5.1

M5.1 Earthquake 57 km WSW of San Antonio, Chile — June 12, 2021

2021-06-12 03:36:26 UTC (2021-06-12) · approx. 10:36 PM UTC-5 local

Felt by 26 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.2 mainshock.

MagnitudeM5.1(mww)
Time03:36 UTC≈ 10:36 PM UTC-5
Depth15.2 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates-33.740°, -72.201°
Felt by26DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On June 12, 2021 at 03:36 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 57 km WSW of San Antonio, Chile, at a depth of 15.2 km and coordinates -33.7397°, -72.2014°.

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.

This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.2 mainshock that occurred 2 days ago 62 km SW of San Antonio, Chile. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 1 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.

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 -33.74°, -72.20°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 26 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 M5.1 earthquake near 57 km WSW of San Antonio, Chile

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.1 mww
Depth
15.2 km
shallow crustal
Location
-33.7397°N
-72.2014°E
Felt Reports
26
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
5.7
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000ec9v
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
415
Azimuthal Gap
66.0°
Min Station Distance
0.496°
RMS Residual
1.12 sec
Last Updated
2025-12-22 19:02:31 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near San Antonio, Chile?

The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck 57 km WSW of San Antonio, Chile on June 12, 2021 at 03:36 UTC had a depth of 15.2 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at -33.7397°, -72.2014°, which is 57 km WSW of San Antonio, 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.

Is this the same earthquake as the M5.2 one earlier?

No. This magnitude 5.1 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.2 mainshock that occurred earlier 62 km SW of San Antonio, Chile. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.

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.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000ec9v). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, June 12, 2021). M5.1 Earthquake 57 km WSW of San Antonio, Chile — June 12, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000ec9v/