2015 Illapel earthquake

File:South American plates.png

The earthquake occurred on thrust faults along the boundary of the Nazca and South American plates. The region frequently produces large earthquakes, and 15 others of magnitude 7 or higher have taken place within 400 km of the epicenter over the past 100 years. The last big quake that occurred in this region was the 1943 Ovalle earthquake, reaching a magnitude in the range 7.9–8.2; however, comparisons of the associated source time function (the time history of release of seismic moment) show that the 2015 event was significantly larger than the 1943 earthquake, in terms of duration, up-dip rupture extent and tsunami size.{{Cite journal|last1=Tilmann|first1=F.|last2=Zhang|first2=Y.|last3=Moreno|first3=M.|last4=Saul|first4=J.|last5=Eckelmann|first5=F.|last6=Palo|first6=M.|last7=Babeyko|first7=A.|last8=Chen|first8=K.|last9=Baez|first9=J.C.|last10= Schurr|first10= B.|last11=Wang|first11=R.|last12=Dahm|first12=T.|year=2015|title=The 2015 Illapel earthquake, central Chile: A type case for a characteristic earthquake?|journal=Geophysical Research Letters|volume=43|issue=2|pages=574–583|doi=10.1002/2015GL066963|url=http://gfzpublic.gfz-potsdam.de/pubman/item/escidoc:1423168|doi-access=free}}

This earthquake had an unusual foreshock, just 20 seconds before the main 8.3 earthquake, reaching a magnitude of 7.2. This has been considered as one of the most complex earthquakes to be ever studied in Chile.{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}

Illapel, an inland city of 30,000 residents, was reported immediately to be without electricity or drinking water.{{cite news|url=http://www.colliemail.com.au/story/3355449/tsunami-warning-after-powerful-earthquake-hits-chile/|title=Tsunami warning after powerful earthquake hits Chile|date=September 17, 2015|access-date=September 17, 2015|work=Collie Mail}} Many towns and small cities in the Coquimbo region saw a lot of damage, where the earthquake was felt with an intensity of VIII Mercalli. The panic took over the great cities like La Serena, Valparaiso and the capital Santiago. Two days after the quake, about 90,000 people were still without electricity.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-34285841|title=Chile quake: State of emergency declared for Coquimbo|publisher=BBC News|date=September 17, 2015|access-date=September 18, 2015}} On September 21, officials were reporting over 9,000 people had been left homeless by the quake.{{cite news|url=http://www.skynews.com.au/news/world/sthamerica/2015/09/21/thousands-left-homeless-by-chile-quake.html|access-date=September 21, 2015|publisher=Sky News|title=Thousands left homeless by Chile quake}}

Tall buildings swayed and car alarms were set off in Buenos Aires, {{convert|1110|km}} away,{{Cite news|title=Strong Chile earthquake sets off tsunami waves – BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-34275783|date=September 17, 2015|publisher=BBC News}} and the earthquake was felt in São Paulo, more than {{convert|2600|km}} away.{{cite web|url=http://m.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=distance+between+31.570°S+71.654°W+and+Sao+Paolo|title=Illapel to São Paulo: 2620 km|work=Wolfram Alpha|access-date=September 17, 2015}} The Argentine provinces of Mendoza, San Juan, Córdoba, Tucumán, La Rioja, San Luis and Santa Fe were also affected.{{cite web|url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1828476-el-sismo-se-sintio-con-fuerza-en-distintas-provincias-los-vecinos-se-autoevacuaron|title=El sismo se sintió con fuerza en distintas provincias: los vecinos se autoevacuaron|trans-title=The earthquake was strongly felt in several provinces: the neighbors self-evacuated|language=Spanish|author=Gabriela Origlia|author2=Pablo Mannino|name-list-style=amp|date=September 16, 2015|publisher=La Nación|access-date=September 16, 2015}} The AIR Worldwide put the insurance loss to 400–600 billion CLP (US$600–900 million), while Fitch Ratings estimated the economic loss was about US$100–1,000 million.{{cite news|url=https://www.theactuary.com/news/2015/09/2015/09/23/chile-earthquake-costs-insurers-between-400bn-and-600bn-chilean-pesos|title=Chile earthquake costs insurers between 400bn and 600bn Chilean pesos|work=The Actuary|date=September 25, 2015|access-date=September 27, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119052215/https://www.theactuary.com/news/2015/09/2015/09/23/chile-earthquake-costs-insurers-between-400bn-and-600bn-chilean-pesos|archive-date=January 19, 2021|url-status=live}}

Tsunami watches, warnings, and advisories were issued in Ecuador, Peru, New Zealand, Fiji, Solomon Islands, Hawaii, California and Japan.{{Cite web|title=〔チリ中部沖M8.3〕津波注意報発表中 太平洋沿岸で最大0.8mの津波観測(18日13時30分現在)（レスキューナウニュース） – Yahoo!ニュース|url=http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20150918-00000006-rescuenow-soci|access-date=September 18, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150921062842/http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20150918-00000006-rescuenow-soci|archive-date=September 21, 2015}} The first tsunami waves arrived on the Chilean coast within minutes.{{cite news|first=Eric|last=Holthaus|date=September 17, 2015|access-date=September 18, 2015|work=Slate|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2015/09/16/chile_earthquake_and_tsunami_hawaii_on_tsunami_alert_after_8_3_quake_strikes.html|title=Small Tsunami Reaches Hawaii and California, Widespread Damage Reported in Chile}} A series of waves reaching at least {{convert|4.5|m|ft|abbr=on}} high were observed along the coast of Coquimbo and the cities of Coquimbo, Tongoy and Concón nearby to Valparaíso reported flooding; large fishing vessels were swept into the streets of Coquimbo, which reported heavy damage. The port of Coquimbo, along with the Costanera, was heavily damaged.{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKCN0RG33E20150917|title=Chileans pick through debris after powerful quake; 10 dead|agency=Reuters|first=Felipe|last=Iturrieta|date=September 17, 2015|access-date=September 17, 2015}} The tsunami also damaged the iconic La Serena monumental lighthouse. The largest waves hit the uninhabited beach of La Cebada, running up to {{convert|13.6|m|ft|abbr=on}}. Waves up to {{convert|10.8|m|ft|abbr=on}} also hit the small village of Totoral.{{Cite web|title=Field Survey of the 2015 Chile Tsunami with Emphasis on Coastal Wetland and Conservation Areas|url=https://researchers.unab.cl/es/publications/field-survey-of-the-2015-chile-tsunami-with-emphasis-on-coastal-w|access-date=October 21, 2024}} Because of the remote location of the largest waves, this event caused comparatively less widespread devastation than other tsunamis of this size.

In the coastal city of Tongoy, large areas along the sea front were destroyed, along with the Tongoy beach itself, which was heavily affected by both earthquake and tsunami. Across the region at least 500 buildings were destroyed, while dozens of beachfront homes in Los Vilos were damaged or destroyed. A state of emergency was declared in Coquimbo a day after the tsunami, with troops to be deployed to the area.

Chilean authorities ordered the immediate evacuation of the coast due to tsunami risk,{{Cite news|title=Chile Earthquake Strikes Coast, Forcing Residents to Evacuate|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/17/world/americas/chile-earthquake.html|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 16, 2015|access-date=September 17, 2015|issn=0362-4331|first1=Pascale|last1=Bonnefoy|first2=Simon|last2=Romero}} with many people in coastal areas receiving automatic notices by cellphone shortly after the quake. The undersecretary for the ministry of the interior and public security reported that the evacuation affected one million people across the country.{{Cite web|title=Chile earthquake: massive 8.3 magnitude tremor strikes Santiago|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/sep/17/chile-earthquake-massive-83-magnitude-tremor-strikes-santiago-live-updates|work=The Guardian|date=September 17, 2015|access-date=September 17, 2015|first=Michael|last=Safi}}

Although causing significant damage, the Illapel earthquake's low death toll relative to the 525 casualties of the significantly more powerful 2010 Chile earthquake was credited, in part, to its occurrence in a less populated region, better coastal preparedness and an improved tsunami warning system, the longstanding enforcement of seismic building codes, and an improved emergency response.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/18/world/americas/chile-earthquake-tsunami-impact.html|title=Why Chile's Latest Big Earthquake Has a Smaller Death Toll|first1=Pascale|last1=Bonnefoy|first2=Patrick J.|last2=Lyons|work=The New York Times|date=September 17, 2015|access-date=September 18, 2015}}

{{gallery

|title=Damage in Coquimbo

|align=center

|File:Embarcaciones varadas en Coquimbo.JPG

|alt1=Ships on land

|Boats stranded in Coquimbo after the tsunami

|File:Avenida Baquedano destruida.JPG

|alt2=Damaged and collapsed buildings

|Street scene near the coast in Coquimbo in the quake and tsunami aftermath.

|File:Biblioteca de Coquimbo destruida por tsunami.JPG

|alt3=Interior of library with scattered books

|Coquimbo municipal library, after the tsunami

}}

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• 2010 Chile earthquake
• List of earthquakes in 2015
• List of earthquakes in Chile

{{Reflist|refs=}}

• {{citation|last1=Easton|first1=G.|last2=González-Alfaro|first2=J.|last3=Villalobos|first3=A.|last4=Álvarez|first4=G.|last5=Melgar|first5=D.|last6=Ruiz|first6=S.|last7=Sepúlveda|first7=B.|last8=Escobar|first8=M.|last9=León|first9=T. | last10=Carlos Báez | first10=J.|last11=Izquierdo|first11=T.|last12=Forch|first12=M.|last13=Abad|first13=M.|title=Complex Rupture of the 2015 Mw 8.3 Illapel Earthquake and Prehistoric Events in the Central Chile Tsunami Gap|journal=Seismological Research Letters|date=2022|volume=93|issue=3|pages=1479–1496|issn=0895-0695|doi=10.1785/0220210283|s2cid=247375743}}
• {{citation|doi=10.1785/0120190114|title=Transient Viscosity and Afterslip of the 2015 Mw 8.3 Illapel, Chile, Earthquake|journal=Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America|year=2019|last1=Guo|first1=Rumeng|last2=Zheng|first2=Yong|last3=Xu|first3=Jianqiao|last4=Riaz|first4=Muhammad Shahid|volume=109|issue=6|pages=2567–2581|bibcode=2019BuSSA.109.2567G|s2cid=210625395}}

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• {{EQ-isc-link|611531714}}

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Category:History of Coquimbo Region

Category:2015 disasters in South America