Why do so many powerful earthquakes happen in Chile?

Most earthquakes happen at plate boundaries. The earth's crust stores stresses caused by plate tectonics movement. When the fault plane slides, the land breaks and produces earthquake waves. read more

That’s why dangerous earthquakes happen in Chile. The type of fault which is thrust fault also makes the earthquakes so dangerous. The type of thrust fault is also called subduction zone. The movement of tectonic plates on west coast of Chile makes Chile prone to so many earthquakes. read more

With a magnitude of 8.8, the quake was one of the most powerful on record, according to scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park, and it triggered a potent tsunami that was recorded all across the Pacific, including along the California coast. read more

Even planet Earth has its faults. Movement along those fault lines causes earthquakes, big and small, to rattle the globe every day, most recently making news this week with a powerful quake, and tsunami, striking Chile. read more