Copyright Information: All images are in the public domain and available for free. If you use this image, credit NOAA/NGDC, Pierre St. Amand. |
The ship in the photo was wrecked by the tsunami on Isla Mocha (north of Valdivia). Note the raised beach and landslides. Large landslides, massive flows of earthen debris and rock, occurred on the island. The tsunami runup on Isla Mocha was 25 m (more than 82 ft). Valdivia suffered catastrophic damage because of its proximity to the epicenter of the massive quake. Regional tectonic subsidence of five to seven feet occurred. There was extensive loss to agricultural lands from flooding. The horizontal ground motions, not the subsidence, caused the principal damage to structures away from shorelines and river channels. Older masonry structures were hard hit by the earthquake. However, many wood frame buildings performed well. Image Credit: Pierre St. Amand. May 22, 1960 Puerto Montt, Valdivia Chile earthquake and tsunami On May 22, 1960, a Mw 9.5 earthquake, the largest earthquake ever instrumentally recorded, occurred in southern Chile. The series of earthquakes that followed ravaged southern Chile and ruptured over a period of days a 1,000 km section of the fault, one of the longest ruptures ever reported. The number of fatalities associated with both the earthquake and tsunami has been estimated to be between 490 and 5,700. Reportedly there were 3,000 injured, and initially there were 717 missing in Chile. The Chilean government estimated 2,000,000 people were left homeless and 58,622 houses were completely destroyed. Damage (including tsunami damage) was more than $500 million U.S. dollars. Event Data:
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