Reviewed by USGSChile15y ago
M5.2 earthquake 25 km W of San Javier, Chile
Monday, February 14, 2011, 12:18:30 UTC · 35.623°S, 72.004°W
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 25 km W of San Javier, Chile on Monday, February 14, 2011, 12:18:30 UTC, at a depth of 35.0 km (shallow). USGS received 4 “Did You Feel It?” reports, with a maximum reported intensity of II (weak). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.2 on February 14, 2011.
- Magnitude
- 5.2
- Moderate · mwc
- Depth
- 35 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 4
- Max intensity II
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquake
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
951 tons of TNT
That is about 1/16 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 2 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
167 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Nazca and South American plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
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
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Santiago, Metropolitana, Chile | II · Weak | 2 | 272 km |
| Chillán, Bío Bío, Chile | II · Weak | 1 | 114 km |
| Talcahuano, Bío Bío, Chile | II · Weak | 1 | 163 km |
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 has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km in the 30 days after this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 657 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.82010 Maule, Chile EarthquakeFebruary 27, 2010 · 98 km SW of this epicenter
- 8.14 km ESE of Cañete, ChileMay 21, 1960 · 273 km SW of this epicenter
- 8.025 km WSW of Valparaíso, ChileMarch 3, 1985 · 277 km N of this epicenter
- 7.826 km WNW of San Carlos, ChileJanuary 25, 1939 · 77 km S of this epicenter
- 7.838 km WNW of Traiguén, ChileMay 22, 1960 · 286 km S of this epicenter
- 7.730 km NNE of Constitución, ChileDecember 1, 1928 · 65 km N of this epicenter
- 7.7103 km NW of Constitución, ChileJanuary 30, 1914 · 152 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.523 km SE of Chiguayante, ChileMay 6, 1953 · 181 km SW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 38 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 35,289 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1939M8.3
Chillan
25 Jan 1939 · 73 km away · intensity X
30,000 deaths$920 million damagetsunami
- 1906M8.2
South Central
17 Aug 1906 · 292 km away · intensity XI
4,000 deaths$100 million damagetsunami
- 2010M8.8
Maule, Concepcion, Talcahuano
27 Feb 2010 · 98 km away · intensity IX
558 deaths$30 billion damagetsunami
- 1928M7.6
Talca, Chillan, Santiago, San Fernando
1 Dec 1928 · 69 km away · intensity IX
279 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1985M8.0
Central Coast, San Antonio, Valparaiso
3 Mar 1985 · 278 km away · intensity VIII
180 deaths$1.5 billion damagetsunami
- 1822M8.5
Valparaiso, Quillota, Concon, Aconcagua
20 Nov 1822 · 292 km away · intensity XI
72 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.