Distribución y concentración de Zn total en sedimentos del fiordo Aysén, sur de Chile, posterior al terremoto y tsunami de 2007

Between February and May 2007, more than 1,200 seismic movement of intensity above 3 degrees on the Richter scale (i.e., swarming) and a 6.2 degree earthquake, occurred in Aysen Fjord, southern Chile. The epicenter was located at Liquine - Ofqui fault, which is perpendicular to the middle of the fjord. This resulted in a landslide of soils and rocks along the coastline and followed by a local tsunami towards the fjord head. As a consequence of this seismic activity, the possible suspension and redistribution of the total Zn in marine sediments Aysen Fjord, is analyzed. Sampling was carried out during the 13 degrees Campaign of the program Research Cruises on Marine Remote Areas: CIMAR13-FJORD, November 2007. The sampling stations chosen were same ones used in previous 1995 and 2001 cruises. Acid extracts of the samples were analyzed for Zn, in quintuplicate replicas by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results showed large variability in the concentration of Zn among stations, but no significant difference was observed in the concentrations of total Zn between sampling sites. This suggests that resuspension and redistribution of contents total Zn in the sediments was a local event, which in turns affected only the middle of the fjord where the landslides of soil and rocks occurred.