The depth of the earthquake prompted scientists in South America to install seismometer networks focused on long-period earthquakes.[3] Until the 1994 Bolivia earthquake, the 1970 Colombia earthquake was famous among seismologists as the largest deep earthquake.[5]
Analysis
A study completed by Dziewonski and Gilbert (1974) determined that the earthquake had featured isotropic compression, or an increase in density near the rupture point similar to an implosion;[6] this was released to great controversy.[5] They also claimed that the compression had been initiated 80 seconds before the actual earthquake's short-period shaking. Many studies have reached differing conclusions including a dearth of isotropic movement, and many scientists feel that resolution created errors in Dziewonski and Gilbert's findings.[7] In 1997, Russakoff, Ekstrom, and Tromp reassessed their findings utilizing more advanced equipment that factored in shear wave splitting and coupling (the measure of how tightly locked two sides of a fault or plate are) and confirmed that there was very little isotropic compression.[5]
Gómez Tapias, Jorge; Montes Ramírez, Nohora E.; Almanza Meléndez, María F.; Alcárcel Gutiérrez, Fernando A.; Madrid Montoya, César A.; Diederix, Hans (2015). Geological Map of Colombia. Servicio Geológico Colombiano. pp. 1–212. Retrieved 2019-10-29.
