M5.6 Earthquake 14 km NW of Melipilla, Chile — March 21, 2023
2023-03-21 17:38:13 UTC (2023-03-21) · approx. 12:38 PM UTC-5 local
Felt by 233 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.6 (moderate).
On March 21, 2023 at 17:38 UTC, a magnitude 5.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 14 km NW of Melipilla, Chile, at a depth of 60.0 km and coordinates -33.6108°, -71.3399°. The earthquake was reported felt by 233 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.6 (moderate). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 125 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 618, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Melipilla (population 63,100).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 4 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 4.4 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
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 4.6 (moderate), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Mild shaking, similar to a passing truck. Hanging objects swing. Glasses and dishes may rattle. Not commonly felt outdoors.
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 233 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
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 700,644 |
| MMI 4 | light | 10,361,778 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 23,008 |
Earthquake Details
-71.3399°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.6 earthquake near Melipilla, Chile?
The magnitude 5.6 earthquake that struck 14 km NW of Melipilla, Chile on March 21, 2023 at 17:38 UTC had a depth of 60.0 km. It was felt by 233 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.6 (moderate). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -33.6108°, -71.3399°, which is 14 km NW of Melipilla, Chile. The nearest populated place is Melipilla (population 63,100). View all earthquakes in Chile.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.6 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 5.6 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000jlpd). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, March 21, 2023). M5.6 Earthquake 14 km NW of Melipilla, Chile — March 21, 2023. Retrieved February 3, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000jlpd/