The Chilean earthquake has shortened the length of the day by making the Earth rotate faster, according to NASA scientists.
But you might not have noticed, as it was only by about one-millionth of a second.
Richard Gross has revealed the disaster shortened the length of a day by about 1.26 microseconds (a microsecond is one millionth of a second).
The Chilean disaster has shortened the length of the day by 1.26 microseconds
The 8.8-magnitude disaster struck the South American country on Saturday, killing at least 795 people and injuring hundreds more.
The quake would have moved the axis of the planet by about 8cm.
Mr Gross, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, said the 9.1-magnitude Sumatran earthquake in 2004 has also shortened the length of day by 6.8 microseconds.
He claimed the calculated changes in the length of a day are permanent.
However, Mr Gross added: ‘These changes are very, very small.’
The length of a day is the time it takes for the planet to complete one rotation - 86,400 seconds or 24 hours.
An earthquake can make Earth rotate faster by nudging some of its mass closer to the planet's axis, just as ice skaters can speed up their spins by pulling in their arms.
Conversely, a quake can slow the rotation and lengthen the day if it redistributes mass away from that axis, Mr Gross added.
The Chilean military has taken control of towns and cities affected by the earthquake, it was reported today, imposing curfews and guarding shops from looters as the death toll from the disaster rose to more than 700.
The Chilean president, Michelle Bachelet, signed a decree putting the military in charge of security in the province of Concepción, where looters have targeted markets and supermarkets, hitting food and water supplies.
"We are facing a catastrophe of such unthinkable magnitude that it will require a giant effort [for Chile to recover]," Bachelet said after meeting ministers and generals at the quake-damaged La Moneda Palace.
Concerns are growing over Britons missing in the aftermath of the catastrophe.
An estimated 65,000 British people visit Chile each year, and a number of UK holidaymakers remain unaccounted for. A Foreign Office spokesman said there had been "no reports of any casualties" so far.
The Surfer's Cottage, an eco-cottage for surfers in Pichilemu, central Chile, listed five Britons among its missing.
UK charity workers were due to arrive in Chile today to help with aid efforts.
The US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, will visit the country tomorrow on a previously scheduled trip unrelated to the quake.
"Our hemisphere comes together in times of crisis, and we will stand side by side with the people of Chile in this emergency," she said.
As aftershocks measuring up to 7.5 continued to batter the country, rescuers arrived at coastal cities to find that entire fishing villages had been washed away.
There were reports that 350 people had died in the town of Constitución, which was hit first by the earthquake and then by a tsunami.
The death toll was expected to rise dramatically because of the number of missing people. Identification of the dead has been hampered because most were sleeping when the quake struck and were not carrying any personal documents.
More than 100 people remained trapped inside a wrecked 14-storey building in Concepción, Chile's second largest city, 40 miles north-west of the epicentre.
The new building was only half occupied, but an estimated 20 bodies were removed from the rubble, and teams of firefighters were continuing to search the wreckage for signs of life.
An estimated 500,000 residential buildings have been severely damaged by the quake, leaving nearly one in eight residents homeless.
As food, water and fuel ran out, looting erupted in Concepción and police initially attempted to stop the looters using teargas.
A pitched battle erupted inside one supermarket, ending when police and supermarket officials allowed residents to remove essential items free of charge.
Food warehouses were also looted, and Jacqueline van Rysselberghe, the mayor of Concepción, warned: "We are going to have social explosion if aid is not received today."
The Chilean air force sent a 747 filled with police to the region in an attempt to regain control, while military roadblocks were set up outside some cities in an effort to prevent outsiders from joining the looting.
The cost of the quake damage was estimated to be $25-$30bn (£16-£20bn) by Eqecat, a firm based in Oakland, California, that specialises in disaster management software.
Experts at the company said Chile's history of major earthquakes and solid construction had been instrumental in preventing far more deaths, with building codes including earthquake-resistant standards in all new construction.
The Chilean president-elect, Sebastián Piñera, who takes office in less than two weeks, has worked closely with the outgoing Bachelet administration to organise long-term relief.
On Saturday, he asked key disaster relief and government officials to remain in office during the early part of his administration.
He also called for major sanctions against and investigations of construction companies involved in new housing projects that have collapsed.
Ricardo Ortega, the head of the Chilean air force, said yesterday a commercial airline service had been partially re-established and aircraft were now being allowed to land at Santiago's international airport.
With many major bridges destroyed and entire sections of Route 5, the main north-south highway, twisted and torn, delivery of relief aid to many areas has been made difficult and in some cases impossible.
Fears of a tsunami roaring across the Pacific Ocean were quelled yesterday when waves that hit Japan proved to be minimal.
Hundreds of thousands of people fled shorelines for higher ground after the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, based in Hawaii, warned 53 countries and territories that a tsunami was imminent.
After the centre lifted its warning, some countries kept their own watches in place.
Reporting from Bogota, Colombia - Rescuers searched for survivors on Sunday, a day after one of the biggest earthquakes in recorded history rocked Chile, killing at least 392 people, leaving many more missing, toppling buildings and freeways, and setting off sirens thousands of miles away.
Authorities lifted tsunami warnings Sunday after smaller-than-feared waves washed shores across the Pacific, including Southern California, Hawaii and Japan.
Scattered looting broke out Sunday in some of the most heavily damaged areas of Chile, where residents were without water or electricity. Crowds overran a supermarket in the city of Concepcion, which sustained widespread damage, and were making off with food, water and diapers but also television sets.
Police in armored vehicles sprayed looters with water cannon and made several arrests, mostly of young men. "The people are desperate and say the only way is to come get stuff for themselves," Concepcion resident Patricio Martinez told reporters. "We have money to buy it but the big stores are closed, so what are we supposed to do?"
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet declared parts of the country "catastrophe zones" in the wake of the magnitude 8.8 quake, which was centered offshore, about 70 miles north of the port city of Concepcion.
With images of Haiti's devastation from an earthquake last month still fresh, the world woke up to a new disaster and fears of another catastrophic toll. But the Chile quake's epicenter was relatively deep, at 21.7 miles, and building codes are strict in a country that 50 years ago was struck by the biggest earthquake ever recorded: a magnitude 9.5.
Nonetheless, Bachelet said in an address to the nation Saturday night that a million buildings had been damaged. And with television stations showing topsy-turvy structures, severed bridges and highways whose pavement looked as if it had been tilled by some giant farm machine, the death toll was expected to rise.
Concepcion resident Alberto Rozas said his building began to shake and he grabbed his daughter in terror amid shattering glass and an ungodly roar.
"It was awful," said Rozas, who lives next to a 15-story apartment building that was reduced to rubble. "The only thing I did right was throw clothes on the floor so my daughter and I could escape without ruining our feet. But we're still covered with cuts."
As a flurry of 30 aftershocks, some measuring greater than magnitude 6.0, continued to strike the region all day, Chile's Interior Ministry said tsunami surges reaching heights of 10 feet hit the nation's Juan Fernandez Islands, leaving three people dead and 13 missing.
Memories of the tsunami that was unleashed on Southeast Asia and around the Indian Ocean five years ago haunted governments across the Pacific on Saturday. In Hawaii, 100,000 people were evacuated to higher ground, and the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet sent four warships out to sea as a precaution against damage near shore at Pearl Harbor.
A series of small 3-foot tsunamis hit Hawaii's Big Island shortly after 1 p.m., churning up sediment but causing no apparent damage. Early Sunday, Japan's Meteorological Agency warned that a "major" tsunami of up to 10 feet could hit northern coastal areas, although initial waves that reached outlying islands posed little threat.
The U.S. moved briskly to offer assistance to Chile. President Obama spoke with Bachelet to offer condolences, praising the country's quick response and reiterating the United States' readiness to aid in rescue and recovery.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said she planned to visit the region Sunday. "Our hemisphere comes together in times of crisis, and we will stand side by side with the people of Chile in this emergency," she said.
Some observers, however, worried that international relief efforts could be stretched thin by the continuing response to the Haiti earthquake, which left more than 215,000 people dead and a million homeless.
In Chile, television images showed collapsed highway overpasses and buildings in southern Santiago, the capital, and in Concepcion, 300 miles to the south. Bachelet was reported to be headed to the region to inspect the damage.
President-elect Sebastian Pinera, who will take office in two weeks, told reporters that in addition to scores of deaths, the country suffered damage to its infrastructure, including highways, airports and housing.
"This earthquake has delivered a tremendous blow to Chilean society," Pinera said, adding he would request emergency funds totaling 2% of the budget to help rebuild. "Our government will do everything for the recovery and to accelerate reconstruction."
Santiago's international airport will be closed at least through Monday, officials said. Although the runways are in good condition, the control tower and customs facilities suffered extensive damage, officials said.
Key structures in Santiago, including ministry buildings, suffered heavy damage, said Education Minister Monica Jimenez. Government employees will be asked to stay home Monday as officials assesses structural safety, she said. Public schools that were to have reopened Monday after summer vacation are now scheduled to reopen March 8.
The quake, lasting 30 seconds or more, struck about 3:30 a.m. Saturday. Santiago residents, many of them in their pajamas, poured into the streets.
A chemical fire at a factory raged out of control and there was smoke in much of the city. Telephone service and electricity were still out in one-third of the capital as of the afternoon and communication was problematic because of the collapse of several cellphone towers.
Santiago faces possible mass transit chaos, with the city's subway system closed indefinitely while the tracks are inspected.
Bachelet urged drivers to not use major thoroughfares because traffic lights were out and many pedestrian bridges had collapsed.
Major damage was reported in Concepcion, the country's second-largest city and the one closest to the epicenter. Several fires due to gas leaks were reported. A multi-story building also collapsed.
The mayor of Concepcion, Jacqueline van Rysselberghe, described her city as "Dante-esque" in the aftermath of the quake, saying two bridges over the Biobio River had collapsed and others were damaged. She said officials still were not sure of the death toll.
The city is home to one of the largest universities in the South American nation, Universidad de Concepcion, a public school with a decidedly liberal student body. Its grounds are often the site of socialist protests.
Kraul is a special correspondent. Times staff writers Janet Hook in Washington and Robert Faturechi in Los Angeles, and special correspondents Andres D'Alessandro in Buenos Aires and Eva Vergara and Lauren Williams in Santiago contributed to this report.
One of the largest earthquakes on record has killed at least 300 people in Chile and sent giant waves roaring across the Pacific Ocean that forced Japan on tsunami alert almost a day later.
In an address to the nation, President Michelle Bachelet said two million Chileans had been affected by Saturday's quake but, after touring the worst-hit areas by plane, she found it hard to spell out the magnitude of the disaster.
"The power of nature has again struck our country," Bachelet said, declaring six of Chile's 15 regions "catastrophe zones" in the aftermath of the 8.8-magnitude quake.
Click for more photos Damaged buildings in Santiago. The massive quake plunged much of the Chilean capital into darkness as it snapped power lines and severed communications. Photo: AFP
Highways in the South American nation of 16 million were sliced to pieces, bridges imploded and buildings collapsed as the 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck some 325km southwest of the capital Santiago at 3.34am local time (5.34pm AEDT).
"This is a catastrophe of immense proportions, so it will be very difficult to give precise figures," Interior Minister Edmundo Perez Yoma said. Officials later said at least 300 people had been killed.
Waves well over two metres high crashed into the Chilean coast after the quake struck at and tore out into the Pacific, killing at least five people in the remote Robinson Crusoe islands.
In the Chilean port of Talcahuano, trawlers were sent shooting inland to the town square where they lay oddly marooned next to abandoned cars.
About 50 countries and territories along an arc stretching from New Zealand to Japan braced for giant waves, five years after the Indian Ocean tsunami disaster that killed more than 220,000 people.
The ominous sound of evacuation sirens blared in Hawaii, French Polynesia and the South Pacific as a tsunami raced around the "Ring of Fire", but authorities in Hawaii later gave the all clear.
The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that waves of up to three metres could hit the northern coastal areas and issued tsunami warnings for up to two metres along the entire Pacific coastline of the Japanese archipelago.
The massive quake plunged much of the Chilean capital Santiago into darkness, snapping power lines and severing communications. The international airport was closed after sustaining significant damage to the terminal.
Many Chileans were still in nightclubs partying at the start of the weekend when the quake struck before dawn, ripping up roads, bringing roofs crashing down and toppling power lines.
"It was the worst experience of my life," said 22-year-old Sebastian, standing outside his house in eastern Santiago.
AFP journalists spoke of walls and masonry collapsing in Santiago while people in pyjamas fled onto the streets as buildings "shook like jelly".
"Friends who were at clubs said it was pandemonium," said Santiago resident Maren Andrea Jimenez, an American expert working for the United Nations.
"It was scary! Plaster began falling from the ceiling. My dogs freaked out."
President Barack Obama said the United States "stands ready to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts, and we have resources that are positioned to deploy should the Chilean government ask for our help."
"Early indications are that hundreds of lives have been lost in Chile and damage is severe. On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to the Chilean people," he said at the White House.
Despite officials saying up to 1.5 million homes could be affected, Chile's Foreign Minister Mariano Fernandez asked countries that had offered aid to hold off until local authorities could assess the emergency needs.
Chile does not want "aid from anywhere to be a distraction" from disaster relief, Fernandez said, adding: "Any aid that arrives without having been determined to be needed really helps very little."
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, due to leave Sunday on a Latin American tour that includes Chile, said she was in close contact with Bachelet and that "our thoughts and prayers" went out to the victims.
The European Union said it would provide 3 million euros ($4.58 million) in immediate assistance. Unlike Haiti, struck by a devastating earthquake last month, Chile is one of Latin America's wealthiest countries.
The US Geological Survey said it had recorded more than 51 aftershocks ranging from 4.9 to 6.9 since the quake. A second 6.1-magnitude quake, said to be an entirely separate event, killed two people in neighbouring Argentina.
Earthquake-prone Chile lies along the Pacific rim of fire and is regularly rocked by quakes, but damage is often limited as they mostly hit in remote desert regions.
It was the second major earthquake to hit the Western hemisphere in seven weeks after more than 200,000 people were killed in Haiti last month by a 7.0-magnitude quake.
The epicentre was just a few hundred miles north of the biggest earthquake on record, a 9.5-magnitude monster in May 1960 that killed between 2200 and 5700 people and triggered a huge tsunami that reached as far as eastern New Zealand.
Feb. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Codelco’s El Teniente and Andina copper mines in central Chile will reopen “shortly” after inspectors failed to find major damage from the earthquake that hit the country, Mining Minister Santiago Gonzalez said.
Empresa Nacional de Petroleo’s halted Aconcagua oil refinery may be fixed from earthquake damage within six days, while the state oil company’s Bio Bio unit will take longer to resume operations, Gonzales said. He didn’t say how long it would take to restart the mines.
Chile’s magnitude-8.8 earthquake early this morning, which killed at least 214 people, led four copper mines that produce about 16 percent of the country’s output and two oil refineries to halt operations because of power cuts. The temblor also severed the country’s main highway, destroyed bridges and apartment buildings and knocked out electricity.
Codelco, the world’s biggest copper producer, said yesterday the El Teniente and Andina mines halted operations because of the power outage. Anglo American Plc said its Los Bronces and El Soldado mines in Chile stopped operating for the same reason.
Copper accounted for about half of Chile’s $53 billion of exports last year. The country’s production of the metal used in pipes and wiring climbed 0.7 percent to 5.4 million metric tons in 2009. The metal’s price has more than doubled in the past 12 months as the world economic recovery boosts demand.
State-owned Codelco produces about 600,000 tons of the metal a year from El Teniente, the world’s biggest underground copper mine, and from Andina, according to its Web site. Anglo’s Los Bronces and El Soldado mines produce about 280,000 tons annually.
Northern Mines
Codelco’s mines in northern Chile, including Chuquicamata, are operating normally, said a spokesman, who requested not to be identified because of company policy. There are no reports of injuries to workers or damage to installations, he said. He didn’t say when the halted mines will resume operations.
Anglo spokesman James Wyatt-Tilby also didn’t say in an e- mailed statement when Los Bronces and El Soldado will return to normal operations.
ENAP, as Chile’s state oil company is known, plans to import diesel fuel to ensure domestic supply after shutting the two refineries, according to an e-mailed statement.
Copper mines in northern Chile operated by BHP Billiton Ltd. weren’t affected by the earthquake, company spokesman Mauro Valdes said.
Rio Tinto Group, a shareholder in the world’s largest copper mine, Escondida, located in northern Chile and owned by BHP, also had no reports of damage, London-based spokeswoman Christina Mills said by telephone.
--With reporting by Heather Walsh in Colombia, Steve Bodzin in Caracas and Sebastian Boyd in Santiago. Editors: Carlos Caminada, Ann Hughey.
Elliot Yamin is in Chile and continues to be rocked by aftershocks of the massive 8.8 earthquake. According to his tweets, he was in Vina Del Mar (about 85 miles outside of Santiago) competing in some music festival when the quake hit. He's been keeping his faithful followers up to date from the very beginning starting with this.
"Huge earthquake just now in Chile!!....I swear I thought this was the end of my life!!!!!"
The earthquake's epicenter was about 225 miles to the south, just off the Chilean coast. And the panic has been evident.
"Complete and utter chaos on the streets...no power...my heart is beatin outta my chest!....tsunami warnin...I am only a mile inland!"
Yamin is a diabetic and has expressed some concern about keeping his condition in check.
"Just got word that the airport in Santiago is closed...the tarmac has been reduced 2 rubble...my blood sugar is really hi" "Imma Type 1 diabetic, and was sppsd 2 leave sunday.I only packed enuf insulin pump supplies 2 last til then....airports r closed!"
He has since been bussed from Vina Del Mar to Santiago.
"wow!!..a bit emotional as i am seeing for the first time since the quake hit, exactly what we endured!"
"so far, we are the lucky ones!!...please cont 2 pray 4 the victims and their families!!...im overwhelmed w emotion right now!!"
Many of the national news networks have reached out to Yamin and he's granting interviews as possible. In fact, he just Skyped with Larry King on CNN.
You can follow Elliott's tweets here: http://twitter.com/elliottyamin
PARIS, Feb 28 (AFP) - The United States and Europe vowed to come to Chile's aid as relief workers rushed to the Western hemisphere's second enormous earthquake in seven weeks.
But the Latin American country, reeling from the deaths of at least 300 people and a trail of destruction caused by Saturday's 8.8-magnitude quake, appealed for foreign donors to wait until the scale of the task is clear.
"We are very grateful for people's good intentions, but let's let the (Chilean) emergency office get its very specific report on needs done," Foreign Minister Mariano Fernandez told reporters.
Chile does not want "aid from anywhere to be a distraction" from disaster relief, he said. "Any aid that arrives without having been determined to be needed really helps very little."
At least 1.5 million homes were damaged in the pre-dawn quake, roads were torn up and buildings reduced to rubble in the nation of 16 million people. The main international airport in the capital Santiago suffered heavy damage.
Much of Santiago was plunged into darkness. The country's second largest city, Concepcion, south of the capital, was near the epicenter of one of the largest quakes on record.
"We anticipate the situation in the worst-affected areas closer to the epicentre to be much more serious," said Pete Garratt, the disaster relief manager for Britain's Red Cross.
"Our fear is that this quake will have had large-scale impact."
UN chief Ban Ki-moon is "very closely monitoring developments, including the risk of Pacific Rim tsunamis, after the huge earthquake in Chile," his office said. A Pacific-wide tsunami alert was lifted, but Japan and Russia were still braced for super-sized waves.
US President Barack Obama pledged to meet any request for help from Chile, while the European Union offered three million euros (four million dollars) in immediate aid.
The United States "stands ready to assist in the rescue and recovery efforts, and we have resources that are positioned to deploy should the Chilean government ask for our help", Obama said in a televised address.
Spain, which holds the EU's rotating six-month presidency, offered to help coordinate relief efforts once the damage and requirements are assessed.
The Madrid government said it was "prepared to offer, as in the case of Haiti, all its available capabilities in the region to provide a coordinated response to this new disaster that has rocked a friendly and brother country".
Unlike impoverished Haiti, which was pulverized by an earthquake last month, Chile is one of Latin America's wealthiest countries.
Nevertheless international aid charities said they were dispatching experts to Chile but predicted that the devastation would be far lower than in Haiti, where the January 12 quake killed 200,000 people.
British charity Oxfam said it was sending five water engineers and logistics experts from Chile to Colombia.
Disaster relief charity ShelterBox said it was mobilising an initial response team from Britain and the United States, and the Swiss government said it too was deploying an assessment team to Chile.
The US group Mobile Giving Foundation enlarged a cellphone donation drive that has so far raised 41 million dollars for Haiti.
By texting the word "Chile" to a five-digit phone number, Americans and Canadians can give five or 10 dollars to groups including Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army or World Vision, it said.
European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso announced in Brussels that the EU's executive arm was sending three million euros in fast-track aid to Chile.
"I am deeply shocked at the extent of the devastation that is emerging," Barroso said, as European leaders joined Obama in sending heart-felt condolences and offers of assistance to Chile.
"The people of Chile are in agony today but Britain stands ready to help. We will do whatever we can," said British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, while French President Nicolas Sarkozy expressed his "deep emotion".
The World Bank said it stood ready to "draw on its considerable expertise in catastrophe management and reconstruction" to support Chile.
WASHINGTON — A US group that harnesses mobile phone technology to raise money for charities on Saturday launched text message campaigns to raise money for victims of the powerful quake in Chile.
By texting the word "Chile" to a five-digit number, Americans and Canadians can make micro-donations of five or 10 dollars to non-profit groups including Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army or World Vision to help Chileans recover from the 8.8-magnitude quake that rattled their country early Saturday.
"One-hundred percent of your donation goes to the recipient charity, and the donation appears as a charge on your carrier bill," Ginny Edwards, a spokeswoman for the Mobile Giving Foundation, which is coordinating the aid drive, said.
A similar text-messages-for-aid program set up by Mobile Giving after the devastating earthquake in Haiti last month has so far raised 41 million dollars, Edwards told AFP.
A huge 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Chile in the early hours of Saturday, killing at least 214 people, leaving a trail of twisted buildings and sending tsunami waves roaring at jetspeed across the vast Pacific Ocean.
Athletes and coaches from Chile are planning to skip the Olympic Closing Ceremonies following a magnitude-8.8 earthquake that has devastated their country.
Team spokesman Luis Alberto Santa Cruz said Saturday morning that the athletes and coaches are trying to get home from Vancouver as soon as possible because of the quake.
Chile has three Alpine skiers representing the country at the Vancouver Games. Noelle Barahona, Maui Gayme and Jorge Mandru are all finished competing, so they won't miss any remaining events.
Santa Cruz says that some of the coaches and athletes have been able to contact family and so far, they have found out that their loved ones are fine.
The quake sent potentially deadly waves across the ocean and a tsunami warning - the highest alert level - was issued for Hawaii.
SANTIAGO (Reuters) - Chile's Codelco, the world's top copper producer, suspended operations at its El Teniente and Andina mines after a powerful quake hit Chile on Saturday, a company spokesman said.
The mines sustained power outages after the quake, but there was no serious damage and the spokesman said Codelco expected the mines to be up and running in the "coming hours."
However, Mining Minister Santiago Gonzalez told reporters it could take up to two days for production to be resumed at the two mines.
El Teniente and Andina are Codelco's second- and third-largest mines by production, with combined annual output last year of 614,000 tons. The rest of the state miners' operations were not affected by the quake, the spokesman said.
Gonzalez added that the Bio Bio oil refinery, run by state energy company ENAP, had been more seriously affected.
Bio Bio is the biggest of ENAP's three oil refineries and has a refining capacity of 116,000 barrels per day.
(Reporting by Alonso Soto and Fabian Cambero; Writing by Helen Popper; Editing by Vicki Allen)
Warnings and Advisories for US
An 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck Chile Saturday morning, its epicenter in the country's second largest city, Conception. AFP reported early estimates placing the death toll at 78, but Chilean officials acknowledge
Chile Hit by 8.8 Earthquake; Will Haiti Be Forgotten?
that the number could rise as more information is received. CNN is reporting a death toll of 82. Power and phone outages in the Chilean capital Santiago are impeding communications. Santiago is 200 miles from the earthquake epicenter.
According to CNN, there are reports of collapsed buildings and throngs of people taking to the streets. President Michelle Bachelet has declared areas affected by the quake "catastrophes," a designation that enables emergency aid to be directed to those areas.
The Santiago airport is closed and a bridge connecting northern and southern areas of Chile was damaged.
There have already been several strong aftershocks, including one measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a Tsunami warning for the Pacific region. Easter Island is being evacuated. The United States could be affected by any tsunami unleashed by the earthquake; Hawaii is covered by the tsunami warning while California and Alaska are under tsunami advisories. The tsunami is expected to reach Hawaii at about 4:20 p.m. Saturday; its intensity is uncertain.
Chile is in the Pacific Rim of Fire where 90% of the world's earthquakes occur, including the most dangerous. While China has suffered the deadliest earthquakes, today's 8.8 is not the first strong earthquake to hit Chile. In 1960, the Valdivia earthquake killed 1,655 Chileans according to the National Geological Survey. Though Chile has suffered many other strong earthquakes, they often occur in its deserts, minimizing the death toll and destruction.
Chile's earthquake comes 6 weeks after a deadly 7.0 earthquake leveled Haiti's capital and killed hundreds of thousands of Haitians. Associated Press reported that a geophysicist said on the Early Show that the Chile quake's energy was 500 times that of the Haiti quake.
When the destructive effect of the Haiti earthquake became apparent, governments and aid groups rushed to provide food, water and medical services. Whether such outside aid will be needed in Chile is not yet clear.
Chile Hit by 8.8 Earthquake; Will Haiti Be Forgotten?
The British Red Cross sent 5,000 pounds in disaster aid money. The American Red Cross pledged an initial $50,000. The European Union issued a statement this morning, indicating its readiness to assist if called upon by Bachelet. Oxfam is reported to be sending water engineers and logisticians based in Colombia to Chile to aid in the quake aftermath.
"Even though the severity of the situation is unclear, Oxfam is preparing for the worst and will be sending five staff out to Chile today to assess and consider how best to help the thousands of people effected by the disaster," Jeremy Loveless, Oxfam's deputy humanitarian director told the Vancouver Sun.
Government and charity refocus of earthquake relief efforts on Chile raises the specter that Haiti might be forgotten. Will Haiti become another New Orleans? The American Red Cross released a video status report on the Haiti relief effort noting that shelter will be needed for up to 400,000 people during the upcoming rainy season. The need for food, water and supplies in Haiti is expected to continue for at least a year. And none of this speaks to the rebuilding of a capital whose infrastructure is in ruins.
The updated news on Hawaii comes that the region is under a threat of tsunami after the massive earthquake of 8.8 magnitude hit Chile today morning. A tsunami alert has been sent at around 12:45PM emphasizing on huge tidal waves that could affect the islands heavily.
Sources like MSNBC and Hawaii News etc report that the Pacific Tsunami Cautionary Centre has warned the Hawaii islands that a tsunami may affect the coastlines of the islands. It is the highest alert level that is sent to Hawaii and it is declared that alarms will be rung when if high waves are predicted to hit the regions within three hours.
It is also reported by the Ewa Beach tsunami centre that tsunami might come at around 11:19AM on Saturday 27th February 2010.
Tsunami alerts have also been warned in regions of the Pacific islands, Russia, Philippines, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and South America.
Charles McCreery, the director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, has said that there has to be various things to do within the time left. He assures to take care of all to keep them safe from the evacuation zones. He is not sure of the height of the waves but sure that they would be the largest ever since 1964.
However, the tsunami would take about 14.5hours to reach the Hawaii Island since the earthquake hits. So, there would be enough time to take the precautionary measures.
Still, it is advised to all to be inside their residents and follow the warnings to avoid the worst.
VANCOUVER - Coastal British Columbia was put under a tsunami advisory following the massive 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Chile on Saturday.
The quake struck Chile early Saturday, killing at least 122 people, knocking down homes and hospitals and triggering a tsunami that rolled menacingly across the Pacific.
Provincial Emergency Program (PEP) officials said no significant wave is expected, but there are expectations for strong localized currents that could put low-lying areas at risk with the arrival of the first wave expected to arrive off B.C.'s south coast by 3:11 p.m.
PEP issued the warning at 7 a.m. this morning after the West Coast Alaska Tsunami Warning Centre upgraded the B.C. coast to the advisory level following the massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Chile.
PEP said local governments may consider activating their emergency plans to evacuate marinas, beaches and areas below the normal high tide mark.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned dozens of countries and remote island nations from Hawaii to Japan of possible "widespread damage" from waves, generated by the massive quake which may reach three meters (nine feet).
"Sea level readings confirm that a tsunami has been generated which could cause widespread damage," the Hawaii-based center said. "Authorities should take appropriate action in response to this threat."
The massive quake plunged much of the Chilean capital, Santiago, into darkness as it snapped power lines and severed communications. The international airport was closed after being damaged.
Hours after a devastating earthquake killed at least 122 people in Chile on Saturday, a massive tsunami hit the Robinson Crusoe island of the Latin American country, President Michelle Bachelet said.
The three-meter wave hit the island, the largest in the Chilean Juan Fernandez archipelago, and was heading toward Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean where evacuations to higher ground were underway.
"A village on the island is half-flooded, people have been evacuated to higher elevations," the president said, adding there had been extreme damage from the tsunami.
The 8.8-magnitude earthquake hit the country at 3.34 a.m. (1204 IST), some 89 km to the north of Chile's second largest city Concepcion.
President Bachelet rushed to the national disaster centre to assess the situation and help in relief efforts.
The tremor also damaged buildings in Santiago, about 320 km north of the epicentre, besides disrupting telephone and power lines in some areas.
Several aftershocks, including one that measured 6.9 on the Richter scale, followed the initial quake.
Chilean state television said the president was expected to arrive in the quake-hit area. Areas near the stricken Biobio Region, Maule and Araucania, were declared a zone of catastrophe.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre has issued a warning along the coast of Chile and Peru, and issued a tsunami watch for Colombia, Ecuador, Antarctica, Panama and Costa Rica.
Some 50 nations have been placed under a tsunami advisory. Areas of concern are the Hawaiian Islands, French Polynesia, Australia, and Japan.
Russia's far eastern region was also advised, but local emergency authorities have said that the region is in no danger.
A collapsed highway near Santiago after an earthquake hit Chile. Photograph: David Lillo/AP
A wide array of Pacific nations, including the US, Australia, the Phillipines to Japan, are bracing for potentially devastating tidal waves after a massive earthquake in Chile triggered a tsunami which is radiating across the ocean.
The quake, with a magnitude of 8.8, has already killed at least 120 people in mainland Chile and prompted the evacuation of coastal areas on Easter Island – famous for its monumental stone statues – as well as Samoa and American Samoa.
Countries across the Asia-Pacific region are readying emergency measures drawn up after the Indian Ocean quake of 2004, with the tsunami expected to hit in the next 24 hours.
Michelle Bachelet, the outgoing Chilean president, declared a "state of catastrophe" in central Chile and said a huge tidal wave had swept into the Juan Fernandez Islands. Local radio stations reported serious damage on the archipelago, which reputedly inspired the novel Robinson Crusoe.
The president-elect, Sebastian Pinera, said more than 120 people had died in the quake, and the toll was rising quickly. Bachelet said there were more than 85 deaths just in the Maule region, at the quake's epicentre.
"We have had a huge earthquake with some aftershocks. We're doing everything we can with all the forces we have. Any information we will share immediately. Without a doubt, with an earthquake of this magnitude, there will be more deaths," Bachelet said.
Chile's interior minister, Edmundo Perez Yoma, said: "It has been a devastating earthquake. The death toll will continue rising."
Warnings of tidal waves were issued in 53 other countries. The Pacific tsunami warning centre said the quake had generated a wave that could cause destruction along nearby shores "and could also be a threat to more distant coasts". It issued a tsunami warning for Chile, Peru and Hawaii, while Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Antarctica are also on alert.
"Chile probably got the brunt force of the tsunami already. So probably the worst has already happened in Chile," said Victor Sardina, geophysicist at the centre. "The tsunami was pretty big too. We reported some places around 8ft. And it's quite possible it would be higher in other areas."
The centre warned that waves up to 4.8 metres high could hit the coasts of the Hawaiian islands, with the first reaching Hawaii at 9pm GMT. "Urgent action should be taken to protect lives and property," the centre said in a bulletin. "All shores are at risk no matter which direction they face."
It said the first waves after a quake were not necessarily the largest, and wave heights were difficult to predict because they can vary significantly along a coast due to the local topography.
Chile's navy said officials had lifted the tsunami warning in southern Chile, local radio reported. The Joint Australian tsunami warning centre warned of a "potential tsunami threat" to the states of New South Wales and Queensland, Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island.
The quake, which shook buildings as far away as Argentina, was centred 200 miles south-west of Santiago at a depth of 22 miles, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). It reported 11 aftershocks, five of them measuring 6.0 or above, in the two and a half hours following the quake. The epicentre was 70 miles from Concepcion, Chile's second largest city, with a population of about 670,000.
The USGS warned that an earthquake of magnitude 8 or above could cause "tremendous damage". The quake that devastated Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince, in January was magnitude 7.0.
Santiago's international airport was forced to close, a highway bridge collapsed and rubble from damaged buildings fell on to the streets. Speaking to a local television station in Temuco, one witness said: "Never in my life have I experienced a quake like this, it's like the end of the world."
Chile is at a high risk of earthquakes because it lies on the boundary between the Pacific and South American tectonic plates. According to seismologists, there is usually about one quake of magnitude eight or more a year, and one reaching 8.8 would be expected only every few years.
Dr Brian Baptie, of the British Geological Survey, said: "In global terms this is a very rare quake. Chile has experienced some very big quakes in the past. It was about 124 miles north-east of the largest earthquake ever recorded – 9.5, in 1960 – which resulted in a destructive tsunami that killed many thousands of people around the Pacific."
He said a 1.3-metre tsunami wave was observed at Valparaiso about 20 minutes after the earthquake. "Tsunami waves in the deep ocean travel about the same speed as a jet plane and would take about 15 hours to reach Hawaii and about 20 hours to reach the other side of the Pacific," he said.
Dr David Rothery, senior lecturer at the Open University's department of earth and environmental sciences, said the tsunami was "now radiating away from the epicentre and travelling at several hundred kilometres per hour across the Pacific ocean".
The largest earthquake ever recorded struck the same area of Chile on 22 May 1960. The magnitude-9.5 quake killed 1,655 people and left 2 million homeless, and caused a tsunami that killed people in Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines.
That tsunami was about one to four metres in height, according to Japan's meteorological agency. It said the tsunami from today's quake was likely to be much smaller.
White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told a pool reporter that, "We are closely monitoring the situation, including the potential for a tsunami. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Chile, and we stand ready to help in this hour of need."
Chile was rocked by an 8.8 magnitude earthquake earlier this morning.
President Michelle Bachelet said there were more than 85 deaths just in the Maule region at the quake's epicenter, and that more were possible, according to Reuters.
President Obama is in Chevy Chase this morning watching daughter Sasha's basketball game.
In Pictures: Early images from earthquake in Chile
European Union's first response to the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile on February came from European Commissioner for International Cooperation, Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Response, Kristalina Georgieva.
Her full statement follows.
"I have been following the news of the large earthquake off Chile overnight. I want to first offer my condolences to the families of those who have been effected by this natural disaster."
"I have immediately activated the Crisis Room at the Commission's Monitoring and Information Centre (MIC), which is working with the European Union's delegation in Santiago. I have mobilized ECHO humanitarian experts to undertake urgent needs assessments if required.
ECHO has a regional office in Managua as well as offices in Bogota and Quito. The Monitoring and Information Centre is further assessing the situation and the Commission stands ready to provide immediate assistance and coordinate European efforts should that be required".
ECHO is the name of EC's humanitarian aid department.
Specialist teams from British charities are being sent to Chile after a massive earthquake in the South American country left scores dead.
Prime Minster Gordon Brown said Britain would do whatever it could to help after the quake in the centre of Chile.
Aid organisations including Oxfam and Save the Children have made an urgent appeal for donations as emergency teams prepare to fly in to the affected area.
Worried UK-based relatives have been contacting Chile's embassy in London.
Rafael Moreno, the Chilean ambassador, said: "One girl studying for a degree in London phoned me because her family is on the spot where the earthquake reached almost nine.
Our fear is that this quake will have had large scale impact
British Red Cross
"She was in tears, so I calmed her down and told her I will personally do research about the family and I will call her as soon as I have information."
Oxfam is sending a team of water engineers and logisticians from Colombia and is also contacting partner organisations in Chile so that the humanitarian response is as fast as possible.
Jeremy Loveless, Oxfam's deputy humanitarian director, said: "Chile is a developed country with a very capable government and while it is unlikely that this disaster will be as severe as what we saw last month in Haiti, we want to be in place to help as soon as possible."
'Challenging situation'
A spokesman for Save the Children said: "We are assessing the situation and preparing to mobilise teams to support our partners working on the ground."
The charity is also working in Haiti following the earthquake which left thousands dead there in January.
Matt Wingate, emergencies adviser for the charity, said: "It's a challenging situation to have two in the same region so quickly after one another."
The British Red Cross released £50,000 from its Disaster Fund to support the response of the Chilean Red Cross.
Pete Garratt, British Red Cross disaster relief manager, said: "We anticipate the situation in the worst affected areas closer to the epicentre to be much more serious.
"Our fear is that this quake will have had large scale impact.
"The Chilean Red Cross are experienced in reacting to natural disasters and we are making this immediate release of funds to support their relief efforts."
A massive earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 has hit central Chile, killing at least 64 people, ministers say.
The quake struck at 0634 GMT about 115km (70 miles) north-east of the city of Concepcion and 325km south-west of the capital, Santiago.
President Michelle Bachelet declared a "state of catastrophe" in affected areas and appealed for calm.
Although phone communication out of Chile has been difficult, people have been contacting the BBC via email and Twitter. Below are some of the responses we've been sent.
A massive earthquake measuring 8.8 on the Richter scale has struck the Chilean coast near the city of Concepcion.
A tsunami warning was issued early this morning for Chile and Peru and a tsunami watch for Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica and Antarctica was also issued.
Radio reports said at least 17 people had been killed, with more deaths likely.
Damage: Two people stand next to the rubble of a collapsed convenience store in Santiago
Damage: Early reports say six people have been killed, with the death toll expected to rise
Chilean President Michelle Bachelet confirmed six people were dead and appealed for Chileans to remain calm.
She said: 'We have had a huge earthquake. We're doing everything we can with all the forces we have. Any information we will share immediately.'
Cut off: An explosion at an electricity sub station in the Chilean capital. Power lines and internet connection has been disrupted after the quake
She added: 'Without a doubt, with an earthquake of this magnitude, there will be more deaths.'
Witnesses reported collapsed buildings and tremors lasting up to 90 seconds after the quake, which struck at around 6.30am GMT.
The quake is reported to have hit at a depth of 36.9 miles near Concepcion, Chile's second city with around 670,000 people, and caused blackouts in parts of the capital Santiago - 197 miles away.
An aftershock measuring 6.9 also struck 130 miles south west of Concepcion, at a depth of 24 miles.
And a third tremor, measuring 5.5, hit 28 miles off the coast of Valparaiso, on the Chilean coast west of Santiago.
'Never in my life have I experienced a quake like this, it's like the end of the world,' one man told local television from the city of Temuco, where the quake damaged buildings and forced staff to evacuate the regional hospital.
A statement from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said: 'Sea level readings indicate a tsunami was generated.
'It may have been destructive along coasts near the earthquake epicenter and could also be a threat to more distant coasts.'
Witnesses reported people streaming on to the streets of Santiago, hugging each other and crying.
A national emergency official told local radio the government was evaluating damage in and around Concepcion.
Telephone and internet connections appear to have been disrupted, which is preventing authorities finding out the extent of the damage.
Massive: The earthquake measuring 8.8 struck north east of Concepcion, Chile, this morning and sparked tsunami warnings up South America
Earthquakes of magnitude 8 or over are classified as 'great' earthquakes which can cause tremendous damage.
The quake which devastated Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince on January 12 was measured at 7.0 on the Richter scale.
In 1960, Chile was hit by the world's biggest earthquake since records dating back to 1900.
The 9.5 magnitude quake devastated the southern city of Valdivia, killing 1,655 people and sending a tsunami which battered Easter Island 2,300 miles off Chile's Pacific coast and continued as far as Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines.
