4.0

M4.0 Earthquake 94 km NE of Tocopilla, ChileMarch 15, 2022

2022-03-15 17:31:19 UTC (2022-03-15) · approx. 12:31 PM UTC-5 local

MagnitudeM4.0(mb)
Time17:31 UTC12:31 PM UTC-5
Depth16.8 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates-21.424°, -69.625°
Felt by1DYFI response
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On March 15, 2022 at 17:31 UTC, a magnitude 4.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 94 km NE of Tocopilla, Chile, at a depth of 16.8 km and coordinates -21.4236°, -69.6249°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 15 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 347 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at -21.42°, -69.62°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response 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 M4.0 earthquake near 94 km NE of Tocopilla, Chile

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.0 mb
Depth
16.8 km
shallow crustal
Location
-21.4236°N
-69.6249°E
Felt Reports
1
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
1.0
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000h4sa
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
246
Azimuthal Gap
90.0°
Min Station Distance
0.273°
RMS Residual
0.87 sec
Last Updated
2022-05-27 14:55:27 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.0 earthquake near Tocopilla, Chile?

The magnitude 4.0 earthquake that struck 94 km NE of Tocopilla, Chile on March 15, 2022 at 17:31 UTC had a depth of 16.8 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.0 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Understanding This Data

Magnitude 4.0 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.

Learn more about magnitude →

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000h4sa). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, March 15, 2022). M4.0 Earthquake 94 km NE of Tocopilla, ChileMarch 15, 2022. Retrieved May 27, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000h4sa/