Magnitude 5.4 and 4.6 Earthquakes Strike Northern Chile Early Sunday
Two earthquakes struck northern Chile early on Sunday, a magnitude 5.4 temblor 82 km SSW of San Pedro de Atacama and a magnitude 4.6 event 61 km E of La Tirana, according to the USGS. This Chile earthquake sequence formed part of a broader day of seismic activity across the country.
Overview of Sunday's Seismic Activity
The M5.4 earthquake occurred at a depth of 107.0 km while the M4.6 quake struck at 105.2 km depth. [2] [3] The M5.4 event was located 82 km SSW of San Pedro de Atacama. [3] The M4.6 event was located 61 km E of La Tirana. [2] Both events were recorded early on Sunday.
Details of the Two Main Chile Earthquake Events
The magnitude 5.4 earthquake took place at a depth of 107.0 km. [3] The magnitude 4.6 earthquake took place at a depth of 105.2 km. [2] These parameters were reported directly by the USGS for the northern Chile locations.
Map shows epicenters of magnitude 5.4 and 4.6 earthquakes in northern Chile on Sunday. — Source: gdelt
Full List of Recorded Tremors
The Centro Sismológico Nacional recorded more than a dozen additional low-magnitude tremors across the country on 26 July ranging from M3.0 to M4.4 at depths between 17 km and 308 km. [4] At 17:44 hours a sismo of magnitud 4.4 occurred 90 km al oeste de San Antonio de los Cobres at 184 km de profundidad. [4] At 16:56 hours a sismo of magnitud 3.1 occurred 50 km al suroeste de Mina Collahuasi at 109 km de profundidad. [4] At 16:19 hours a sismo of magnitud 3.2 occurred 27 km al suroeste de Pisagua at 44 km de profundidad. [4] At 14:54 hours a sismo of magnitud 3.1 occurred 15 km al noreste de Quillagua at 71 km de profundidad. [4] At 11:26 hours a sismo of magnitud 3.0 occurred 46 km al suroeste de Ollagüe at 149 km de profundidad. [4] At 9:36 horas a sismo of magnitud 4.3 occurred 62 km al este de Socaire at 253 km de profundidad. [4] At 08:12 hours a sismo of magnitud 3.9 occurred 62 km al sureste de Socaire at 217 km de profundidad. [4] At 07:23 hours a sismo of magnitud 3.3 occurred 27 km al oeste de Quintero at 29 km de profundidad. [4] At 02:30 hours a sismo of magnitud 3.2 occurred 41 km al este de Sierra Gorda at 110 km de profundidad. [4] At 02:13 hours a sismo of magnitud 3.1 occurred 80 km al este de Ollagüe at 223 km de profundidad. [4] At 02:05 hours a sismo of magnitud 3.0 occurred 43 km al oeste de Valparaíso at 19 km de profundidad. [4] At 01:57 hours a sismo of magnitud 3.1 occurred 34 km al suroeste de Valparaíso at 17 km de profundidad. [4] At 01:56 hours a sismo of magnitud 3.1 occurred 55 km al oeste de Valparaíso at 38 km de profundidad. [4] At 01:56 hours a sismo of magnitud 3.6 occurred 110 km al oeste de Quintero at 48 km de profundidad. [4] At 01:55 hours a sismo of magnitud 3.5 occurred 119 km al noreste de Socaire at 308 km de profundidad. [4] At 01:03 hours a sismo of magnitud 3.0 occurred 44 km al noreste de Calama at 87 km de profundidad. [4]
Tectonic Context
Chile's location on the boundary of the Nazca and South American tectonic plates produces frequent seismic activity, most of which is imperceptible. [4] The movements of these plates produce vibrations of the Earth's crust. [4] The majority of the movements result imperceptible due to Chile's position on the plate boundary. [4]
Official Safety Guidance
Senapred recommends maintaining calm, seeking shelter under a sturdy object, cutting utilities, and avoiding buildings, poles and power lines during significant shaking. [4] The recommendations include mantener la calma y buscar un lugar de protección sísmica. [4] Additional steps involve protegerse debajo de un elemento firme or mantenerse al lado del mismo objeto. [4] Residents should cortar la energía eléctrica y cerrar las llaves de paso de agua y gas. [4] If in the street, alejarse de edificios, postes y cables eléctricos. [4] In a massive event stay in place and protect the head and neck with the arms while following security personnel instructions. [4] Drivers in a tunnel, bridge or highway should reduce speed and stop after exiting the location. [4]
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Monitoring Sources
The USGS provided data on the magnitude 5.4 and magnitude 4.6 events. [2] [3] The Centro Sismológico Nacional supplied the list of additional tremors on 26 July. [4] Senapred issued the safety recommendations for seismic events. [4]
Ongoing Seismic Monitoring in Chile
Real-time data continues to come from the same agencies that reported the Sunday events. The Centro Sismológico Nacional maintains updates on tremors of varied intensity throughout the country. [4] The USGS supplies parameters for events meeting reporting thresholds. [2] [3]
