In the evening of Monday November 20th, 2023, a Magnitude 4.9 earthquake hit under land 28 kilometer from Ovalle in Chile. Another country near the epicenter is Argentina.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Chile, 28 kilometer (17 mi) southwest of Ovalle in Coquimbo Region. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 48 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Nov 20, 2023 18:03 (Santiago Time) - Nov 20, 2023 21:03 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 28 km SW of Ovalle, Coquimbo Region, Chile. Coordinates 30°46'54"S 71°24'36"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 4.9 Detected by 64 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.039 . |
| Depth: | 48 km (30 mi) A quite shallow 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
This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. Chile and Argentina are both within 300km distance of its epicenter.
Located 28 kilometer (17 mi) southwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Ovalle (Coquimbo Region, Chile) is the nearest significant population center.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Coquimbo is located 92 km to the north. San Juan is located 286 km to the east-southeast. La Serena is located 99 km to the north.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 28 km (17 mi) NE from epicenter |
Ovalle Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 92 km (57 mi) N from epicenter |
Coquimbo Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 97 km (60 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Illapel Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 99 km (62 mi) N from epicenter |
La Serena Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 187 km (116 mi) S from epicenter |
La Ligua Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 223 km (139 mi) S from epicenter |
Hacienda La Calera Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 228 km (142 mi) SSE from epicenter |
San Felipe Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 233 km (145 mi) S from epicenter |
Llaillay Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 234 km (145 mi) S from epicenter |
Quillota Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 241 km (150 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Los Andes Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 249 km (155 mi) S from epicenter |
Limache Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 250 km (155 mi) S from epicenter |
Viña del Mar Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 251 km (156 mi) S from epicenter |
Villa Alemana Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 252 km (157 mi) S from epicenter |
Valparaíso Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 252 km (157 mi) S from epicenter |
Quilpué Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 253 km (157 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Vallenar Atacama, Chile. |
| 262 km (163 mi) ENE from epicenter |
San José de Jáchal San Juan, Argentina. |
| 283 km (176 mi) S from epicenter |
Lampa Santiago Metropolitan, Chile. |
| 284 km (176 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Albardón San Juan, Argentina. |
| 285 km (177 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Chimbas San Juan, Argentina. |
| 285 km (177 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Villa Paula de Sarmiento San Juan, Argentina. |
| 286 km (178 mi) ESE from epicenter |
San Juan San Juan, Argentina. |
| 287 km (178 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Pocito San Juan, Argentina. |
| 287 km (178 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Chicureo Abajo Santiago Metropolitan, Chile. |
| 290 km (180 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Santa Lucía San Juan, Argentina. |
6 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 6 smaller aftershocks. A 4.7 magnitude earthquake hit 16 hrs later 66 km (41 mi) north-northeast of this earthquake.
Before this earthquake struck, 2 smaller foreshocks occurred. Roughly 6 hrs before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-2.7 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.6 |
3 days earlier Nov 17, 2023 20:33 (Santiago Time) | 2.8 km (1.7 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
6 hrs earlier Nov 20, 2023 12:26 (Santiago Time) | 39 km (24 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 4.9 |
Nov 20, 2023 18:03 (Santiago Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
5 hrs later Nov 20, 2023 23:22 (Santiago Time) | 78 km (48 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
14 hrs later Nov 21, 2023 07:44 (Santiago Time) | 4 km (2.2 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.7 |
16 hrs later Nov 21, 2023 09:47 (Santiago Time) | 66 km (41 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
18 hrs later Nov 21, 2023 12:02 (Santiago Time) | 2.3 km (1.4 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
2 days later Nov 22, 2023 23:14 (Santiago Time) | 27 km (17 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
2 days later Nov 22, 2023 23:40 (Santiago Time) | 98 km (61 mi) N 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.
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 November 10th, 2023, when a 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit 233 km (145 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck on September 16th, 2015.
In total, 331 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.9 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 11 days.
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 4.9. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 48 km (30 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 29/11/23 21:18 (). 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 us6000lpnu
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20231120_0000187
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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