At 3:34 local time on February 27, 2010, a large earthquake of magnitude Mw 8.8 generated tsunami that caused heavy damage to the coastal area of Chile. This paper aims to clarify the characteristics of this tsunami disaster by analyzing the field survey data as well as the effects of bathymetry on tsunami behavior. Tsunami inundation height was 4-10 m in a wide area of Chilean coast and the maximum run-up height was over 20 m. The reflection at the edge of a continental shelf caused several waves to attack the coast. Due to the large earthquake, residents were able to feel the danger of tsunami. The knowledge about tsunami has spread throughout residents living in coastal area, following the 1960 Chile Tsunami and the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. The caution by earthquake and the widespread knowledge about tsunami reduced victims in Chile.

Catalán, P.A.; Cienfuegos, R., and Villagrán, M., 2014. Perspectives on the long-term equilibrium of a wave dominated coastal zone affected by tsunamis: The case of Central Chile. In: Silva, R., and Strusińska-Correia, A. (eds.), Coastal Erosion and Management along Developing Coasts: Selected Cases. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue, No. 71, pp. 55-61. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208.The capability to predict the long term evolution of coastal state parameters can be severely affected by neglecting major geomorphic forcings. Among these, the effect of tsunamis as been largely neglected along the Chilean coast. In this contribution, we present a qualitative and descriptive assessment of the sudden change induced by the tsunami on a coastal location in Central Chile, and the consequent recovery process. The latter is driven mostly by strong wave forcing, with a very fast recovery capactity. The necessity and consequences of including tsunamis in long term evaluations fo coastal morphology are briefly discussed. ADDITIONAL INDEX WORDS:Morphological change, morphological recovery, tsunamis.

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