3.6

M3.6 Earthquake 14 km ENE of Iquique, Chile — August 15, 2020

2020-08-15 19:42:36 UTC (2020-08-15) · approx. 2:42 PM UTC-5 local

MagnitudeM3.6(ml)
Time19:42 UTC≈ 2:42 PM UTC-5
Depth45.3 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates-20.183°, -70.020°
Felt by6DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On August 15, 2020 at 19:42 UTC, a magnitude 3.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 14 km ENE of Iquique, Chile, at a depth of 45.3 km and coordinates -20.1829°, -70.0200°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 3.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3.8 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 184 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at -20.18°, -70.02°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 6 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M3.6 earthquake near 14 km ENE of Iquique, Chile

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
3.6 ml
Depth
45.3 km
shallow crustal
Location
-20.1829°N
-70.0200°E
Felt Reports
6
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
2.9
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000bfgx
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
201
Azimuthal Gap
148.0°
Min Station Distance
0.409°
RMS Residual
0.56 sec
Last Updated
2020-10-24 20:08:55 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 3.6 earthquake near Iquique, Chile?

The magnitude 3.6 earthquake that struck 14 km ENE of Iquique, Chile on August 15, 2020 at 19:42 UTC had a depth of 45.3 km. For context, this was a minor earthquake typically detected only by instruments.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 3.6 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Understanding This Data

Magnitude 3.6 earthquakes are typically only recorded by instruments.

Learn more about magnitude →

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000bfgx). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, August 15, 2020). M3.6 Earthquake 14 km ENE of Iquique, Chile — August 15, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000bfgx/