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Chile · Antofagasta Region

M4.6 Earthquake near María Elena, Antofagasta Region (Chile)

UTC time: 2026-09-17 22:11:40 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Magnitude
M4.6
Depth
85.6 km
Source
EMSC

Antofagasta Region · María Elena

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M4.6 earthquake was recorded near María Elena, Antofagasta Region (Chile) on September 17, 2026 at 22:11 UTC. The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 86 km. Tremors of this size are distinctly felt and can occasionally cause light damage.

The event was recorded by EMSC. Chile: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 16 earthquakes, the strongest at M4.6.

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 85.6 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 85.6 km
Intermediate
85.6 km
85.6 km — close to the regional average (99.4 km)
Regional average: 99.4 km
Why depth matters

Intermediate-depth quakes are felt across a wider area but usually cause less surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Tectonic context

Located on the South America Plate.
Near the boundary Altiplano ↔ South America · about 47 km away

Volcanoes nearby

  • Olca-Paruma
    Distance: 135 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 5'705 m ·Chile-Bolivia
  • Irruputuncu
    Distance: 148 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 5'163 m ·Last eruption: 1995 ·Chile-Bolivia
  • Putana
    Distance: 154 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 5'884 m ·Last eruption: 1810 ·Chile
  • Sairecabur
    Distance: 160 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 5'961 m ·Chile-Bolivia
  • Licancabur
    Distance: 168 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 5'916 m ·Chile-Bolivia
  • Purico Complex
    Distance: 190 km ·Shield(pyroclastic) ·Elevation: 5'703 m ·Chile

Antofagasta Region

Context for this earthquake

18 Sep 2025 – 18 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 447 Catalogue entries

Of 446 other entries for this area and period, 6 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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