Chile earthquakes

M5.1 earthquake 44 km SW of Coquimbo, Chile

A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 44 km SW of Coquimbo, Chile on Sat, Mar 12, 2016, 1:05 PM GMT-3 (16:05 UTC), 37 km (23 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.4 53 km W of Ovalle, Chile. This one was a foreshock.

Coquimbo forecast More in Chile

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 5.1 (mww), moderate
Local time: Sat, Mar 12, 2016, 1:05 PM GMT-3
UTC: 2016-03-12 16:05:15 UTC
Depth: 36.8 km (22.9 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 30.250° S, 71.650° W
Region: Chile
Felt reports: 3
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

3 people reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was IV, light shaking.

Fault motion and ground failure

How the rock slipped, from the moment tensor, and the USGS estimate of landslides and liquefaction.

Faulting: Reverse (thrust)
Moment magnitude: 5.1 Mww
Nodal plane 1: Strike 157°, dip 55°, rake 70°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 9°, dip 40°, rake 115°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 2.5 km horizontally, 4.6 km in depth
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 117°
Stations used: 103

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.1 and up: 34 in the 60 days after this one and 23 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today Chile earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us10004x18 (also filed as iscgem608482492). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 4:04 PM UTC.