In the evening of Tuesday December 31st, 2024, a significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit in the South Pacific Ocean 43 kilometer from Iquique, Chile. Peru is also near its epicenter.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 45 kilometers (28 mi) off the coast of Chile, 43 kilometer west of Iquique in Tarapacá. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 35 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Dec 31, 2024 20:13 (Santiago Time) - Dec 31, 2024 23:13 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 43 km west of Iquique, Tarapacá, Chile. Coordinates 20°8'15"S 70°33'13"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 198 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.041 . |
| Depth: | 35 km (22 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
2 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Chile and Peru .
Located 43 kilometer (27 mi) west of the epicenter of this earthquake, Iquique (Tarapacá, Chile) is the nearest significant population center.
Major cities near this earthquake: Iquique is located 43 km to the east. Alto Hospicio is located 49 km to the east-southeast. Tacna is located 238 km to the north.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 43 km (27 mi) E from epicenter |
Iquique Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 44 km (27 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Cavancha Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 45 km (28 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Goméz Carreño Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 45 km (28 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Caupolicán Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 46 km (29 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Playa Brava Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 47 km (29 mi) ESE from epicenter |
La Tirana Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 49 km (30 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Alto Hospicio Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 187 km (116 mi) N from epicenter |
Arica Arica y Parinacota, Chile. |
| 220 km (137 mi) S from epicenter |
Tocopilla Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 238 km (148 mi) N from epicenter |
Tacna Tacna, Peru. |
| 291 km (181 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Ilo Moquegua, Peru. |
Shaking reported by 5 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 5 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:
- Iquique, Tarapacá, Chile: 5 people.
3 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 3 smaller aftershocks. At a distance of 11 km (7 mi) west-southwest of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 18 mins later. It measured a magnitude of 3.3
In the days before this main shock, 1 smaller foreshock was detected. A 3.9 magnitude earthquake hit 15 hrs earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.9 |
15 hrs earlier Dec 31, 2024 05:28 (Santiago Time) | 60 km (37 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Dec 31, 2024 20:13 (Santiago Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 2.7 |
15 mins later Dec 31, 2024 20:28 (Santiago Time) | 20 km (12 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.3 |
18 mins later Dec 31, 2024 20:31 (Santiago Time) | 11 km (7 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.8 |
9 hrs later Jan 1, 2025 05:14 (Santiago Time) | 25 km (15 mi) W from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
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 December 18th, 2024, when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 57 km (35 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck on March 23rd, 2015.
In total, 70 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 2 months.
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 35 km (22 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 04/01/25 23:18 (). 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 us6000pgri
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241231_0000292
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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