A significant MAG-5.1 earthquake struck in the South Pacific Ocean 87 kilometer from Vallenar, Chile around noon of Friday November 10th, 2023.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 25 kilometers (16 mi) off the coast of Chile, 87 kilometer west of Vallenar in Atacama. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 44 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Nov 10, 2023 12:27 (Santiago Time) - Nov 10, 2023 15:27 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 87 km west of Vallenar, Atacama, Chile. Coordinates 28°41'35"S 71°38'33"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 22 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.121 . |
| Depth: | 44 km (27 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Chile . Vallenar in Atacama, Chile is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 87 kilometer (54 mi) west of Vallenar.
Major cities near this earthquake: Coquimbo is located 143 km to the south-southeast. La Serena is located 140 km to the south-southeast. Copiapó is located 196 km to the north-east.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 87 km (54 mi) E from epicenter |
Vallenar Atacama, Chile. |
| 140 km (87 mi) SSE from epicenter |
La Serena Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 143 km (89 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Coquimbo Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 196 km (122 mi) NE from epicenter |
Copiapó Atacama, Chile. |
| 216 km (134 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Ovalle Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
Shaking reported by 1 person
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in 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:
- La Serena, Coquimbo, Chile: 1 person.
Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 1 smaller aftershock occurred. At a distance of 48 km (30 mi) east-northeast of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 2 days later. It measured a magnitude of 3
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Nov 10, 2023 12:27 (Santiago Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
2 days later Nov 12, 2023 07:30 (Santiago Time) | 48 km (30 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
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.
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 October 31st, 2023, when a 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit 9 km (6 mi) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on November 11th, 2015.
In total, 119 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so 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 | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 44 km (27 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 27/11/23 17:38 (). 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 us7000la3e
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20231110_0000189
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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