Heads Up!  Chilean Seismologist says 7.9M is NOT the BIG ONE they are expecting!  (This could easily happen to us too.....so don't assume that its over just because A Big One hits......look at Sumatra....they've had 2 already, and scientists now say a 3rd possibly bigger quake is due now.  Those poor people!)
 
 
Date: June 14, 2005 at 15:58:26
From: meme,
Subject: Chile quake update
 
Santiago de Chile, Jun 14 (Prensa Latina) A leading Chilean seismologist said Tuesday that the earthquake in Chile on Monday, which caused 11 deaths, was not the so-called "Great Quake" experts have predicted to occur in this region.

Carlos Aranda, Director of the Department of Seismology of the University of Chile, said that the quake occurred Monday, and reached a magnitude of 7.9 on the open Richter scale, and is an isolated phenomenon, though a little strange in its characteristics.

He denied that it might be "The Great Quake", as it was formed in the interior of the continent, was very deep, and isolated. "These are very rare quakes that do occur occasionally, but they are not our typical disastrous ones," he said.

He explained that the most destructive quakes are registered close to the coast, like the one occurred in Valparaiso in 1985.

"Apart from being formed close to the coasts, the most destructive quakes have a depth not deeper than 18.6 miles, which make them closer to populated places," he pointed out.

Aranda admitted that this last quake has been the biggest in recent years, and was formed by a collision between the edges of the South American and Nascar Plaques, in their deepest part, at a depth of 68.4 miles, which helped to minimize its destructive effect.

Of prior tremors that may have anticipated Monday"s earthquake, Aranda said there was a minor quake in the same zone last week, and expressed his concern at the lack of monitoring stations in the Tarapaca region, which prevents experts from analyzing in detail information before and after the quake.

The National Emergency Office confirmed the toll as 11 dead, one missing, and 130 injured, and reported that some coastal and rural routes are cut.

There are still places without electric power, although supply has been restored in most of the larger cities.

Latin America News agency
 

---

Maranatha!
Deborah
* * .(\ *** /).*. *
   * (\ (_) /) *
 * . (_/ ll\_) . * .
  * . /___\ . *
      * .. *