In the evening of Wednesday April 3rd, 2024, a M4.8 earthquake hit under land 126 kilometer from Antofagasta in Chile.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Chile, 126 kilometer (78 mi) south-east of Antofagasta. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 73 km.
| Date and Time: | Apr 3, 2024 21:28 (Santiago Time) - Apr 4, 2024 00:28 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 126 km SE of Antofagasta, Chile. Coordinates 24°26'56"S 69°30'28"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 4.8 Detected by 10 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.098 . |
| Depth: | 73 km (46 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
This earthquake may have been felt in Chile . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Antofagasta in Antofagasta, Chile. Antofagasta is located 126 kilometer (78 mi) south-east of the epicenter.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 126 km (78 mi) NW from epicenter |
Antofagasta Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 223 km (139 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Diego de Almagro Atacama, Chile. |
| 229 km (142 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Calama Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 271 km (168 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Tocopilla Antofagasta, 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:
- Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile: 1 person.
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
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.
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 March 27th, 2024, when a 4.9 magnitude earthquake hit 176 km (109 mi) further east-northeast. An even stronger magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck on June 3rd, 2020.
In total, 196 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.8 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 19 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 4.8. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 73 km (46 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 03/05/24 02:08 (). 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 us7000m9rr
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240404_0000005
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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