Backgrounder: Major earthquakes in Chile's history

The 2010 Chile earthquake

A collapsed building lays in ruins after an earthquake in Concepcion, Chile, in this March 4, 2010 file photo. [Photo/icpress.cn]

Date: February 27, 2010

Magnitude: 8.8 earthquake

Casualties: More than 500 people killed, nearly two million affected

Epicenter: 3 km off the coast of Pelluhue commune in the Maule Region

Impact: Economic losses of $30 billion; quake should have moved Earth's figure axis by 8 cm or 27 milliarcseconds.

Review: A magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck off the coast of central Chile early on February 27, 2010, killing more than 500 people and affecting nearly two million, and destroying over 200,000 homes as it triggered a tsunami that rolled menacingly across the Pacific. It costs Chile $30 billion, 18 percent of its annual gross domestic product.

The quake might have shortened the length of an Earth day by 1.26 milliseconds and changed the entire Earth's rotation and shifted the axis, NASA said. It is estimated that Chile's territory could have expanded 1.2 sq km and Chile's capital Santiago experienced a displacement of almost 24 cm west as a result.

Related: Rescuers struggle to save lives after Chile quake