Well, it was actually an aftershock. It occurred last night around 11:30 pm and it was recorded as a 4.8 and it was located 67 kilometers underneathe Santiago. I was sitting outside in the courtyard of our hostel with 6 other volunteers talking when it happened. It lasted about 5 seconds and it felt as slight as a cellphone vibrating, but through your entire body. The noise of the rattling windows is actually what is most frightening. These are very common and apparently they have been felt pretty often. On March 11th there were three in one day, the same day the new President of Chile Sebastián Piñera was sworn in.
But who actually knows the difference between an earthquake and an aftershock? After some research I found out...And no, it is not as simple as aftershocks are the tremors that occur after and earthquake. So here is what I found out...
"Earthquakes usually come in clusters divided into foreshocks, mainshocks and aftershocks. If an aftershock is stronger than the mainshock, it becomes the mainshock and the mainshock becomes a foreshock. Make sense? Basically they're all earthquakes, but they're related. Aftershocks must occur geographically near the mainshock, though they can occur on another nearby fault, triggered by the stress on the mainshock's fault. According to the seismology/geography glossary, aftershocks must occur "after a larger earthquake (a mainshock), within one rupture-length of the original fault rupture" (or within what is called an "aftershock zone" in some places).
Another big difference between a mainshock and the aftershocks is that we expect aftershocks." This information was found at the following link: http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1681/whats-the-difference-between-an-earthquake-and-an-aftershock
On a lighter note, I have found out my town! I will be located in Taltal, Antofagasta. I will post more about this town in a later post! I still do not know about my Host Family.
Saludos Amigos!
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