The History of Earthquakes in Chile

Coastal Chile has a history of very large earthquakes.

Since 1973, there have been 13 events of magnitude 7.0 or greater.

The February 27 shock originated about 100 miles north of the source region of the magnitude 9.5 earthquake of May, 1960 -- the largest earthquake worldwide since the beginning of instrumental seismology at the beginning of the twentieth century.

The giant 1960 earthquake spawned a tsunami that caused destruction on coasts throughout the Pacific Ocean basin. An estimated 1600 lives were lost to the 1960 earthquake and tsunami in Chile, and the 1960 tsunami took another 200 lives among Japan, Hawaii, and the Philippines.

Here is a map of the energy map created by the earthquake on 2/27/10.

Sources:
NOAA
USGS