet West in Quake

Geologists think quake will be most important ever studied

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 9, 2010 9:17 AM CST

(Newser) – The earthquake that struck Chile on Feb. 27 was so massive that it moved the entire city of Concepcion 10 feet to the west, according to one new study. Concepcion isn’t far from the quake’s epicenter in Maule, but other, more distant towns moved as well. Santiago moved 11 inches, and even Buenos Aires, which is 800 miles from Maule, moved an inch.

One earth scientist who worked on the project believes the Chile quake will possibly be “the most important great earthquake yet studied.” The 8.8-magnitude quake was the fifth strongest on record, and occurred in a subduction zone—an area where an oceanic plate meets a continental one. Such zones have historically produced the strongest quakes, and this time scientists have more modern, precise instruments at their disposal.

A soldier walks next to an earthquake damaged building in Concepcion, Chile, Sunday, March 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Aliosha Marquez)

A Chilean flag flies at a camp for earthquake survivors in Concepcion, Chile, Sunday, March 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Aliosha Marquez)

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JoeQ

Mar 9, 2010 9:24 PM CST

It's amazing they can measure such small distances nowadays using GPS. Just a few years back you needed to observe satellites and run computer programs to figure out where you were within a quarter mile or so. . When they first rolled out GPS the pentagon had detuned the whole system so it only gave a general latitude and longitude. The earth scientists soon figured out how to get around that, and finally the pentagon relented on the whole detuning idea. Nowadays farmers use it to make their fields flatter, cops use it to find lost cell phones in an airport, trucking companies use it to watch their trucks, and mom and dad use it to see what little Johnny is up to. Earth scientists call tell now much the crust moves down to centimeters. Incredible.

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Chilean City Moved 10 Feet West in Quake

Geologists think quake will be most important ever studied

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Chile • geology • seismology • Chile earthquake • Concepcion, Chile

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Chilean City Moved 10 Feet West in Quake

Geologists think quake will be most important ever studied

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

Chile • geology • seismology • Chile earthquake • Concepcion, Chile

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

[ By Comments ]

More Newser Stories

Chile Panics as 6.2 Quake Hits

No damage reported as quake hits uncomfortable close to last disaster

In One Chilean City, Quake Causes Flashbacks

Valdivia suffered strongest quake in history in 1960

Did Drilling Cause Oklahoma's Quakes?

Some blame fracking, amid sketchy evidence

Earthquake Prediction: California Is Next

And hit to San Andreas or Cascadia faults could be even 'scarier'

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Largest aftershock of Chile quake rattled buildings, dignitaries

About Us

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Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

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More News

What is Newser?