Under land 134 kilometer from Calama in Chile, a significant M5.2 earthquake occurred in the early morning of Wednesday May 8th, 2024. Another country near the epicenter is Bolivia.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Chile, 134 kilometer (83 mi) north-northeast of Calama in Antofagasta. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 104 km.
| Date and Time: | May 8, 2024 06:00 (Santiago Time) - May 8, 2024 10:00 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 134 km NNE of Calama, Antofagasta, Chile. Coordinates 21°23'52"S 68°18'39"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 19 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.071 . |
| Depth: | 104 km (64 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Tsunami's are usually caused by MAG-6.5+ earthquakes, less than 100km shallow, and with an epicenter under sea. Neither of this seems to be the case. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
2 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Chile and Bolivia .
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Calama in Antofagasta, Chile. Calama is located 134 kilometer (83 mi) north-northeast of the epicenter.
Major cities near this earthquake: Calama is located 134 km to the south-southwest. Iquique is located 232 km to the northwest. Alto Hospicio is located 225 km to the west-northwest.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 134 km (83 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Calama Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 210 km (130 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Tocopilla Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 225 km (140 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Alto Hospicio Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 226 km (140 mi) WNW from epicenter |
La Tirana Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 229 km (142 mi) NW from epicenter |
Playa Brava Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 230 km (143 mi) NW from epicenter |
Goméz Carreño Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 230 km (143 mi) NW from epicenter |
Caupolicán Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 230 km (143 mi) NW from epicenter |
Cavancha Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 232 km (144 mi) NW from epicenter |
Iquique Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 268 km (167 mi) E from epicenter |
Tupiza Potosí, Bolivia. |
| 291 km (181 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Villazón Potosí, Bolivia. |
11 Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 11 smaller aftershocks were detected. Just 3 days after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-3.5 was detected 53 km (33 mi) east of this earthquake.
In the days before this main shock, 11 smaller foreshocks were detected. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 2 days earlier. It measured a magnitude of 4.9
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
3 days earlier May 5, 2024 16:40 (Santiago Time) | 64 km (40 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
2 days earlier May 6, 2024 00:39 (Santiago Time) | 41 km (25 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.1 |
2 days earlier May 6, 2024 02:27 (Santiago Time) | 84 km (52 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.9 |
2 days earlier May 6, 2024 02:30 (Santiago Time) | 86 km (53 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.9 |
2 days earlier May 6, 2024 14:27 (Santiago Time) | 38 km (23 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
1 day earlier May 6, 2024 22:44 (Santiago Time) | 29 km (18 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.4 |
21 hrs earlier May 7, 2024 09:27 (Santiago Time) | 40 km (25 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
20 hrs earlier May 7, 2024 09:32 (Santiago Time) | 51 km (32 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
9 hrs earlier May 7, 2024 20:33 (Santiago Time) | 96 km (60 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.3 |
5 hrs earlier May 8, 2024 00:42 (Santiago Time) | 39 km (24 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
2 hrs earlier May 8, 2024 03:39 (Santiago Time) | 64 km (40 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
May 8, 2024 06:00 (Santiago Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
52 mins later May 8, 2024 06:52 (Santiago Time) | 85 km (53 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
9 hrs later May 8, 2024 14:36 (Santiago Time) | 41 km (25 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
10 hrs later May 8, 2024 15:51 (Santiago Time) | 73 km (46 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.8 |
15 hrs later May 8, 2024 20:41 (Santiago Time) | 67 km (41 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
20 hrs later May 9, 2024 01:32 (Santiago Time) | 72 km (45 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
2 days later May 10, 2024 07:20 (Santiago Time) | 81 km (50 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.8 |
2 days later May 10, 2024 14:23 (Santiago Time) | 94 km (58 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.4 |
3 days later May 10, 2024 18:46 (Santiago Time) | 63 km (39 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
3 days later May 10, 2024 23:58 (Santiago Time) | 53 km (33 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
3 days later May 11, 2024 01:02 (Santiago Time) | 44 km (27 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
3 days later May 11, 2024 01:19 (Santiago Time) | 50 km (31 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since January 24th, 2024, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 94 km (59 mi) further south-southwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck on May 10th, 2022.
In total, 80 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 2 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
It is very unlikely that this eartquake will cause any tsunami's. The reported magnitude is lower than the MAG-6.5 strength required to cause any earthquakes. In addition, this earthquake was not very shallow and appears to have occurred under land. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 104 km (64 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 19/05/24 10:28 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000mx68
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240508_0000099
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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