Under land 102 kilometer from Arica in Chile, a significant MAG-5.3 earthquake occurred in the morning of Friday January 24th, 2025. Peru and Bolivia are also near its epicenter.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Chile, 102 kilometer (63 mi) east-northeast of Arica in Arica y Parinacota. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 127 km.
| Date and Time: | Jan 24, 2025 11:19 (Lima Time) - Jan 24, 2025 16:19 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 90 km east of Tacna, Peru. Coordinates 18°6'9"S 69°24'40"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 16 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.078 . |
| Depth: | 127 km (79 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Tsunami's are usually caused by MAG-6.5+ earthquakes, less than 100km shallow, and with an epicenter under sea. Neither of this seems to be the case. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. Peru , Chile and Bolivia are all within 300km distance of its epicenter.
Tacna in Tacna, Peru is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 90 kilometer (56 mi) east of Tacna.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. La Paz is located 223 km to the north-east. Tacna is located 90 km to the west. Arequipa is located 295 km to the northwest.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 90 km (56 mi) W from epicenter |
Tacna Tacna, Peru. |
| 102 km (63 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Arica Arica y Parinacota, Chile. |
| 188 km (117 mi) WNW from epicenter |
San Antonio Moquegua, Peru. |
| 190 km (118 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Moquegua Moquegua, Peru. |
| 200 km (124 mi) NE from epicenter |
Viacha La Paz, Bolivia. |
| 206 km (128 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Laja La Paz, Bolivia. |
| 209 km (130 mi) N from epicenter |
Yunguyo Puno, Peru. |
| 211 km (131 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Ilo Moquegua, Peru. |
| 214 km (133 mi) NE from epicenter |
Achocalla La Paz, Bolivia. |
| 223 km (139 mi) NE from epicenter |
La Paz La Paz, Bolivia. |
| 226 km (140 mi) N from epicenter |
Ilave Puno, Peru. |
| 239 km (149 mi) E from epicenter |
Oruro Oruro, Bolivia. |
| 247 km (153 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Iquique Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 248 km (154 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Caupolicán Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 249 km (155 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Goméz Carreño Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 249 km (155 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Cavancha Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 250 km (155 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Playa Brava Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 252 km (157 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Alto Hospicio Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 254 km (158 mi) SSW from epicenter |
La Tirana Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 260 km (162 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Puno Puno, Peru. |
| 273 km (170 mi) E from epicenter |
Huanuni Oruro, Bolivia. |
| 292 km (181 mi) NW from epicenter |
Ciudad Satelite Arequipa, Peru. |
| 293 km (182 mi) NW from epicenter |
Jacobo Hunter Arequipa, Peru. |
| 295 km (183 mi) NW from epicenter |
Arequipa Arequipa, Peru. |
| 296 km (184 mi) NW from epicenter |
Selva Alegre Arequipa, Peru. |
| 299 km (186 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Juliaca Puno, Peru. |
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:
- Iquique, Tarapacá, Chile: 1 person.
Aftershocks detected
In the days before this main shock, 1 smaller foreshock was detected. Roughly 3 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-3.2 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.2 |
3 days earlier Jan 21, 2025 23:01 (Lima Time) | 44 km (27 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
Jan 24, 2025 11:19 (Lima Time) | - |
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.
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 October 1st, 2024, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 268 km (166 mi) further south-southwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck on March 23rd, 2015.
In total, 35 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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
It is very unlikely that this eartquake will cause any tsunami's. The reported magnitude is lower than the MAG-6.5 strength required to cause any earthquakes. In addition, this earthquake was not very shallow and appears to have occurred under land. 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 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 127 km (79 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 26/01/25 20:28 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000pm4b
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250124_0000190
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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