Case Study: Chile
Geography: Edexcel IGCSE, topic 1.4.5
Chile Earthquake 2010
A shallow focussed earthquake of magnitude 8.8 affected Chile in February 2010. Chile is a middle-income country.
What happened in the earthquake?
- Chile is a middle-income country. This had an impact on the effects and responses to the earthquake.
- E.g. foreign aid wasn’t needed to enable Chile to recover.
- The earthquake was caused by the subduction of the Nazca Plate under the South American Plate.
- The epicentre of the earthquake was just off the coast of Chile.
Primary effects
- The primary effects of the earthquake were:
- 500 people were killed.
- US$30 billion of damage.
Secondary effects
- Secondary effects of the earthquake included:
- Coastal areas were flooded by a tsunami.
- Landslides blocked some roads.
Responses to the earthquake
- The immediate responses included:
- A rapid response by emergency services.
- Main roads were repaired within a day.
- 30,000 emergency shelters were built.
- Long-term responses included:
- A reconstruction plan to help 200,000 households.
Test yourself on Case Study: Chile
What was the cost of the damage from the Chile earthquake in 2010?
What were the primary effects of the earthquake in Chile in 2010?