Under land 22 kilometer from Villarrica in Chile, a MAG-4.5 earthquake occurred deep in the night of Thursday October 12th, 2023. Argentina is also near its epicenter.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Chile, 22 kilometer (14 mi) south of Villarrica in Araucanía. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 82 km.
| Date and Time: | Oct 12, 2023 03:04 (Santiago Time) - Oct 12, 2023 06:04 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 22 km south of Villarrica, Araucanía, Chile. Coordinates 39°28'58"S 72°13'5"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 4.5 Detected by 49 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.079 . |
| Depth: | 82 km (51 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
Chile and Argentina are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
Located 20 kilometer (12 mi) north-northeast of the epicenter of this earthquake, Panguipulli (Los Ríos Region, Chile) is the nearest significant population center.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Temuco is located 89 km to the north-northwest. Valdivia is located 95 km to the west-southwest. Osorno is located 144 km to the south-southwest.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 20 km (12 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Panguipulli Los Ríos Region, Chile. |
| 22 km (14 mi) N from epicenter |
Villarrica Araucanía, Chile. |
| 32 km (20 mi) NE from epicenter |
Pucón Araucanía, Chile. |
| 38 km (24 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Loncoche Araucanía, Chile. |
| 89 km (55 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Temuco Araucanía, Chile. |
| 93 km (58 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Las Animas Los Ríos Region, Chile. |
| 95 km (59 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Valdivia Los Ríos Region, Chile. |
| 104 km (65 mi) NW from epicenter |
Nueva Imperial Araucanía, Chile. |
| 105 km (65 mi) SE from epicenter |
San Martín de los Andes Neuquen, Argentina. |
| 108 km (67 mi) N from epicenter |
Lautaro Araucanía, Chile. |
| 114 km (71 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Río Bueno Los Ríos Region, Chile. |
| 116 km (72 mi) SW from epicenter |
La Unión Los Ríos Region, Chile. |
| 139 km (86 mi) N from epicenter |
Victoria Araucanía, Chile. |
| 144 km (89 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Osorno Los Lagos Region, Chile. |
| 171 km (106 mi) N from epicenter |
Collipulli Araucanía, Chile. |
| 193 km (120 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Angol Araucanía, Chile. |
| 196 km (122 mi) N from epicenter |
Mulchén Biobío, Chile. |
| 197 km (122 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Zapala Neuquen, Argentina. |
| 200 km (124 mi) SSE from epicenter |
San Carlos de Bariloche Rio Negro, Argentina. |
| 213 km (132 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Cañete Biobío, Chile. |
| 214 km (133 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Puerto Varas Los Lagos Region, Chile. |
| 224 km (139 mi) N from epicenter |
Nacimiento Biobío, Chile. |
| 224 km (139 mi) N from epicenter |
Los Ángeles Biobío, Chile. |
| 229 km (142 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Puerto Montt Los Lagos Region, Chile. |
| 243 km (151 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Lebu Biobío, Chile. |
| 244 km (152 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Curanilahue Biobío, Chile. |
| 248 km (154 mi) N from epicenter |
Laja Biobío, Chile. |
| 265 km (165 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Cutral-Có Neuquen, Argentina. |
| 267 km (166 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Arauco Biobío, Chile. |
| 273 km (170 mi) N from epicenter |
Cabrero Biobío, Chile. |
| 278 km (173 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Lota Biobío, Chile. |
| 281 km (175 mi) SSE from epicenter |
El Bolsón Rio Negro, Argentina. |
| 284 km (176 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Coronel Biobío, Chile. |
| 293 km (182 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Chiguayante Biobío, Chile. |
| 298 km (185 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Ancud Los Lagos Region, Chile. |
Shaking reported by 4 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 4 people have reported shaking in 3 places, all within 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:
- Temuco, Araucanía, Chile: 2 people.
- La Unión, Los Lagos, Chile: 1 person.
- Valdivia, Los Lagos, Chile: 1 person.
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
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.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
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 August 5th, 2023, when a 4.6 magnitude earthquake hit 287 km (178 mi) further south-southwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck on December 27th, 2020.
In total, 108 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.5 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 month.
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
| 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 4.5. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 82 km (51 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 08/12/23 15:38 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000lf0i
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20231012_0000042
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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