By Minener Editorial Team | May 2, 2025

The director of Chile’s National Seismological Service, Sergio Barrientos, has provided technical insight into the powerful 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck early Friday morning in the Magallanes Region.

According to Barrientos, the earthquake was caused by tectonic interaction between the Antarctic and Scotia plates. “The Antarctic Plate is attempting to subduct beneath the Scotia Plate, which causes uplift of the seafloor and triggers seismic activity,” he explained. “That upward motion is also what generates tsunami risk.”

The quake’s epicenter was located approximately 218 kilometers southwest of Puerto Williams, with a depth of just 10 kilometers. “This was a very shallow earthquake,” Barrientos noted. “The rupture zone likely spans between 10 and 20 kilometers in depth, though we rely entirely on seismic instruments for this data, as the entire event occurred underwater.”

Initial magnitude estimates were slightly lower, but as more data from seismic stations came in, the figure was updated to 7.5 and is expected to remain stable. “We aim to provide rapid estimates, which are later refined as more information arrives,” he said.

Regarding aftershocks, Barrientos confirmed that the event has already produced at least seven smaller tremors. “It is typical for a magnitude 7.5 earthquake to be followed by a series of aftershocks. These will likely become less frequent and decrease in magnitude over time,” he added. “While we cannot predict future events with certainty, this is the most probable scenario.”

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