A deadly magnitude-8.3 earthquake shook Chile on September 16. It sent a huge pulse of water racing away from its epicenter —where the quake started. The wave forced more than 1 million Chileans to flee their homes. This surging seawater also provided a surprise test for a new, faster way to predict the height of such waves.
Earthquakes that occur underwater can shift huge volumes of water. That sets off powerful waves that sometimes reach across oceans. The waves, called tsunamis (tzu-NAAM-eez), can cause massive destruction. A tsunami’s height affects how far inland waters will flood. Seismologists — scientists who study earthquakes — want to be able to quickly predict where tsunamis will reach after an earthquake happens. That way emergency managers can send help to areas that are most likely to be devastated, says Sebastián Riquelme. He’s a seismologist at the University of Chile in Santiago.
