Reviewed by USGSChile99y ago
M6.0 earthquake 67 km WNW of Quirihue, Chile
Saturday, December 1, 1928, 09:19:23 UTC · 36.025°S, 73.224°W
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck 67 km WNW of Quirihue, Chile on Saturday, December 1, 1928, 09:19:23 UTC, at a depth of 35.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.7 on December 1, 1928.
- Magnitude
- 6.0
- Strong · mw
- Depth
- 35 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 100 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
16 kilotons of TNT
That is about the energy of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 34 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
76 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
35 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 100 km
USGS lists 4 M2.5+ earthquakes within 100 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M7.2 on December 2, 1928. 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 12 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.730 km NNE of Constitución, ChileDecember 1, 1928 · 136 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.7103 km NW of Constitución, ChileJanuary 30, 1914 · 141 km N of this epicenter
- 7.019 km SW of Angol, ChileAugust 20, 1920 · 212 km S of this epicenter
- 6.3210 km WNW of Constitución, ChileSeptember 6, 1926 · 194 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.21 km W of Carahue, ChileNovember 6, 1923 · 298 km S of this epicenter
- 6.1187 km NW of Constitución, ChileMay 21, 1922 · 221 km N of this epicenter
- 6.117 km S of Constitución, ChileMay 1, 1928 · 95 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.022 km S of Constitución, ChileAugust 11, 1925 · 93 km NE of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 12 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 403 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1928M7.6
Talca, Chillan, Santiago, San Fernando
1 Dec 1928 · 159 km away · intensity IX
279 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1751M8.5
Concepcion, Chillan, Talca, Tutuben, Curico
25 May 1751 · 168 km away · intensity XI
65 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1835M8.2
Concepcion
20 Feb 1835 · 91 km away · intensity XI
53 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
- 1898M6.5
Concepcion
23 Jul 1898 · 91 km away · intensity VIII
6 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1871M7.5
Central
25 Mar 1871 · 131 km away
Severe damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1920M7.0
Off Coast Central
20 Aug 1920 · 221 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.