By Madelyn Lipszyc

Hailed as one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded, this 8.8 magnitude (with aftershocks of more than 5.0 magnitudes) struck in the early morning hours on February 27th in Concepcion, Chile. Many of Chile's coastal towns were hit hard and are completely devastated by the quake and its after effects. The quake even spawned several tsunami warnings across the Pacific Ocean.

Right now, there are 708 people reportedly dead, and that toll will rise dramatically in the weeks to come. Buildings have collapsed nationwide, and highways have caved in. Most have lost their family, friends and belongings. Food and water runs short while mobility is very limited for over 1.5 million citizens who have become homeless.

Earthquakes are nothing new for Chile, which is a so-called hotspot for earthquakes. In Valdivia, Chile, the largest magnitude quake in recorded history hit at 9.5 in 1960. The second largest occurred in 2004, off the coast of Indonesia. It sparred an unprecedented tsunami that hit hard, killing 230,000 people in more than 14 countries including Indonesia, Thailand, India, and Sri Lanka.

Earthquakes are usually caused by subduction, the process where one tectonic plate moves over or under another tectonic plate, causing a massive rumbling of the ground. Nine out of the ten largest earthquakes to occur in the last 100 years were subduction zone events.

The New Scientist reports researchers, concluding from Climate Forcing of Geological and Geomorphological Hazards conference, are confident that climate change, through activities such as El Nino, may also be linked to triggering earthquakes. Since 1973, the occurrence of El Nino has shown a relationship to a greater frequency of underwater earthquakes. Scientists believe that the rise in sea levels by El Nino may "increase the pressure of fluids in the pores of the rock beneath the seabed. This might be enough to counteract the frictional force that holds the slabs of rock in place, making it easier for faults to slip."

Many theorize that natural disasters, including earthquakes, are on the rise and that they are becoming more frequent and intense. A study by NASA and the Unites States Geological Survey (USGS) concluded that "retreating glaciers in southern Alaska may be opening the way for future earthquakes. The study examined the likelihood of increased earthquake activity in southern Alaska as a result of rapidly melting glaciers. As glaciers melt they lighten the load on the Earth's crust. Tectonic plates, that are mobile pieces of the Earth's crust, can then move more freely".

Whatever the cause, when earthquakes do strike, there are a number of organizations like Red Cross, World Vision, OXFAM, Doctors Without Borders working to help displaced persons, with water, healthcare, and all around problems. This modern age has made it so easy to help. Texting enables donations to be made without using energy resources and materials. A simple text, CHILE, to 52000 through Salvation Army, 90999 through Red Cross, or 20222 through World Vision will donate $10 toward aid. Other organizations can be found at the Mobile Giving Foundation at www.mobilegiving.org, a non-profit organization dedicated to cell phone donations.

People have also been flocking to the web to help search for and find missing persons, property and get an update on their loved ones and friends. This would have been virtually impossible even twenty years ago. Google has launched People Finder specifically for the Chile disaster. The site allows you to search for someone or provide information about someone. Presently, the site tracks around 27,500 records.

Websites like Twitter and Facebook have also helped tremendously in updating people in many countries about what is going on in Chile and are able to show and explain which particular areas and buildings have been devastated. Since phone lines are down, most people are unable to contact their families. In one case, Sheryl Breuker was able to track down her sister-in-law in Santiago by contacting a stranger via twitter who was in their local area. The person Breuker contacted was told the address, and was able to check on Breuker's sister-in-law and report her safety to the family. Ustream also lets you view live coverage of the incident and their Facebook page provides constant updates and relief activities.

Social media and entertainment networking websites have shown enormous potential for connecting people around the world. They have proven that they are capable of more than entertainment by connecting and updating us on events such as essential whereabouts of missing persons and the state of a nation in trouble. They are a tremendously valuable solution to helping with natural disasters.