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Chile · Atacama Region

M2.9 Earthquake near Chañaral, Atacama Region (Chile)

UTC time: 2026-09-15 02:44:24 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

On September 15, 2026 at 02:44 UTC, a magnitude M2.9 earthquake occurred near Chañaral, Atacama Region (Chile). With a focal depth of about 48 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this small magnitude are usually barely noticeable and cause no damage.

The data is provided by EMSC and cross-checked across seismological networks. Chile: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 26 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.8.

Details

ID
03d5d9d42de2dad856cf8ddb6e1a1670f2206e36
Magnitude
M2.9
Depth
48.2 km
UTC time
2026-09-15 02:44:24 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Chile
State
Atacama Region
City
Chañaral
County
Provincia de Chañaral
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-26.61000, -70.65000
Temperature
16.3°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 48.2 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 48.2 km
Shallow
48.2 km
48.2 km — shallower than the regional average (99.5 km)
Regional average: 99.5 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Volcanoes nearby

  • Solo, El
    Distance: 200 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'205 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Nevada, Sierra
    Distance: 206 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'173 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Ojos del Salado, Nevados
    Distance: 216 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'879 m ·Last eruption: 750 ·Chile-Argentina
  • Tipas
    Distance: 217 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'658 m ·Argentina
  • Falso Azufre
    Distance: 227 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 5'906 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Condor, El
    Distance: 228 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'373 m ·Argentina

Atacama Region

Context for this earthquake

21 Sep 2025 – 21 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 2.0 · 121 Catalogue entries

Of 120 other entries for this area and period, 45 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

Historic earthquake map · Chile

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Country statistics · Chile

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