SISMOS HISTÓRICOS Y RECIENTES EN MAGALLANES HISTORICAL AND RECENT EARTHQUAKES IN MAGALLANES

• Main Authors: ARMANDO CISTERNAS, EMILIO VERA
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Universidad de Magallanes 2008
• Subjects: Magallanes; Placas tectónicas; Sismicidad; Volcanes; Tectonic plates; Seismicity; Volcanoes; geo; hist; Antarctic; Baja; Reclus; Antarc*; Antártica
• Online Access: https://doaj.org/article/c36caa38047f4a70af159211c8117596

Terremotos en Magallanes, al sur de Chile, están asociados a movimientos relativos (menores que 2 cm./año) de tres placas: Sudamericana, Antártica y Scotia. Por lo tanto, la sismicidad es más baja comparada con la del norte de Chile, donde las placas de Nazca y Sudamericana convergen a razón de 10 cm./año aproximadamente. En Magallanes, sin embargo, dos importantes (M L = 7.5) terremotos históricos ocurrieron en 1879 y 1949. Sismicidad reciente, registrada en 1997 y 1998, de magnitud menor que M L = 4.3, ha ocurrido dentro de la corteza continental. Algunos terremotos muy superficiales se concentran alrededor de dos volcanes activos: Reclus y Burney. Se incluyen también breves descripciones del enjambre sísmico de 2007 en Aysén, y de la erupción del volcán Chaitén en 2008.Earthquakes in Magallanes, southern Chile, are associated to the relative motions (smaller than 2 cm./y) of three plates: South-American, Antarctic and Scotia. Thus, the seismicity is low as compared with northern Chile where the Nazca and South-American plates converge at a rate of about 10 cm./y. In Magallanes however, two main historical earthquakes (M L = 7.5) occurred in 1879 and 1949. Recent seismicity, registered in 1997 and 1998, of magnitude smaller than 4.3 is located within the continental crust. Some very shallow earthquakes concentrate around two active volcanoes: Reclus and Burney. Short descriptions of the 2007 seismic cluster in Aysén and the 2008 eruption of the Chaitén volcano are also included.