Image
© Google
The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude 5.6 earthquake has struck in northern Chile. There were no immediate reports of damage and no tsunami warning.

The USGS says the quake's epicenter was located 30 miles (33 kilometers) northeast of Calama, Chile, and was at a depth of 112 kilometers. The quake hit at 8:36 a.m. PST Saturday.

Chile is one of the world's most seismic countries and is prone to tsunamis because of the way the Nazca tectonic plate plunges beneath the South American plate, pushing the towering Andes cordillera ever higher.

People in the area reported feeling the shaking.

Strong earthquakes with an epicenter off the coast can trigger tsunamis, depending on the size and type of the fault movement. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center tracks earthquake data for the West Coast.