GPS Used to Track Shifts Caused by Chile’s Earthquake
Image Source: Cropped image of map.
The recent 8.8 Chile earthquake is the 5th most powerful on record. It sent out a wave of tsunamis, shifted the earth’s figure axis, and even shifted several places from their original points.
Concepcion—one of the hardest hit places in Chile—was moved at least 10 feet (3 meters) to the west. The quake shifted a number of places throughout South America, ranging from the Falkland Islands to Brazil. Other significant shifts that occurred include:
• Santiago (Chile’s capital) moved 11 inches (28 cm) to the west-southwest.
• Buenos Aires—the capital of Argentina—moved approximately 1 inch (2.5 cm) to the west.
• Mendoza, Argentina and Valparaiso, Chile moved considerably, as well.
Apparently, the movement of the earth can be measured by using a fairly common thing: GPS location. By taking measurements of an area before and after an earthquake, and then comparing them, scientists can gain a better understanding of the seismic processes that control earthquakes. According to Ben Brooks, co-principal investigator of Chile’s GPS project (aka the Central and Southern Andes GPS Project, or CAP):
“The Maule earthquake will arguably become one of the—if not the most—important great earthquake yet studied. We now have modern, precise instruments to evaluate this event and because the site abuts a continent, we will be able to obtain dense spatial sampling of the changes it caused.”
Researchers used the GPS measurements to create a map that shows how the locations moved after the earthquake. Right now, the CAP program has 25 GPS stations throughout the Central and Southern Andes; but they are hoping to triple their network in order to get a better view of the deformation and motion of the Earth’s crust.
By Heidi Marshall
I have been with GreenFudge for about a year now, but I've had a passion for Nature my entire life. When I'm not writing articles, you can find me out hiking, gardening, working on green craft projects, or taking photos for my website. You can check out the site at http://arkisaeo.com
Popularity: 1% [?]
Tags: Chile, earthquake, GPS, shifting places, South America, study
Leave a Reply