4.2

M4.2 Earthquake 88 km SW of Iquique, Chile — August 26, 2020

2020-08-26 18:35:01 UTC (2020-08-26) · approx. 1:35 PM UTC-5 local

MagnitudeM4.2(mb)
Time18:35 UTC≈ 1:35 PM UTC-5
Depth16.1 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates-20.879°, -70.628°
Felt by2DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On August 26, 2020 at 18:35 UTC, a magnitude 4.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 88 km SW of Iquique, Chile, at a depth of 16.1 km and coordinates -20.8789°, -70.6281°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 30 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 476 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at -20.88°, -70.63°

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.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M4.2 earthquake near 88 km SW of Iquique, Chile

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.2 mb
Depth
16.1 km
shallow crustal
Location
-20.8789°N
-70.6281°E
Felt Reports
2
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
2.0
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000bdba
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
272
Azimuthal Gap
187.0°
Min Station Distance
0.522°
RMS Residual
1.05 sec
Last Updated
2020-11-07 18:48:28 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.2 earthquake near Iquique, Chile?

The magnitude 4.2 earthquake that struck 88 km SW of Iquique, Chile on August 26, 2020 at 18:35 UTC had a depth of 16.1 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 4.2 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Understanding This Data

Magnitude 4.2 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.

Learn more about magnitude →

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000bdba). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, August 26, 2020). M4.2 Earthquake 88 km SW of Iquique, Chile — August 26, 2020. Retrieved November 7, 2020 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000bdba/