M5.1 Earthquake 51 km SSW of Ovalle, Chile — January 16, 2021
2021-01-16 03:53:36 UTC (2021-01-16) · approx. 10:53 PM UTC-5 local
Felt by 17 people across nearby locations.
On January 16, 2021 at 03:53 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 51 km SSW of Ovalle, Chile, at a depth of 58.8 km and coordinates -31.0388°, -71.3822°.
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 17 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
-71.3822°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near Ovalle, Chile?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck 51 km SSW of Ovalle, Chile on January 16, 2021 at 03:53 UTC had a depth of 58.8 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -31.0388°, -71.3822°, which is 51 km SSW of Ovalle, 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.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000d0k5). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, January 16, 2021). M5.1 Earthquake 51 km SSW of Ovalle, Chile — January 16, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000d0k5/