M4.2 earthquake 41 km NW of Ovalle, Chile

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck 41 km NW of Ovalle, Chile on Thu, Jan 21, 2016, 10:36 AM GMT-3 (13:36 UTC), 42 km (26 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.3 37 km W of Ovalle, Chile. This one was a foreshock.

Map

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

The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.

Felt (III) at Coquimbo, Hurtado, La Serena and Monte Patria.

From the USGS event page for us10004g3e. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

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

Reviewed by a seismologist.

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

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 54 in the 60 days after this one and 21 in the 30 days before it.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us10004g3e. Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 7:36 AM UTC.