The role of tectonic plates in the
2010 chile earthquake
The role that tectonic plates play in our world greatly affects and determines the formation and structure of the Earth’s surface, or lithosphere. The theory states that plates which float on top of the asthenosphere, the slow moving sector of the earth’s mantle, move in a variety of ways resulting in damaging natural disasters but also at the same time spectacular natural phenomena’s.
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There are 3 main types of plate boundaries which determine the movement of the tectonic plate; transform, convergent and divergent. The 2010 Chile earthquake was caused by the movement of convergent plate boundaries. This is when 2 tectonic plates converge, move towards each other, and depending on the nature and type of plate, it is classified as either a subduction or collision boundary. The process of subduction boundary that resulted in the massive 8.8 earthquake of Chile in 2010.
Subduction can refer to the 2 types of plates that interact: 2 oceanic plate (plates under the ocean) or 1 oceanic and 1 continental plate (plate under continents or land). The 2 plates that converged on the 27th of February was the oceanic Nazca Plate and the continental South American Plate. This area which the 2 plates intersect are called subduction zones. In the subduction zone, the dense, heavy oceanic plate slides under the less and dense and buoyant continental plate, causing deep sea trenches and curved volcanic mountain ranges. In Chile, The Peru-Chile Trench is the deep sea trench forged by the 2 plates converging and subducting with each other. This subduction zone where the 2010 Chile earthquake took place also draws in some of the most dangerous and historically shocking earthquakes ever recorded by man.
Subduction can refer to the 2 types of plates that interact: 2 oceanic plate (plates under the ocean) or 1 oceanic and 1 continental plate (plate under continents or land). The 2 plates that converged on the 27th of February was the oceanic Nazca Plate and the continental South American Plate. This area which the 2 plates intersect are called subduction zones. In the subduction zone, the dense, heavy oceanic plate slides under the less and dense and buoyant continental plate, causing deep sea trenches and curved volcanic mountain ranges. In Chile, The Peru-Chile Trench is the deep sea trench forged by the 2 plates converging and subducting with each other. This subduction zone where the 2010 Chile earthquake took place also draws in some of the most dangerous and historically shocking earthquakes ever recorded by man.
During the rupture of the 2 plates, the South America Plate was pushed upwards due to the intense compression by subduction. This movement is categorised as a dip-slip fault and within that category there 2 subcategories: “normal” or “reverse” faults. The 2010 Chile earthquake was the result of result of the reverse fault but more specifically, a thrust fault, a type of reverse fault. A reverse fault is defined when the difference in distance (in degrees) between the position of the 2 plates have moved by more than 45°. The Chile earthquake is considered a thrust fault because the plates moved less than 45°. Yet nonetheless, all earthquakes within subduction zones and cause dip-slip faults (including reverse and thrust faults) creates the largest earthquakes of any kind.