Earthquake Sparks Tsunami Warning for Pacific
CHILE – An 8.0 magnitude earthquake has struck off Chile’s coast near Iquique. The earthquate has triggered a tsunami warning for all of Latin America’s Pacific coast according to the US Geological Survey says.
The USGS stated that the earthquake was very shallow, about 10km or six miles below the seabed.
This shallow quake would would have made it feel stronger.
The earthquake is centred 86km (56 miles) northwest of the mining area of Iquique.
The USGS says that an earthquake of this magnitude has the power to generate a “destructive tsunami”. The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a warning after the quake, as did Chilean authorities who reportedly registered it as 7.9 magnitude.
Central and southern areas of Chile were hit by a powerful earthquake of 8.8 magnitude quake followed by a tsunami that devastated scores of towns in February 2010.
Scientist have been analyzing the Great Chilean Earthquake.
