An earthquake of preliminary magnitude 6.7 struck today in Chile’s Atacama region, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
The temblor’s epicenter was 34 miles (54 km) north of Vallenar, Chile, and 370 miles (596 km) north of the capital, Santiago. It originated 29.5 miles (47.5 km) deep and struck at 5:15 p.m. (2015 UTC), the USGS reports.
Earthquakes of this size can cause significant damage, especially with poorly built structures. Even well designed buildings can be damaged or, in some cases, destroyed depending on the severity of the quake and a building’s proximity to the epicenter. Earthquakes of this size are sometimes followed by significant aftershocks. But the damage caused by any single event depends on the quake’s depth, proximity to populated areas, building standards in the region, as well as the type of earthquake. The USGS frequently updates the magnitude of an event after more data is analyzed.
An earthquake’s magnitude is a measure of the energy released at the source. It is just one predictor of the shaking that may ensue, which is affected by local and regional geology. Scientists know in a general sense what causes Earthquakes but are unable to predict specific quakes.
