M5.1 Earthquake 153 km E of Taltal, Chile — December 5, 2021
2021-12-05 21:51:09 UTC (2021-12-05) · approx. 4:51 PM UTC-5 local
Felt by 2 people across nearby locations.
On December 5, 2021 at 21:51 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 intermediate depth earthquake struck 153 km E of Taltal, Chile, at a depth of 95.3 km and coordinates -25.3012°, -68.9679°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.0 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
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 2 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
-68.9679°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near Taltal, Chile?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck 153 km E of Taltal, Chile on December 5, 2021 at 21:51 UTC had a depth of 95.3 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -25.3012°, -68.9679°, which is 153 km E of Taltal, Chile. View all earthquakes in Chile.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.1 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
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 5.1 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000g9c2). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, December 5, 2021). M5.1 Earthquake 153 km E of Taltal, Chile — December 5, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000g9c2/