Great Chilean Earthquake (1960)

The Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960, also known as the Valdivia Earthquake, was the most powerful earthquake ever recorded, occurring on May 22, 1960, in southern Chile. It measured 9.5 on the Richter scale, causing widespread destruction across southern Chile. The quake resulted from the movement of the Earth's tectonic plates along the subduction zone, where the oceanic Nazca plate slips beneath the South American plate. The event triggered tsunamis that affected distant coastlines across the Pacific. It caused thousands of deaths, destroyed buildings, and drastically altered landscapes, highlighting the significant seismic risk in the region.