2007-10-13, Ultimate Earthquake - 终极地震（在线收听） |
| The arrival of the P-waves in Valparaiso feels like a long sonic boom. Windows and buildings shudder. Some of the P-waves shoot up into the atmosphere, emitting a frightening roar. The secondary waves follow, carrying most of the earthquake's energy. Some surface waves shake the ground from side to side, twisting railway lines and shattering concrete structures. Buildings are shaken from their foundations. Unstable areas of the cliffs surrounding Valparaiso collapse, taking many buildings with them. Below in the port, sediments amplify the seismic energy, prolonging the shaking into destruction. Liquefaction ruptures gas mains, water pipes and vital communication links. In addition to the deadly seismic waves, the earthquake rupture releases pressure on the South American Plate. It pushes forward and flattens. Areas of the coast sink two meters. Entire structures collapse and the flooding is rampant. Fires caused by broken gas mains rage out of control. As the city lies paralyzed and in ruins, the biggest killer of all is about to strike. As the South American Plate is released and flicks upwards, it pushes up an enormous wave of water, 967 kilometers long. Gravity quickly pushes it back, creating a massive wave, a tsunami. One side of the wave rushes towards the coast of Chile. It takes just ten minutes to reach Vina del Mar. It hits the already besieged city with a 12-meter wall of ocean that smashes across the city. Thousands more lose their lives; the city is devastated. But the giant earthquake's deadly reach extends far beyond Chile. The same tsunami that pulverized Vina del Mar speeds across the Pacific for thousands of kilometers. Hours after the quake, huge waves strike New Zealand, Hawaii and Japan. The West Coast of the USA and the Philippines will also be hard hit. Chile's ultimate earthquake is now a global disaster. |
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