Chile earthquakes

M5.2 earthquake 44 km WNW of Ovalle, Chile

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 44 km WNW of Ovalle, Chile on Fri, Dec 16, 2016, 8:11 PM GMT-3 (23:11 UTC), 36 km (22 mi) below the surface.

Ovalle forecast More in Chile

Map

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

Open the live map with earthquakes

The earthquake

Magnitude: 5.2 (mwr), moderate
Local time: Fri, Dec 16, 2016, 8:11 PM GMT-3
UTC: 2016-12-16 23:11:43 UTC
Depth: 35.6 km (22.1 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 30.423° S, 71.619° W
Region: Chile
Felt reports: 5
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

5 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: 5.0 Mwr
Nodal plane 1: Strike 318°, dip 28°, rake 72°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 158°, dip 64°, rake 99°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 4.4 km horizontally, 4.7 km in depth
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 81°
Stations used: 256

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.2 and up: 22 in the 60 days after this one and 7 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 us200081rv (also filed as iscgem609916647). Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 3:27 AM UTC.