M4.9 Earthquake 69 km NNW of La Serena, Chile — February 19, 2021
2021-02-19 06:54:30 UTC (2021-02-19) · approx. 1:54 AM UTC-5 local
Felt by 5 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.1 mainshock.
On February 19, 2021 at 06:54 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 69 km NNW of La Serena, Chile, at a depth of 39.0 km and coordinates -29.3524°, -71.5954°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.1 mainshock that occurred 28 days ago 24 km NW of Coquimbo, Chile. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 1 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
The epicenter is located in Chile, a region characterized by the Peru-Chile Trench, where the Nazca Plate subducts beneath South America at 65-80 mm per year. The nearest mapped fault system is the Peru-Chile Trench. View all earthquakes in Chile.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 5 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-71.5954°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near La Serena, Chile?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 69 km NNW of La Serena, Chile on February 19, 2021 at 06:54 UTC had a depth of 39.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -29.3524°, -71.5954°, which is 69 km NNW of La Serena, Chile. View all earthquakes in Chile.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.1 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 4.9 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.1 mainshock that occurred earlier 24 km NW of Coquimbo, Chile. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
Has Chile had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Chile was the M9.5 Great Chilean earthquake of May 22, 1960. Today's magnitude 4.9 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000diut). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, February 19, 2021). M4.9 Earthquake 69 km NNW of La Serena, Chile — February 19, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000diut/