M6.4 earthquake near Ovalle, Coquimbo Region

What happened

A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck 29 km SW of Monte Patria, Chile on 8 Dec 1970, 19:30 UTC at a depth of 49 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Strong. Can cause damage in populated areas up to tens of kilometres away. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Ovalle, about 31 km away in Coquimbo Region, Chile.