Chile earthquakes

M5.3 earthquake 72 km NW of Illapel, Chile

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 72 km NW of Illapel, Chile on Mon, Apr 4, 2016, 9:32 AM GMT-3 (12:32 UTC), 24 km (15 mi) below the surface.

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

Illapel 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: 5.3 (mww), moderate
Local time: Mon, Apr 4, 2016, 9:32 AM GMT-3
UTC: 2016-04-04 12:32:45 UTC
Depth: 24.4 km (15.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 31.237° S, 71.770° W
Region: Chile
Felt reports: 4
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

4 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: 5.3 Mww
Nodal plane 1: Strike 167°, dip 64°, rake 83°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 3°, dip 27°, rake 105°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 2.8 km horizontally, 3.0 km in depth
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 80°
Stations used: 239

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.3 and up: 29 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 us20005eg7 (also filed as iscgem608534586). Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 8:43 PM UTC.