Definition

Earthquakes are the shaking or rolling of the earth's surface.

It is usually what happens when two blocks of the earth (tectonic plates) suddenly slip past
one another, or break apart from each other as a result of tension caused by prolonged
energy build up.

Causes
In the case of the 2010 earthquake, it was produced by the shocking of the Nazca and South
American tectonic plates.

What happened – place – year

This earthquake occurred in the coast of central Chile on Saturday, 27 February at 03:34
am. having a magnitude of 8.8 on the Richter scale. It was felt strongly in six Chilean
regions (from Valparaíso in the north to Araucanía in the south).
The epicenter of the earthquake was about 3 km (1.9 miles) off the coast of Pelluhue, a
town in the Maule Region.

Effects
The earthquake triggered a tsunami which devastated several coastal towns in south-central
Chile and damaged the port at Talcahuano, causing the death of hundred people.

Authorities solutions and personal opinion.

After this natural disaster, the government authorities declared a state of emergency, and
created different support programs for victims, such as allocating and lending money to
rebuild damaged homes. They also invested in educating citizens how to behave before,
during and after a natural disaster like the one that happened.

The earthquake also generated a light blackout that affected 93 percent of the Chilean
population and which went on for several days in some locations.
In my opinion the measures taken by the government were good, but they had to be carried
out more quickly because people needed to be calm and a place to live after the earthquake.
They should also have worried about giving spaces and opportunities for people to work,
since many people lost their workplace.