The Chilean Coast is the area in the Southeastern Pacific Ocean. It has a long coastline that has several rivers that run into the ocean. One of the most notable causes for coastal hazards on the Chilean Coast is due to earthquakes. Chile is a hotspot for earthquakes because of the Nazca plate, a tectonic plate which moves eastwards and collides with the South American plate off the Chilean coast. Due to the frequency and strength of earthquakes, coast erosion, tsunamis and tidal waves become a factor.
Coastal erosion is defined as the wearing away of land or the removal of coastal wetland, beach or dune sediments by wave action, tidal currents, wave currents, or drainage. According to ScienceDirect, coastal erosion may be the next hazard facing central Chile. They reported that the coasts of central Chile are increasingly affected by human activity. To date, there are no clear symptoms of shoreline change in the area; however, the incidence of recent extreme storms, in conjunction with an increase in urban area, may have created a new coastal hazard in addition to earthquakes and tsunamis. In this study, four urban beaches were analyzed on a decadal scale. Satellite images showed shoreline retreat and an increase of erosion rates. They went on to conclude that the erosive trend found in the last decade suggests that this coast could deteriorate if such factors are maintained or intensified.
Tsunamis and Tidal Waves are another factor that the Chilean coastline must contend with frequently. As reported in the Tsunami Historical series, Chile was struck by the largest earthquake ever recorded by instruments on May 22, 1960, at 3:11 pm. The earthquake struck southern Chile with a magnitude we now know to be at least 9.5. This earthquake generated a tsunami that traveled through every ocean on earth, though large, dangerous waves only impacted the coastlines around the Pacific Ocean. Chile suffered the greatest impact, with tsunami waves reaching as high as 25 m or 82 ft., killing an estimated 2000 people. Since then, there have been numerous tidal waves that have struck the Chilean coast causing structural damage and significant loss of life.
As far as measures Chile has taken in order to alert people and prevent coastal hazards, unfortunately, not a lot has been done. There are warning systems for earthquakes and tsunamis, which have aided in those events. However, nothing concrete has been established in regard to coastal erosion, ScienceDirect has reported that, “Emerging efforts have been made to establish the current state and future projections of coastal erosion in Latin America, however, there is no detailed analysis of erosion processes in central Chile, where unique conditions associated with tectonic processes, climate change and human pressure combine. Studies addressing the past and future behavior of oceanographic variables that affect erosion are scarce.”
Sources:
Coastal erosion in central Chile: A new hazard? - ScienceDirect
Think Hazard - Chile - Coastal flood
Chilean Coastal Sea - The Seas Project (weebly.com)
Tsunami Historical Series: Chile - 1960 - Science On a Sphere (noaa.gov)
