Operational Capabilities during Crisis: The Chilean Seismographic Network

The severe mobility restrictions imposed countrywide by authorities of Chile in response to the pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have impacted all areas of activities. Major difficulties began in March 2020, with partial quarantines in the capital city, which later extended to other cities in the country, and it soon transformed in total confinement. We examine the evolution of the pandemic and its consequences on the field and headquarters operations of the National Seismological Centre (CSN), as remote stations could not be visited to carry out maintenance work. Several indicators, as a function of time, such as station operability percentage, timely reports, and ability to deliver requested information, reveal some negative impact on the uptime of stations but not in the capability of the CSN to fulfill its mission, which is to deliver timely seismic information to emergency services. The largest event in the country within this period took place on 3 June 2020, activating in a timely manner, the new tools on finite-fault modeling being developed within the center.

Automated summary

Chile imposed severe mobility restrictions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting all areas of activities including the operations of the National Seismological Centre. While there were negative impacts on station uptime, the CSN was still able to fulfill its mission of delivering timely seismic information to emergency services. The largest earthquake event in the country during this period activated new tools for finite-fault modeling within the center.