Chile earthquakes

M4.8 earthquake 43 km SSW of Ovalle, Chile

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck 43 km SSW of Ovalle, Chile on Sun, Dec 11, 2016, 10:40 PM GMT-3 (01:40 UTC), 50 km (31 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.2 44 km WNW of Ovalle, Chile. This one was a foreshock.

Ovalle 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: 4.8 (mww), light
Local time: Sun, Dec 11, 2016, 10:40 PM GMT-3
UTC: 2016-12-12 01:40:25 UTC
Depth: 49.9 km (31.0 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 30.937° S, 71.424° W
Region: Chile
Felt reports: 7
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

7 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: 4.8 Mww
Nodal plane 1: Strike 192°, dip 51°, rake 75°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 35°, dip 41°, rake 107°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 4.8 km horizontally, 3.6 km in depth
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 78°
Stations used: 168

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.8 and up: 18 in the 60 days after this one and 6 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 us2000802x (also filed as iscgem609869842). Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 2:20 PM UTC.