So, I have to admit, it's finally getting more than just a little annoying.
It continues to shake, down here in Chile. The first two numbers in this post's title refer to the Richter Scale readings of the last two really strong tremours that just rocked the country this morning (which themselves were followed by at least three more immediate tremours, though not as strong as the ones that occurred at 11:39 and 11:55 a.m.)
Interestingly, all of these took place during the actual inauguration of Chile's next president, Sebastian Pinera. Here is one account:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/03/11/chile.earthquake/index.html
Since the Feb. 27. 8.8 quake, there have been more than 275 (yes, that is correct, 275) follow-up tremours, with the strongest one being the 7.2 today. They come day... and night. I woke up at around 4 this morning, to what I thought was shaking in the apartment and sure enough, I found out later it had measured just 6 on the Richter Scale. (The quake that hit Turkey earlier this week was around 6, no?)
I also read in a local paper earlier this week that according to history, many big quakes are followed up by a second, big-scale tremour, days and sometimes even weeks after the actual quake, i.e. In 1985, following the 7.9 quake in Chile, a second one was felt 36 days later with a magnitude of 7.5. Following the 9.1 quake in Indonesia in 2004, another one measuring 8.7 was felt two days later, etc.
The paper implied that Chile was due for a second, big shake.
Wondering -- was the one this morning IT?
Sure hope so, though even as I write this, it continues to shake... and shake... and shake...
I should have said in my post that despite everything, life goes on down here and I am still having a great time in Chile. I am still very glad I came.
ReplyDeleteMy two goals were for the kids to learn Spanish and to spend time with my dad. Both of these are being accomplished, every day, so, I have absolutely no regrets!
I can only vaguely relate to what it must be like for you there. In summer of 1987, I worked in downtown Vancouver, and I remember my structures professor saying that the most dangerous building in town, from an earthquake safety point of view, was the Fisheries and Oceans building. And I worked in that building! It always freaked me out a bit, but nothing ever happened.
ReplyDeleteI loved the photo of heads of state looking up. The one from Equador said when asked "it gave us a moment to dance" and someone else said "it was moving"...I too hoped that was the other "big one" they said was coming.
ReplyDelete