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Chile · Atacama Region

M2.6 Earthquake near Vallenar, Atacama Region (Chile)

UTC time: 2026-09-18 00:10:08 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M2.6 earthquake was recorded near Vallenar, Atacama Region (Chile) on September 18, 2026 at 00:10 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 65 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size typically go unnoticed.

The data is provided by EMSC and cross-checked across seismological networks. Chile: 16 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.6.

Details

ID
3b0500f0fae25bb42b17c925af6f48663d71c864
Magnitude
M2.6
Depth
65.3 km
UTC time
2026-09-18 00:10:08 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Chile
State
Atacama Region
City
Vallenar
County
Provincia de Huasco
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-28.38000, -70.70000
Temperature
13.2°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 65.3 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 65.3 km
Shallow
65.3 km
65.3 km — shallower than the regional average (99.4 km)
Regional average: 99.4 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: 242 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'205 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Tipas
    Distance: 248 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'658 m ·Argentina
  • Ojos del Salado, Nevados
    Distance: 255 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'879 m ·Last eruption: 750 ·Chile-Argentina
  • Incahuasi, Nevado de
    Distance: 280 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 6'638 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Falso Azufre
    Distance: 289 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 5'906 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Nevada, Sierra
    Distance: 297 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'173 m ·Chile-Argentina

Atacama Region

Context for this earthquake

18 Sep 2025 – 18 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 2.0 · 115 Catalogue entries

Of 114 other entries for this area and period, 87 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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