5.0

M5.0 Earthquake 57 km WNW of Carahue, ChileFebruary 16, 2025

2025-02-16 07:08:44 UTC (2025-02-16) · approx. 2:08 AM UTC-5 local

Felt by 5 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM5.0(mww)
Time07:08 UTC2:08 AM UTC-5
Depth20.4 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates-38.499°, -73.766°
Felt by5DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On February 16, 2025 at 07:08 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 57 km WNW of Carahue, Chile, at a depth of 20.4 km and coordinates -38.4993°, -73.7663°. This earthquake was detected by 61 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 386, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 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

Map showing earthquake epicenter at -38.50°, -73.77°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 5 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 M5.0 earthquake near 57 km WNW of Carahue, Chile

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.0 mww
Depth
20.4 km
shallow crustal
Location
-38.4993°N
-73.7663°E
Felt Reports
5
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
3.2
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000pe2h
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
386
Stations Used
61
Azimuthal Gap
141.0°
Min Station Distance
1.404°
RMS Residual
0.85 sec
Last Updated
2025-05-02 16:26:19 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Carahue, Chile?

The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 57 km WNW of Carahue, Chile on February 16, 2025 at 07:08 UTC had a depth of 20.4 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at -38.4993°, -73.7663°, which is 57 km WNW of Carahue, Chile. View all earthquakes in Chile.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 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 5.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000pe2h). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, February 16, 2025). M5.0 Earthquake 57 km WNW of Carahue, ChileFebruary 16, 2025. Retrieved May 2, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000pe2h/