Reviewed by USGS4y ago
M6.8 earthquake in Easter Island region
Tuesday, July 12, 2022, 19:16:58 UTC · 22.591°S, 114.258°W
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck in Easter Island region on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, 19:16:58 UTC, at a depth of 10.0 km (shallow). USGS received 1 “Did You Feel It?” report, with a maximum reported intensity of III (weak). The USGS PAGER alert is green: low likelihood of casualties and damage. It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M6.9 on September 5, 1996.
Tsunami flagUSGS sets this flag for large events in oceanic regions so tsunami warning centers review them. It does not by itself mean a tsunami occurred. Check tsunami.gov and local authorities for official messages.
- Magnitude
- 6.8
- Strong · mww
- Depth
- 10 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 1
- Max intensity III
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- Green
- Impact estimate
- Tsunami
- Flag
- Check tsunami.gov
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 100 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
239 kilotons of TNT
That is about 16 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 501 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
25 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Easter and Pacific plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
10 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
Reports sent by people to USGS, grouped by place (most reports first). Intensity uses the Modified Mercalli scale (I–X): what people felt, not the magnitude.
| Place | Intensity | Reports | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hangaroa, Osterinsel, Smaller Territories of Chile | III · Weak | 1 | 702 km |
USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No populated area was estimated to feel noticeable shaking.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 100 km
USGS lists 13 M2.5+ earthquakes within 100 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M5.6 on July 17, 2022. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
- 4.4Easter Island region4y ago · 39 km E of this epicenter
- 4.4southern East Pacific Rise4y ago · 72 km N of this epicenter
- 5.6Easter Island region4y ago · 16 km N of this epicenter
- 4.9Easter Island region4y ago · 12 km E of this epicenter
- 4.8Easter Island region4y ago · 14 km NE of this epicenter
- 4.9Easter Island region4y ago · 3 km NE of this epicenter
- 4.5Easter Island region4y ago · 12 km NW of this epicenter
- 4.5Easter Island region4y ago · 10 km S of this epicenter
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 130 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 6.9Easter Island regionSeptember 5, 1996 · 100 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.5Easter Island regionNovember 2, 1932 · 207 km E of this epicenter
- 6.3southern East Pacific RiseApril 8, 1954 · 114 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.3Easter Island regionJuly 23, 1956 · 263 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.2southern East Pacific RiseFebruary 20, 1951 · 144 km N of this epicenter
- 6.2southern East Pacific RiseJuly 26, 1976 · 122 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.2Easter Island regionSeptember 5, 1996 · 135 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.2Easter Island regionApril 23, 1955 · 270 km SE of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 1 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700. The most severe:
- 1996M6.9
Easter Island Region
5 Sep 1996 · 100 km away
tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.