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Chile · Región de Atacama

M2.7 Earthquake near Freirina, Región de Atacama (Chile)

UTC time: 2026-01-16 19:23:20 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

On January 16, 2026 at 19:23 UTC, a magnitude M2.7 earthquake occurred near Freirina, Región de Atacama (Chile). With a focal depth of about 42 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 event was recorded by EMSC. Chile: 30 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.7.

Details

ID
4c66a0eb42f3fe1f1a7b20931cdec11c149cbd18
Magnitude
M2.7
Depth
42.2 km
UTC time
2026-01-16 19:23:20 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Chile
State
Región de Atacama
City
Freirina
County
Provincia de Huasco
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-28.92000, -71.47000
Temperature
20.2°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 42.2 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 42.2 km
Shallow
42.2 km
42.2 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: 338 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'205 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Tipas
    Distance: 344 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'658 m ·Argentina
  • Ojos del Salado, Nevados
    Distance: 351 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'879 m ·Last eruption: 750 ·Chile-Argentina
  • Incahuasi, Nevado de
    Distance: 376 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 6'638 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Falso Azufre
    Distance: 385 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 5'906 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Nevada, Sierra
    Distance: 393 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'173 m ·Chile-Argentina

Región de Atacama

Context for this earthquake

08 Sep 2025 – 08 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 2.0 · 250 Catalogue entries

Of 249 other entries for this area and period, 160 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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