A shallow and significant M5.1 earthquake struck in the South Pacific Ocean 67 kilometer from Ovalle, Chile in the evening of Wednesday April 23rd, 2025.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, right off the coast of Chile (12 mi offshore), 67 kilometer west-southwest of Ovalle in Coquimbo Region. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 29 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Apr 23, 2025 23:20 (Santiago Time) - Apr 24, 2025 03:20 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 67 km WSW of Ovalle, Coquimbo Region, Chile. Coordinates 30°43'52"S 71°52'42"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 25 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.062 . |
| Depth: | 29 km (18 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
This earthquake may have been felt in Chile . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Ovalle in Coquimbo Region, Chile. Ovalle is located 67 kilometer (42 mi) west-southwest of the epicenter.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Coquimbo is located 101 km to the north-northeast. La Serena is located 110 km to the north-northeast. Viña del Mar is located 257 km to the south.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 67 km (42 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Ovalle Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 101 km (63 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Coquimbo Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 110 km (68 mi) NNE from epicenter |
La Serena Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 121 km (75 mi) SE from epicenter |
Illapel Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 201 km (125 mi) SSE from epicenter |
La Ligua Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 237 km (147 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Hacienda La Calera Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 247 km (153 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Quillota Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 250 km (155 mi) SSE from epicenter |
San Felipe Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 250 km (155 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Llaillay Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 257 km (160 mi) S from epicenter |
Valparaíso Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 257 km (160 mi) S from epicenter |
Viña del Mar Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 261 km (162 mi) S from epicenter |
Villa Alemana Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 261 km (162 mi) S from epicenter |
Quilpué Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 261 km (162 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Limache Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 263 km (163 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Los Andes Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 263 km (163 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Vallenar Atacama, Chile. |
| 299 km (186 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Lampa Santiago Metropolitan, Chile. |
Shaking reported by 2 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 2 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:
- Santiago, Metropolitana, Chile: 2 people.
20 Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 20 smaller aftershocks occurred. Just 1 hr after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-4.4 was detected 5 km (3 mi) northwest of this earthquake.
Before this earthquake struck, 5 smaller foreshocks occurred. Roughly 2 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-4.4 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.4 |
2 days earlier Apr 22, 2025 08:04 (Santiago Time) | 32 km (20 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.9 |
2 days earlier Apr 22, 2025 08:39 (Santiago Time) | 51 km (32 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.1 |
1 day earlier Apr 22, 2025 16:59 (Santiago Time) | 35 km (22 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.2 |
16 hrs earlier Apr 23, 2025 06:59 (Santiago Time) | 53 km (33 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.2 |
3 hrs earlier Apr 23, 2025 20:24 (Santiago Time) | 45 km (28 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Apr 23, 2025 23:20 (Santiago Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
10 mins later Apr 23, 2025 23:30 (Santiago Time) | 5 km (2.9 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
21 mins later Apr 23, 2025 23:40 (Santiago Time) | 7 km (4 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
26 mins later Apr 23, 2025 23:46 (Santiago Time) | 2.7 km (1.7 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.9 |
29 mins later Apr 23, 2025 23:49 (Santiago Time) | 3 km (2.1 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
35 mins later Apr 23, 2025 23:54 (Santiago Time) | 6 km (3 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
37 mins later Apr 23, 2025 23:56 (Santiago Time) | 6 km (3 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.8 |
59 mins later Apr 24, 2025 00:18 (Santiago Time) | 7 km (4 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
1 hr later Apr 24, 2025 00:22 (Santiago Time) | 5 km (3 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
1 hr later Apr 24, 2025 00:33 (Santiago Time) | 7 km (4 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
2 hrs later Apr 24, 2025 01:16 (Santiago Time) | 2.7 km (1.7 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
2 hrs later Apr 24, 2025 01:40 (Santiago Time) | 5 km (2.9 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
3 hrs later Apr 24, 2025 02:08 (Santiago Time) | 2.4 km (1.5 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
3 hrs later Apr 24, 2025 02:15 (Santiago Time) | 6 km (3 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
4 hrs later Apr 24, 2025 02:53 (Santiago Time) | 7 km (4 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
4 hrs later Apr 24, 2025 03:37 (Santiago Time) | 5 km (3 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.6 |
5 hrs later Apr 24, 2025 04:39 (Santiago Time) | 5 km (3 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.7 |
7 hrs later Apr 24, 2025 06:36 (Santiago Time) | 10 km (6 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
22 hrs later Apr 24, 2025 21:02 (Santiago Time) | 53 km (33 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.4 |
22 hrs later Apr 24, 2025 21:21 (Santiago Time) | 97 km (60 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
2 days later Apr 25, 2025 23:22 (Santiago Time) | 15 km (9 mi) E 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 March 18th, 2025, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 93 km (58 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck on September 16th, 2015.
In total, 159 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 23 days.
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 29 km (18 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 20/05/25 06:28 (). 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 us7000pun2
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250424_0000041
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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