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Chile · Región de Atacama

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

UTC time: 2026-02-16 21:58:09 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M3.5 earthquake was recorded near Caldera, Región de Atacama (Chile) on February 16, 2026 at 21:58 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 62 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Shaking of this size is frequently noticed but usually harmless.

The data is provided by EMSC and cross-checked across seismological networks. Chile: 27 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.7.

Details

ID
243cd104f1c55fb23e7d22dee91fd0288b9a1d10
Magnitude
M3.5
Depth
62.3 km
UTC time
2026-02-16 21:58:09 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Chile
State
Región de Atacama
City
Caldera
County
Provincia de Copiapó
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-27.44000, -70.92000
Temperature
16.9°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 62.3 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 62.3 km
Shallow
62.3 km
62.3 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: 221 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'205 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Tipas
    Distance: 235 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'658 m ·Argentina
  • Ojos del Salado, Nevados
    Distance: 238 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'879 m ·Last eruption: 750 ·Chile-Argentina
  • Nevada, Sierra
    Distance: 255 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'173 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Falso Azufre
    Distance: 262 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 5'906 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Incahuasi, Nevado de
    Distance: 263 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 6'638 m ·Chile-Argentina

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Desierto de Atacama AirportChile · CPO · SCAT
    24.3 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-09-07

This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts. Distances use recorded site coordinates. Sources & data dates

Región de Atacama

Context for this earthquake

08 Sep 2025 – 07 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 128 Catalogue entries

Of 127 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

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

Country statistics · Chile

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

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