6.9 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Chile on March 11, No Tsunami Warning Issued

According to the United States Geological Society (USGS) website, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the coast of Chile on Thursday, March 11, at 11:39 a.m. local time. This quake was initially termed as a 7.2 but the USGS later downgraded the number to 6.9. This quake was followed by another quake at 11:55 a.m. local time, registering 6.9 on the Richter Scale. A third quake registering at 6.0 occurred at 12:06 p.m. local time.

These quakes are the strongest aftershocks to hit Chile since the massive 8.8 quake struck the country on February 27.

The March 11 quakes were located in the Libertador O'Higgins region of Chile along the western coast of South America. The epicenter of these quakes was approximately 80 to 90 miles southwest of Valparaiso, Chile and about 79 to 90 miles southwest of Santiago.

The first quake, a 6.9, was registered at a depth of 21.7 miles while the second quake, a 6.9 magnitude, was at a depth of 27.6 miles. The third, a 6.0 was registered at a depth of about 19.9 miles.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a statement on the PTWC website regarding the quake. The statement indicated that the available data from this most recent earthquake does not require a tsunami warning.

The PTWC statement said that "based on all available data a destructive Pacific-wide tsunami is not expected and there is no tsunami threat to Hawaii." The PTWC website statement also indicated that the tsunami warning would be updated if additional data indicated the need.

The massive 8.8 magnitude quake that struck Chile on February 27 was located near Maule, Chile - approximately 205 miles southwest of Santiago.

The February 27 8.8 earthquake was the first in a series of large earthquakes and aftershocks that have rocked the western coast of South America. Most of the quakes have been centered in and around Chile, while a few have been off the coast of Chile or centered in Argentina.

According to the USGS, this 6.9 aftershock was located along the same fault line as the 8.8 earthquake from February. Damage and injury reports from today's quakes are still pending, but in a country that has been shaking since late February, today's quakes must be rattling nerves.

See also:

Where to Find Information on Recent Earthquakes and Tsunami Warning

Chile Was Site of Largest Recorded Earthquake in the World