Monday, August 25, 2014

6.9 Earthquake Strikes Peru, as Other Events Also Hit Globally

By Douglas V. Gibbs

Not long after Napa Valley stopped rocking and rolling on Sunday, a massive 6.9 earthquake slammed southern Peru.  First reported as a 7.0 magnitude event, no damage has been reported.  .

Smaller towns faced the full force of the earthquake, but in the capital, the quake was felt as a 4.4-magnitude occurrence.

On Saturday, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake jolted central Chile  The temblor shook Santiago and five other regions in the South American nation.  More than five million people live in the capital, and the quake shook buildings for 30-40 seconds, causing panic even in a country used to temblors.

Chile is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, and is located in the so-called Ring of Fire area of the Pacific Ocean basin.

An 8.2-magnitude quake in northern Chile in April killed six people and forced a million to leave their homes in the region around Iquique.

And a February 27, 2010 quake that struck just off the coast of Chile's Maule region measured 8.8 in magnitude, making it one of the largest ever recorded.

It killed more than 500 people and inflicted an estimated $30 billion in damages.

A week ago a strong earthquake struck Iran, a magnitude 6.1, injuring at least 250 people, and leaving massive damage in its wake. The quake struck near the border with Iraq, but there has been no deaths reported as a result of the event. 44 tremors followed the earthquake.

Two weeks ago a 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck off northern Japan, in the Pacific Ocean.  Strict building codes kept the damage to a minimum.  In May, a strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake shook buildings in the Japanese capital Tokyo, injuring 17 people.

-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary






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