A significant Magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck under land 44 kilometer from Antofagasta in Chile just after midnight of Saturday June 29th, 2024.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Chile, 44 kilometer (27 mi) south-southeast of Antofagasta. 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: | Jun 29, 2024 00:21 (Santiago Time) - Jun 29, 2024 04:21 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 44 km SSE of Antofagasta, Chile. Coordinates 24°0'46"S 70°13'0"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 354 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.031 . |
| Depth: | 44 km (27 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 may have been felt in Chile . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Antofagasta in Antofagasta, Chile. Antofagasta is located 44 kilometer (27 mi) south-southeast of the epicenter.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 44 km (27 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Antofagasta Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 214 km (133 mi) N from epicenter |
Tocopilla Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 218 km (135 mi) NE from epicenter |
Calama Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 265 km (165 mi) S from epicenter |
Diego de Almagro Atacama, Chile. |
Shaking reported by 7 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 7 people have 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: 7 people.
Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 1 smaller aftershock. A 2.7 magnitude earthquake hit 3 days later 92 km (57 mi) north-northwest of this earthquake.
This main shock was prefaced by 1 smaller foreshock. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 1 day earlier. It measured a magnitude of 3.4
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.4 |
1 day earlier Jun 27, 2024 12:32 (Santiago Time) | 82 km (51 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
Jun 29, 2024 00:21 (Santiago Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 2.7 |
3 days later Jul 1, 2024 22:41 (Santiago Time) | 92 km (57 mi) NNW 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.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major 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 January 24th, 2024, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 259 km (161 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck on June 3rd, 2020.
In total, 46 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 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 3 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
| 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 5.2. 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 04/07/24 04:28 (). 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 us6000n933
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240629_0000041
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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