RAPID: Illapel Earthquake and Tsunami - Environmental Impacts on the North Central Chile Coast

On September 16, 2015 a Mw8.3 earthquake and accompanying tsunami struck the coast of north-central Chile. This rapid response project documents the geomorphic impacts of the event by collecting perishable physical data, which is being rapidly lost due to post-earthquake reconstruction and post-depositional change. The project enables comparison of the 2015 Illapel event with paleoearthquakes and tsunamis discovered during previous NSF-funded fieldwork in north-central Chile. Rapidly dispatched survey teams will collect data from the Illapel earthquake and tsunami from existing and new study sites. The field, laboratory, and modeling research will: (1) assess co-seismic and post-seismic land-level change; (2) investigate sedimentary deposits and geomorphic impacts of the tsunami; and (3) compare model simulations of the 2015 tsunami to run-up measurements and surveying data.

Despite the frequency of earthquakes and tsunamis in north-central Chile, very few studies have been directed at the geologic impacts of historical and prehistoric events. Geologic records of earthquakes and tsunamis can expand the range of events available for study, thereby improving the understanding of subduction zone hazards. The 2015 Illapel earthquake and tsunami provide an invaluable opportunity to examine the nature of co-seismic land-level change and tsunami evidence in this region. The project advances desired societal outcomes through full participation of women in STEM through support of an early career female PI and her female collaborators, improved well-being of individuals in society through a better understanding of tsunami hazards in Chile, development of a diverse, globally competitive STEM workforce through post-doctoral researcher and student training and increased partnerships between academia and government researchers as well as a strong international collaboration. The Earth Sciences Division Deep Earth Processes Section and the Office of International Science and Engineering support the project.