Reviewed by USGSChile66y ago
M7.4 earthquake in Off the coast of Araucania, Chile
Tuesday, November 1, 1960, 08:45:59 UTC · 38.467°S, 75.031°W
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck in Off the coast of Araucania, Chile on Tuesday, November 1, 1960, 08:45:59 UTC, at a depth of 20.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M9.5 on May 22, 1960.
- Magnitude
- 7.4
- Major · mw
- Depth
- 20 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- V
- Moderate (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 200 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
1.9 megatons of TNT
That is about 126 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 3,981 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
18 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Nazca and South American plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
20 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
No “Did You Feel It?” reports have been published for this event yet. If you felt it, you can add your report on the USGS website.
I felt it — report to USGS ↗USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No PAGER estimate is available for this event.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 200 km
USGS lists 1 M2.5+ earthquake within 200 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M6.2 on November 22, 1960. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 34 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 9.51960 Great Chilean Earthquake (Valdivia Earthquake)May 22, 1960 · 146 km E of this epicenter
- 8.14 km ESE of Cañete, ChileMay 21, 1960 · 163 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.838 km WNW of Traiguén, ChileMay 22, 1960 · 180 km E of this epicenter
- 7.523 km SE of Chiguayante, ChileMay 6, 1953 · 244 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.350 km SSW of Carahue, ChileDecember 10, 1920 · 153 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.126 km W of Angol, ChileMay 22, 1960 · 192 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.015 km SSW of Nacimiento, ChileApril 20, 1949 · 223 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.024 km WNW of Traiguén, ChileJune 20, 1960 · 188 km E of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 13 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 2,342 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1960M9.5
Puerto Montt, Valdivia
22 May 1960 · 146 km away · intensity XII
2,226 deaths$1.0 billion damagetsunami
- 1949M7.3
Angol, Traiguen
20 Apr 1949 · 143 km away
57 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1835M8.2
Concepcion
20 Feb 1835 · 253 km away · intensity XI
53 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
- 1898M6.5
Concepcion
23 Jul 1898 · 253 km away · intensity VIII
6 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1920M7.0
Off Coast Central
20 Aug 1920 · 143 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1960M8.2
Central
21 May 1960 · 170 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.