M5.2 Earthquake 13 km W of Pozo Almonte, Chile — December 18, 2024
2024-12-18 04:09:12 UTC (2024-12-18) · approx. 11:09 PM UTC-5 local
Felt by 56 people across nearby locations.
On December 18, 2024 at 04:09 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 13 km W of Pozo Almonte, Chile, at a depth of 59.3 km and coordinates -20.2333°, -69.9153°. This earthquake was detected by 133 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 448, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.3 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 56 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
-69.9153°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Pozo Almonte, Chile?
The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck 13 km W of Pozo Almonte, Chile on December 18, 2024 at 04:09 UTC had a depth of 59.3 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -20.2333°, -69.9153°, which is 13 km W of Pozo Almonte, Chile. View all earthquakes in Chile.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.2 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 5.2 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000nzpr). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, December 18, 2024). M5.2 Earthquake 13 km W of Pozo Almonte, Chile — December 18, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000nzpr/