The string of earthquakes, one of 6 degrees on the Richter scale, which shook from last Sunday night the region Coquimbo, in northern Chile , and Valparaiso, in the central region, continued to occur in the last hours, though less frequently, but experts do not rule out an earthquake of greater magnitude.
the quakes numbering more than a dozen from Sunday night until early this morning and did not cause any casualties or major damage, but have troubled the population.
According to the Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service of the Navy (SHOA), nor they have gathered the necessary to generate tsunamis along the coasts of Chile conditions.
the most recent jolt occurred 3.16 (same time in Argentina), with a magnitude of 4.5 degrees, and its epicenter was located 13 kilometers northwest of La Serena, the National Seismological Centre of the University of Chile.
Earlier, at 20.56 yesterday, occurred in the same area another earthquake, of 3.7 magnitude on the Richter scale.
According to Sergio Barrientos , director of the National Seismological Center, the area "is expecting" an earthquake of importance since the last occurred long ago, one of 8.5 degrees in November 1922 and another 8.2 degrees in April 1943, with their epicenters near the towns of Vallenar and Ovalle.
"it will be a hundred years after the earthquake of 1922, then it is likely that a large earthquake now happen," Vallejos told local media, according reproduces EFE.
according to the expert, these places are known as "seismic gap" areas where earthquakes have occurred in the past and in which energy accumulates "that at some point you have to release. "
" seismic history exists there, so that there should be an earthquake, but it is very difficult to anticipate when that will be. I see no reason for that zone does not have an earthquake measuring eight, "said Barrientos, for whom the exposed area covers the coastal area from Taltal, about a thousand kilometers north of Santiago to Pichilemu, about 0 kilometers southwest of the Chilean capital
Source:. Agencia EFE