Script by Tai Pham

Introduction

On May 22, 1960, southern Chile experienced the most powerful earthquake ever recorded.

For over 10 minutes, the ground shook with unimaginable force, measuring 9.5 on the Richter scale. Just 15 minutes later, tsunami waves as tall as an 8-story building crashed into the coast. Two million people lost their homes, and the damage totaled $4.8 billion in today's currency.

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But how did that happen?

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Early Warning Signs

It’s May 21th, 1960: An 8.1 magnitude earthquake strikes Concepción, Chile.

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As the dust settles, seismologists observed something far more ominous, unusual seismic patterns, indicating that this event might precede a much larger quake. The pattern was characterized by a series of strong aftershocks that suggested a significant release of energy was going to happen.

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As Chile sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for lots of earthquakes. The country stretches along a subduction zone where tectonic plates collide, building up enormous pressure over time.

This pressure can lead to catastrophic releases of energy

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