The United States Geological Survey recorded
a Magnitude 5.5 Earthquake at a depth of 19.2 km off the coast of Curicó Province in central Chile, about 49 km to the north of the city of Constitucion, slightly before 5.10 am local time (slightly before 8.10 am GMT) on Tuesday 30 August 2916 There are no reports of
any damage or injuries associated with this event, but people have
reported feeling it from Constitucion as far north as Valparaiso.
The approximate location of the 30 August 2016 Curicó Province Earthquake. Google.
Chile is located on the west coast of South America, which is also the convergent margin between the Nazca and South American Plates. The Nazca Plate is being subducted beneath the South American Plate and is sinking beneath the South American Plate. This is not a smooth process, the rocks of the two plates continuously stick together then, as the pressure builds up, break apart again, causing Earthquakes. As the Nazca Plate sinks deeper it is partially melted by the heat of the Earth's interior. Some of the melted material then rises up through the overlying South American Plate as magma, fueling the volcanoes of the Chilean Andes.
The subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate, and how it causes Earthquakes and volcanoes. Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center.
Witness
accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events,
and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit
organization Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.
See also...
Magnitude 6.8 Earthquake in central Chile. The United States Geological Survey recorded
a Magnitude 6.8 Earthquake at a depth of 14 km in western Limari
Province in central Chile slightly after 4.30 am local time (slightly
after 7.30 am GMT)...
Eruption on Mount Lascar, northern Chile. The Servicio Nacional de Geología y Minería reported a small eruption on Mount Lascar, an active volcano in the
northern Chilean Andes in the Antofagasta Region of Chile, occurring
slightly after 9.30 am on Friday 30 October 2015. The eruption produced a
plume which rose about 2.5 km above the summit of the...
Eruption on Mount Copahue. The Buenos Aires Volcanic Ash Advisory Center reported
plume over Mount Copahue, an active volcano on the border between Chile
and Argentina roughly 500 km to the south of the Chilean capitol
Santiago, on Sunday 11 October 2015. The plume rose 6.1-7.6 km over the
volcano, and drifted to...
Follow Sciency Thoughts on Facebook.