4.6

M4.6 Earthquake 136 km ESE of Iquique, Chile — September 11, 2020

2020-09-11 00:57:20 UTC (2020-09-11) · approx. 7:57 PM UTC-5 local

Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM4.6(mb)
Time00:57 UTC≈ 7:57 PM UTC-5
Depth124.0 kmintermediate depth
Coordinates-20.847°, -69.031°
Felt by1DYFI response
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On September 11, 2020 at 00:57 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 intermediate depth earthquake struck 136 km ESE of Iquique, Chile, at a depth of 124.0 km and coordinates -20.8469°, -69.0314°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 120 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 899 m — 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

Map showing earthquake epicenter at -20.85°, -69.03°

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 M4.6 earthquake near 136 km ESE of Iquique, Chile

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.6 mb
Depth
124.0 km
intermediate depth
Location
-20.8469°N
-69.0314°E
Felt Reports
1
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
1.0
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000bljf
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
326
Azimuthal Gap
59.0°
Min Station Distance
0.711°
RMS Residual
0.60 sec
Last Updated
2020-11-21 20:10:35 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near Iquique, Chile?

The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck 136 km ESE of Iquique, Chile on September 11, 2020 at 00:57 UTC had a depth of 124.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at -20.8469°, -69.0314°, which is 136 km ESE of Iquique, Chile. View all earthquakes in Chile.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.6 earthquakes can continue for several days 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 4.6 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000bljf). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, September 11, 2020). M4.6 Earthquake 136 km ESE of Iquique, Chile — September 11, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000bljf/