Reviewed by USGSChile10y ago
M5.0 earthquake 46 km W of Illapel, Chile
Monday, August 8, 2016, 12:24:32 UTC · 31.587°S, 71.654°W
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 46 km W of Illapel, Chile on Monday, August 8, 2016, 12:24:32 UTC, at a depth of 29.9 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.8 on July 19, 2016.
- Magnitude
- 5.0
- Moderate · mwr
- Depth
- 30 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Max intensity I
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
477 tons of TNT
That is about 1/32 of the Hiroshima bomb. Each whole step in magnitude is about 32 times more energy.
Tectonic setting
97 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
30 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 75 km
USGS lists 5 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M4.8 on August 10, 2016. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
- 4.255 km SW of Illapel, Chile10y ago · 41 km S of this epicenter
- 4.388 km WNW of La Ligua, Chile10y ago · 72 km SW of this epicenter
- 4.841 km N of La Ligua, Chile10y ago · 66 km SE of this epicenter
- 4.558 km SW of Illapel, Chile10y ago · 42 km S of this epicenter
- 4.599 km W of Illapel, Chile10y ago · 56 km W of this epicenter
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 905 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.348 km W of Illapel, ChileSeptember 16, 2015 · 2 km NW of this epicenter
- 8.2The 1906 Valparaiso, Chile EarthquakeAugust 17, 1906 · 94 km S of this epicenter
- 8.145 km NNW of Illapel, ChileApril 6, 1943 · 45 km NE of this epicenter
- 8.025 km WSW of Valparaíso, ChileMarch 3, 1985 · 173 km S of this epicenter
- 7.819 km NNE of Hacienda La Calera, ChileJuly 9, 1971 · 123 km S of this epicenter
- 7.47 km SSE of La Ligua, ChileMarch 28, 1965 · 112 km S of this epicenter
- 7.419 km S of Valparaíso, ChileMarch 4, 1985 · 180 km S of this epicenter
- 7.237 km S of San Antonio, ChileMarch 18, 1931 · 260 km S of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 53 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 14,800 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1944M6.9
San Juan Province
15 Jan 1944 · 300 km away · intensity IX
10,000 deaths$100 million damage
- 1906M8.2
South Central
17 Aug 1906 · 161 km away · intensity XI
4,000 deaths$100 million damagetsunami
- 1965M7.3
Central
28 Mar 1965 · 100 km away
400 deaths$125 million damage
- 1985M8.0
Central Coast, San Antonio, Valparaiso
3 Mar 1985 · 172 km away · intensity VIII
180 deaths$1.5 billion damagetsunami
- 1971M7.8
Central
9 Jul 1971 · 110 km away · intensity IX
83 deaths$236 million damagetsunami
- 1822M8.5
Valparaiso, Quillota, Concon, Aconcagua
20 Nov 1822 · 161 km away · intensity XI
72 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.