Representational image.
Highlights
- Some 3,800 years ago, earth was hit by a super earthquake
- The earthquake had triggered tsunami upto 66 feet high
- The study has been conducted by Professor Diego Salazar at the University of Chile
Earth witnessed a super earthquake with a mamoth magnitude of 9.5 that triggered huge tsunami with waves as high as 66 feest and hit coastline of Chile's Atacama desert, some 3,800 years ago, a study led by University of Chile academics reveals.
According to a Reuters article, the massive earthquake was caused due to the collision between Nazca and South Americam tectonic plates which further generated upto 20 metres high tsunami.
The impact of the super earthquake was extremely devastating that it uplifted land structures and sent humans into hiding for almost 1000 years, say scientists.
The study has been conducted by Professor Diego Salazar at the University of Chile.
The study further reveals that at various points along the coast of the regions of Antofagasta and northern Chile, paleobeaches also reffered to as ancient beaches were found some 4 to 7 meteres above the current sea level.
Global changes in sea doesn't explain these phenomenon but hints that those were caused by tectonic uplift after the super earthquake.
"Our hypothesis is that this event could have generated a very high mortality among people, or it could have also prompted the migration of a significant number of people to other territories," said Diego Salazar in his study.
The study has been published in the journal 'Science Advances' and was being worked upon for 7 years.
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