A magnitude 8.8 earthquake occurred earlier today on the border of the Nazca and South American tectonic plates located just a few miles off the coast of Chile (200 miles or 325 km southwest of the capital Santiago). This magnitude 8.8 is the fifth largest earthquake since 1900 and is the largest earthquake in magnitude since the magnitude 9.1 earthquake in 2004 that caused the Indian Ocean tsunami.
The largest recorded earthquake in more than 200 years, a magnitude 9.5, was also the same fault and 143 miles (230 km) south of today's magnitude 8.8 quake. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet announced that more than two million people had been affected by the earthquake and the initial death toll is over 700.
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