Chilean earthquake provides opportunity for study of tsunamis

Nature : On 16 September, a magnitude 8.3 earthquake occurred off the coast of Chile. Tsunami waves reached heights of more than 3 m in some areas along the country’s coastline. However, warning and evacuation systems seem to have kept most of the country’s population safe, with only eight reported deaths from the quake and tsunami combined. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii also issued a warning for 25 other nations, some of which it predicted could see 1-m waves. This is Chile’s third quake with a magnitude greater than 8.0 since 2010. One of the previous quakes resulted in strong currents in Ventura Harbor, California. In response to the tsunami warning, researchers deployed floating GPS devices and other equipment to attempt to measure the effect of the quake. Similar measurements are being made in other countries to help better map the propagation of tsunamis across the ocean.