2016 Ecuador earthquake

Ecuador lies above the destructive plate boundary where the Nazca plate is subducting beneath the South American plate. The convergence rate between the plates in Ecuador is {{convert|61|mm|in|abbr=on}} per year. The depth, location and focal mechanism of the earthquake are all consistent with rupture along the plate interface in the form of a megathrust earthquake. A major earthquake in 1906 ruptured the plate interface for at least 400 km immediately northeast of the 2016 event.

In this particular event, the plate boundary ruptured an 80 × 60 km² area at a depth of between 15 and 44 km. The rupture failed to propagate towards the trench; ceasing about 60 km away. A maximum slip of 2.5 meters was estimated, while the average slip across the rupture was 0.7 meters.{{cite journal|author1=Mohammad Heidarzadeh|author2=Satoko Murotani|author3=Kenji Satake|author4=Tomohiro Takagawa|author5=Tatsuhiko Saito|title=Fault size and depth extent of the Ecuador earthquake (Mw 7.8) of 16 April 2016 from teleseismic and tsunami data|journal=Geophysical Research Letters|date=2017|volume=44|issue=5|pages=2211–2219|doi=10.1002/2017GL072545|bibcode=2017GeoRL..44.2211H|s2cid=132506664|url=https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/14824}}

The earthquake ruptured a part of the plate boundary that had previously ruptured in another magnitude 7.8 quake in 1942. The similar aftershock distribution and rupture characteristics suggest the 2016 event was a repeat of the earthquake in 1942. The 1942 earthquake marked the beginning of a supercycle of earthquakes re-rupturing the entire boundary previously broken during the large 1906 event. The last earthquake in the supercycle occurred in 1979. Another earthquake in 1958 also formed part of the supercycle.{{cite journal|author1=Lingling Ye|author2=Hiroo Kanamori|author3=Jean-Philippe Avouac|author4=Linyan Li|author5=Kwok Fai Cheung|author6=Thorne Lay|title=The 16 April 2016, MW 7.8 (MS 7.5) Ecuador earthquake: A quasi-repeat of the 1942 MS 7.5 earthquake and partial re-rupture of the 1906 MS 8.6 Colombia–Ecuador earthquake|journal=Earth and Planetary Science Letters|date=November 15, 2016|volume=454|pages=248–258|doi=10.1016/j.epsl.2016.09.006|bibcode=2016E&PSL.454..248Y|doi-access=free}}

{{expand section|date=April 2016}}

File:Shakemap Ecuador April 2016.jpg shakemap for the event]]

At 18:58 ECT on April 16, a 7.8 M_w earthquake struck the coast of Ecuador approximately {{convert|27|km|mi|abbr=on}} south-southeast of Muisne, in the province of Esmeraldas, at a depth of {{convert|20.6|km|mi|abbr=on}}.

Tremors were felt in neighboring Colombia and Peru;{{cite news|newspaper=USA Today|first1=Chris|last1=Woodyard|first2=Steph|last2=Solis|date=April 16, 2016|access-date=April 16, 2016|title=77 killed, hundreds injured in Ecuador's 7.8 earthquake|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2016/04/16/ecuador-capital-sways-74-earthquake/83143472/}} a clinic in Cali, Colombia, was evacuated as a precautionary measure. A tsunami alert was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center for Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Fiji, Panama, and Peru.{{cite news|author=Avinesh Gopal|newspaper=Fiji Times|date=April 17, 2016|access-date=April 17, 2016|title=Tsunami warning for Fiji|url=http://fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=350066|archive-date=April 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420053442/http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=350066|url-status=dead}} This is the largest earthquake to strike Ecuador since the 1979 Tumaco earthquake.{{cite news|agency=Reuters|first1=Phil|last1=Helsel|first2=Andrew|last2=Rudansky|first3=Gemma|last3=Dicasimirro|publisher=NBC News|date=April 16, 2016|access-date=April 16, 2016|title=77 Dead After 7.8-Magnitude Earthquake Hits Near Ecuador's Coast|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/7-8-magnitude-earthquake-hits-near-ecuador-s-coast-usgs-n557181}}

According to Mayor Gabriel Alcivar, much of the town of Pedernales, about 35 km to the south-southwest of the earthquake's epicenter, was leveled. In Guayaquil—approximately {{convert|300|km|mi|abbr=on}} from the epicenter—an overpass collapsed on a car, killing the driver.{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|date=April 16, 2016|access-date=April 16, 2016|title=Ecuador earthquake of 7.8 magnitude kills dozens|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36065551}} In Manta the control tower of the airport was severely damaged;{{cite news|url=http://abc7.com/news/78-magnitude-earthquake-hits-near-ecuador-according-to-usgs/1295047/|title=7.8 magnitude earthquake hits near Ecuador, according to USGS|agency=Associated Press|date=April 16, 2016|access-date=April 16, 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417073345/http://abc7.com/news/78-magnitude-earthquake-hits-near-ecuador-according-to-usgs/1295047/|archive-date=April 17, 2016}} an Air Force officer was injured and the airport closed. Six homes collapsed and many others lost power in the nation's capital city of Quito.{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|newspaper=New York Post|date=April 16, 2016|access-date=April 16, 2016|title=Massive Ecuador earthquake kills at least 41|url=https://nypost.com/2016/04/16/massive-earthquake-hits-ecuador/}}

The earthquake was presaged by a magnitude 4.8 foreshock eleven minutes before the main quake struck,{{cite web|title=M4.8 – 21 km N of Pedernales, Ecuador|date=April 17, 2016|publisher=United States Geological Survey|url=https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us20005j2w|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418144333/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us20005j2w|archive-date=April 18, 2016|url-status=live}} and followed by over fifty-five aftershocks in the first twenty-four hours.{{Cite news|last=Shankar|first=Sneha|title=Ecuador Earthquake: Death Toll Soars, Aftershocks Reported|date=April 17, 2016|newspaper=International Business Times|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/ecuador-earthquake-death-toll-soars-aftershocks-reported-2355035|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418173416/http://www.ibtimes.com/ecuador-earthquake-death-toll-soars-aftershocks-reported-2355035|archive-date=April 18, 2016|url-status=live}}

{| class="wikitable sortable floatright" style="font-size:88%; margin:0 0 1.5em 1.5em; width:30%"

|+ Deaths by citizenship

|-

! style="text-align:left;" | Citizenship

! style="text-align:left;" | Deaths

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | {{Flagu|Ecuador}}

| 651{{cite web|last1=Menéndez Torres|first1=Teresa|title=Secretaría de Gestión de Riesgos|url=http://www.gestionderiesgos.gob.ec/informes-de-situacion-actual-terremoto-magnitud-7-8/|date=May 18, 2016|work=Gestión de Riesgos|access-date=May 19, 2016|archive-date=June 4, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160604074133/http://www.gestionderiesgos.gob.ec/informes-de-situacion-actual-terremoto-magnitud-7-8/|url-status=dead}}

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | {{Flagu|Colombia}}

| 11{{cite news|title=Actualización 7:10am #ColombianosEnEcuador: 11 fallecidos, 481 solicitudes de localización (258 ubicados y 223 por ubicar)|url=https://twitter.com/CancilleriaCol/status/722760468763439104|date=April 20, 2016}}

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | {{Flagu|Canada}}

| 4{{cite news|url=http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/2-more-canadians-killed-in-ecuador-quake-1.2865682|title=2 more Canadians killed in Ecuador quake|publisher=CTV News|date=April 19, 2016}}

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | {{Flagu|Cuba}}

| 3

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | {{Flagu|Dominican Republic}}

| 1{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36098633|title=Ecuador quake: Millionaires to be taxed more to pay for relief|publisher=BBC News|date=April 21, 2016|access-date=April 21, 2016}}

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | {{Flagu|Italy}}

| 1{{cite news|url=http://www.thelocal.it/20160419/italian-businessman-among-413-dead-in-ecuador-earthquake|title=Italian businessman among 525 dead in Ecuador quake|work=The Local|date=April 19, 2016}}

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | {{Flagu|Ireland}}

| 1{{cite news|first1=Gerry|last1=Moriarty|first2=George|last2=Jackson|url=http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/tributes-to-irish-nun-killed-in-ecuador-earthquake-1.2614594|title=Tributes to Irish nun killed in Ecuador earthquake|newspaper=The Irish Times|date=April 18, 2016}}

|-

| style="text-align:left;" | {{Flagu|United States}}

| 1{{cite web|url=http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ecuador-quake-idUKKCN0XE007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419193010/http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-ecuador-quake-idUKKCN0XE007|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 19, 2016|title=Ecuador quake toll climbs over 400, damage put at billions of dollars|agency=Reuters|date=April 18, 2016}}

|- class="sortbottom"

| Total

| 676

|}

At least 676 people were killed and more than 16,600 others were injured in the earthquake. It was the worst natural disaster to hit Ecuador since the 1949 Ambato earthquake.{{cite web|title=Ecuador quake death toll of 350 expected to rise 'in a considerable way'|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-ecudaor-earthquake-20160418-story.html|website=Chicago Tribune|date=April 18, 2016|access-date=April 18, 2016}} Over 300 fatalities occurred in the cities of Manta and Portoviejo, both of which are located in Manabí Province. President Rafael Correa stated that the reconstruction would cost "billions of dollars."{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-quake-idUSKCN0XE009|title=Ecuador quake toll rises to 413; rebuilding to cost billions|date=April 18, 2016|agency=Reuters|access-date=April 18, 2016}}

File:Figure_QLARM1.jpg

The number of fatalities was estimated as several hundred within thirty minutes of the earthquake.{{Cite web|url=http://www.icesfoundation.org/Pages/QlarmEventList.aspx|title=Near Real-Time Earthquake Loss Estimates|website=icesfoundation.org|access-date=April 29, 2016}} However, the media reported the number of fatalities as significantly lower than what actually happened and than what was estimated within thirty minutes as the figure of reported fatalities with time shows.

The number of injuries reported by media also remained below the ultimate count and below the correct estimate within 30 minutes by QLARM as seen in the next figure.

File:QLARM_2.jpg

By April 24, the fatality count had reached 654, and 8,340 had been reported as injured.{{Cite web|url=http://www.icesfoundation.org/Pages/CustomPage.aspx?ID=152|title=Ecuador Quake 2016|website=icesfoundation.org|access-date=May 8, 2016}}

Estimates of fatalities are based on calculations of the damage to the built environment using the program QLARM.{{Cite web|url=http://www.icesfoundation.org/Pages/CustomPage.aspx?ID=122|title=QLARM summary|last=Wyss|first=Max|date=January 1, 2016|website=ICES Foundation|access-date=May 7, 2016}} Within minutes of an earthquake only its epicenter is known, not the extent of its rupture. The USGS shake map for this event shown on this page depicts the extent of the rupture area as a rectangle. With the length of the rupture as outlined by the aftershocks, a map of the likely mean damage by the settlement can be calculated. This map takes into account what intensities have been reported to the USGS for this earthquake. The numbers of fatalities and injured calculated theoretically, based on the damage map shown here, agrees well with the reported numbers.

The extent of the rupture can sometimes be known from aftershocks during the few hours following the main shock. In that case, maps of the intensity of shaking expected in each settlement may be calculated as in the figure below at the left for the 2016 Ecuador earthquake. Based on this ground motion, the mean damage expected in each settlement is then calculated. These maps allow first responders to target heavily damaged area.

File:Ecuador_Fig3_map_intensity_M78_Z20_C3_line.jpg

File:Map_damage_M78_Z20_C3_line_V1.jpg

Large cities tend to have buildings more resistant to shaking than villages, therefore the damage is less for city dwellers than for villagers, on average.

In Colombia, near the city of Cali, one miner died as a result of the earthquake, becoming the only reported death outside of Ecuador.{{Cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-quake-idUSKCN0XE009|title=Minero muere atrapado en Colombia por terremoto que sacudió Ecuador|date=April 19, 2016|newspaper=Ecuavisa|access-date=April 22, 2016}}

{{clear}}

File:DAÑOS SISMO - 25878141753.jpg

In response to the earthquake, a state of emergency was declared throughout the country and the national guard was mobilized to assist in rescue and relief efforts.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} Approximately 10,000 military personnel and 3,500 police officers were deployed. President Rafael Correa cut his trip to Italy short in order to return to Ecuador. Hydroelectric dams and oil pipelines were shut down as a precautionary measure.

On April 17 the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters was activated by UNITAR/UNOSAT on behalf of UN OCHA, thus providing for the charitable and humanitarian re-tasking of satellite assets.{{cite web|url=https://www.disasterscharter.org/web/guest/activations/-/article/earthquake-in-ecuador|title=Latest Activation: Earthquake in Ecuador|publisher=International Charter on Space and Major Disasters|date=April 17, 2016|access-date=May 6, 2016}}

On April 20, a 6.1–6.2 magnitude aftershock struck 15 miles west of Muisne around 3:30{{nbsp}}am, local time.{{cite news|first1=Ana Isabel|last1=Martinez|first2=Julia Symmes|last2=Cobb|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-ecuador-quake-coast-idUSKCN0XH0S2|title=Ecuador disaster toll tops 500, big new quake shakes coast|date=April 20, 2016|agency=Reuters|access-date=April 20, 2016}} The quake had a depth of about 9 miles.{{cite web|url=https://weather.com/safety/earthquake/news/ecuador-earthquake-aftershock|title=Earthquake Safety and Preparedness|date=April 20, 2016|work=The Weather Channel}} José Joaquín de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil was also closed due to communication issues.{{cite news|agency=Associated Press|publisher=CBS News|date=April 16, 2016|access-date=April 16, 2016|title=7.8-magnitude earthquake kills dozens in Ecuador|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/7-8-magnitude-quake-hits-off-coast-of-ecuador/}}

A UNICEF representative reported that the government is considering relocating "one or two" towns in the aftermath of the earthquake. There were also concerns about the Zika virus outbreak and the risk of dengue fever for people displaced by the quake.{{cite news|last1=Ireland|first1=Nicole|title=Ecuador earthquake destruction could force relocation of towns, UNICEF says|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/ecuador-earthquake-aid-agency-relief-efforts-1.3545551|access-date=April 21, 2016|publisher=CBC News|date=April 21, 2016}}

Days after the earthquake, the country experienced difficulties distributing food and water to those in need, including the over 26 thousand survivors relocated to shelters. President Correa acknowledged that the poor infrastructure of the country might be to blame.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/apr/21/ecuador-earthquake-survivors-food-shortages-water-medical-aid|title=Earthquake survivors in Ecuador struggle without food and basic aid|agency=Reuters|date=April 21, 2016|newspaper=The Guardian|issn=0261-3077|access-date=April 29, 2016}} The President estimated the damage at $3 billion, and has obtained credit from the World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and other sources, anticipated to reach a total of $2 billion; national sales tax has been raised as have income taxes on Ecuadorians.{{cite web|last1=Sreenivasan|first1=Hari|title=Ecuador looks to rebuild after devastating earthquake|url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/ecuador-looks-to-pick-up-pieces-and-rebuild-after-devastating-earthquake/|website=PBS Newshour|access-date=July 7, 2016|date=May 26, 2016}}

• List of earthquakes in 2016
• List of earthquakes in Ecuador

{{Portal bar|Ecuador|Colombia|Earth sciences}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Commons category-inline}}
• {{EQ-isc-link|608556966}}
• {{ReliefWeb-link|eq-2016-000035-ecu}}

{{Earthquakes in 2016}}

{{Earthquakes in Ecuador}}

{{Tectonism in Colombia|state=expanded}}

{{Portal bar|Colombia|Earth sciences|Ecuador}}

Category:2016 earthquakes

Category:2016 in Colombia

Category:2016 disasters in Ecuador

Category:2016 in Peru

Category:Earthquakes in Colombia

Category:Earthquakes in Ecuador

Category:Earthquakes in Peru

Category:Esmeraldas Province

Category:April 2016 in South America

Category:Tsunamis in Ecuador