M4.8 Earthquake 117 km E of Iquique, Chile — November 14, 2020
2020-11-14 14:29:19 UTC (2020-11-14) · approx. 9:29 AM UTC-5 local
Felt by 23 people across nearby locations.
On November 14, 2020 at 14:29 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 intermediate depth earthquake struck 117 km E of Iquique, Chile, at a depth of 85.3 km and coordinates -20.3980°, -69.0399°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 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 23 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
-69.0399°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Iquique, Chile?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 117 km E of Iquique, Chile on November 14, 2020 at 14:29 UTC had a depth of 85.3 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -20.3980°, -69.0399°, which is 117 km E of Iquique, Chile. View all earthquakes in Chile.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 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 4.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000ceym). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, November 14, 2020). M4.8 Earthquake 117 km E of Iquique, Chile — November 14, 2020. Retrieved January 27, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000ceym/