Strong M6.3 Earthquake struck on Wednesday Evening near Coquimbo in Chile.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on September 7th, 2023. Last updated November 5th, 2023.

A strong MAG-6.3 earthquake struck under land 39 kilometer from Coquimbo in Chile in the evening of Wednesday September 6th, 2023. Roughly 0.9 million people may have felt this earthquake. Another nearby country is Argentina.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Chile, 39 kilometer (24 mi) south-southwest of Coquimbo in Coquimbo Region. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 36 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Sep 6, 2023 20:48 (Santiago Time) - Sep 6, 2023 23:48 Universal Time.
Location:	39 km SSW of Coquimbo, Coquimbo Region, Chile. Coordinates 30°16'35"S 71°29'13"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.3 Detected by 60 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.04 .
Depth:	36 km (22 mi) A quite shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VII Very Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake in a coastal area, it appears to have occurred under land (1 km from the sea) with a magnitude that is usually not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

The US Geographic Survey (USGS) describes the impact of this earthquake as follows:

Some buildings damaged at Coquimbo.

Based on scientific estimates by the USGS, the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 99% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 0.9 million people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 0.9 million people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

An estimated 204,500 people were exposed to level VI. At this level, strong shaking and probably light damage can be expected. Intensity level V was experienced by a large group of people (around 420 thousand). In their region, moderate shaking and very light damage can be expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Chile , around 0.9 million people, with impact levels up to VI (strong shaking, probably light damage). Shaking was experienced by inhabitants of Argentina too.

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. Chile and Argentina are both within 300km distance of its epicenter.

The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Coquimbo in Coquimbo Region, Chile. Coquimbo is located 39 kilometer (24 mi) south-southwest of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Coquimbo is estimated to be around level VI on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (strong shaking, probably light damage).

Major cities near this earthquake: Santiago is located 362 km to the south-southeast (intensity unknown, possibly low). Coquimbo is located 39 km to the north-northeast and experienced an intensity of VI (strong shaking, probably light damage). La Serena is located 47 km to the north-northeast and experienced an intensity of V (moderate shaking, very light damage).

A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is VI.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 79 people in 2 countries

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 79 people have reported shaking in 19 places in 2 countries (Argentina, Chile).We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Santiago, Metropolitana, Chile: 33 people.
• Coquimbo, Coquimbo, Chile: 9 people.
• La Serena, Coquimbo, Chile: 9 people.
• Viña del Mar, Valparaíso, Chile: 4 people.
• Lampa, Metropolitana, Chile: 4 people.
• Copiapó, Atacama, Chile: 4 people.
• Ovalle, Coquimbo, Chile: 3 people.
• Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina: 2 people.
• Vicuña, Coquimbo, Chile: 1 person.
• Graneros, Libertador General Bernardo OʿHiggins, Chile: 1 person.

11 Aftershocks detected

Since this main shock, 11 smaller aftershocks were detected. Just 11 hrs after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-4.3 was detected 4 km (2.4 mi) south of this earthquake.

Before this earthquake struck, 3 smaller foreshocks occurred. A 3.5 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.

It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.

This is the strongest earthquake in 3 years

Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since September 6th, 2020, when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit 7 km (4 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck on September 16th, 2015.

In total, 23 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.3 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 5 months.

Tsunami very unlikely

While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Sources

Last updated 05/11/23 15:18 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000ktti
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20230906_0000226
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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