Under land 272 kilometer from San Juan in Argentina, a significant M5.0 earthquake occurred in the evening of Sunday March 16th, 2025. Another nearby country is Chile.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Argentina, 272 kilometer (169 mi) north-northwest of San Juan. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 108 km.
| Date and Time: | Mar 16, 2025 18:50 (Santiago Time) - Mar 16, 2025 21:50 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 171 km ENE of La Serena, Coquimbo Region, Chile. Coordinates 29°16'47"S 69°38'1"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.0 Detected by 380 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.029 . |
| Depth: | 108 km (67 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
Chile and Argentina are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Vallenar in Atacama, Chile. Vallenar is located 135 kilometer (84 mi) south-east of the epicenter.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. San Juan is located 272 km to the south-southeast. La Serena is located 171 km to the west-southwest. Coquimbo is located 181 km to the west-southwest.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 135 km (84 mi) NW from epicenter |
Vallenar Atacama, Chile. |
| 137 km (85 mi) SE from epicenter |
San José de Jáchal San Juan, Argentina. |
| 171 km (106 mi) WSW from epicenter |
La Serena Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 181 km (112 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Coquimbo Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 208 km (129 mi) E from epicenter |
Chilecito La Rioja, Argentina. |
| 211 km (131 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ovalle Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 223 km (139 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Copiapó Atacama, Chile. |
| 262 km (163 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Albardón San Juan, Argentina. |
| 267 km (166 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Chimbas San Juan, Argentina. |
| 268 km (167 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Villa Paula de Sarmiento San Juan, Argentina. |
| 270 km (168 mi) E from epicenter |
La Rioja La Rioja, Argentina. |
| 272 km (169 mi) SSE from epicenter |
San Juan San Juan, Argentina. |
| 274 km (170 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Santa Lucía San Juan, Argentina. |
| 286 km (178 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Pocito San Juan, Argentina. |
| 294 km (183 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Caucete San Juan, Argentina. |
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:
- Santiago, Metropolitana, 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.
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.
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 December 30th, 2024, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 239 km (149 mi) further west-southwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on November 11th, 2015.
In total, 205 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5 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 18 days.
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. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 108 km (67 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 26/03/25 22:28 (). 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 us6000pz83
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250316_0000230
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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