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 31 earthquakes, the strongest at M3.9.

Details

ID
03d5d9d42de2dad856cf8ddb6e1a1670f2206e36
Magnitude
M2.9
Depth
48.2 km
UTC time
2026-09-15 02:44:24 UTC
Local time
—
Country
City
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 (100.2 km)
Regional average: 100.2 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

  • Distance: 200 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'205 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Distance: 206 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'173 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Distance: 216 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'879 m ·Last eruption: 750 ·Chile-Argentina
  • Distance: 217 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'658 m ·Argentina
  • Distance: 227 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 5'906 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Distance: 228 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'373 m ·Argentina

Atacama Region

Context for this earthquake

05 Oct 2025 – 05 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 2.0 · 141 Catalogue entries

Sufficiently reliable matching data are not currently available for a direct comparison. The area profile shows the available records and their limitations.

Open seismic profile

Historic earthquake map · Chile

Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · Chile

View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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