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Chile · Región de Atacama

M3.5 Earthquake near Chañaral, Región de Atacama (Chile)

UTC time: 2026-04-16 14:50:48 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M3.5
Depth
37.3 km
Source
EMSC

Región de Atacama · Chañaral

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M3.5 earthquake was recorded near Chañaral, Región de Atacama (Chile) on April 16, 2026 at 14:50 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 37 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Shaking of this size is frequently noticed but usually harmless.

The event was recorded by EMSC. Chile: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 24 earthquakes, the strongest at M3.9.

Details

ID
194901f70c1b60fa72178637d63cd1647fedaa8d
Magnitude
M3.5
Depth
37.3 km
UTC time
2026-04-16 14:50:48 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Chile
State
Región de Atacama
City
Chañaral
County
Provincia de Chañaral
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-26.62000, -70.68000
Temperature
17.5°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 37.3 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 37.3 km
Shallow
37.3 km
37.3 km — shallower than the regional average (99.3 km)
Regional average: 99.3 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: 202 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'205 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Nevada, Sierra
    Distance: 209 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'173 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Ojos del Salado, Nevados
    Distance: 219 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'879 m ·Last eruption: 750 ·Chile-Argentina
  • Tipas
    Distance: 220 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'658 m ·Argentina
  • Falso Azufre
    Distance: 230 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 5'906 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Condor, El
    Distance: 231 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'373 m ·Argentina

Región de Atacama

Context for this earthquake

07 Sep 2025 – 07 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 129 Catalogue entries

Of 128 other entries for this area and period, 41 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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View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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