The inhabitants of Navidad, a coastal town located in the O’Higgins region, 155 kilometers south of Santiago de Chile, have had a busy week. This Wednesday, the National Seismological Center (CSN), the entity responsible for seismology in the South American country, registered multiple earthquakes of medium or low intensity with epicenters close to the seashore. The phenomenon, which has been called a “seismic train,” is responsible for causing more than 10 tremors recorded in a little less than two hours (between approximately 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM). Some of the telluric movements have been of magnitude 5.
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The event has attracted attention, as last Sunday, May 31, a magnitude 6 earthquake was registered near the municipality of Quintero, in the central zone of Chile —and was even felt in the capital— with some subsequent aftershocks. Both tremors do not have a direct relationship —there is a distance of more than 200 kilometers between the localities— but they raise alerts about a possible earthquake of greater magnitude for this part of Chilean territory. The last major earthquake to affect the central regions was the magnitude 8.8 one on February 27, 2010, which caused one of the biggest catastrophes in the country’s history with a tsunami that claimed hundreds of lives.
Specialists have called for calm and have stated that this seismic train is normal in an area of tectonic plate collision. They have also insisted that earthquakes cannot be predicted, so only prevention remains in the face of a possible emergency to avoid casualties or material damage.
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What is a seismic train
This phenomenon is nothing more than a main earthquake with its subsequent aftershocks spread over a few minutes, which is common in seismology. The geologist from Universidad Mayor, Christian Salazar, explained to Canal 13 that it is a process related to the adjustment of tectonic plates after a fracture in the contact zone between the Nazca plate and the South American plate. The specialist has not ruled out that movements of greater magnitude may be registered soon. “I would not be surprised if we had this type of behavior even with greater magnitudes, a degree 6 or a degree 7,” he said. Sergio Barrientos, director of the National Seismological Center, pointed to the particular geological characteristics of the town of Navidad to explain the frequency of tremors. Beyond these observations, specialists have called for calm. Luis Donoso, seismologist and geophysicist at Universidad del Desarrollo, insisted that what happened is not a sign of anomaly. “What happened in front of Navidad is normal and expected activity for an area where two plates permanently collide, like ours,” Donoso detailed to La Tercera.
What to do in case of an earthquake in Chile
The National Service for Disaster Prevention and Response (Senapred), the public body responsible for emergency management in Chile, has provided guidelines on what a person should do in the event of an earthquake. Among the main indications are to remain calm and find a safe place; seek protection under or next to a firm object (it can be a table); turn off the gas valve; stay away from buildings, poles, and electrical cables in the street; take shelter and follow safety instructions at mass events; and use emergency stairs in buildings, among other indications. In the case of living in a coastal area, residents must carefully follow the announcements of the authorities regarding a possible tsunami alert, in order to evacuate to safe zones.
