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Chile · Atacama Region

M2.8 Earthquake near Freirina, Atacama Region (Chile)

UTC time: 2026-09-18 17:26:21 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

On September 18, 2026 at 17:26 UTC, a magnitude M2.8 earthquake occurred near Freirina, Atacama Region (Chile). With a focal depth of about 41 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size typically go unnoticed.

The data is provided by EMSC and cross-checked across seismological networks. Chile: 26 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M4.8.

Details

ID
5f76915becaacee05a673063312014e5c8bff725
Magnitude
M2.8
Depth
40.8 km
UTC time
2026-09-18 17:26:21 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Chile
State
Atacama Region
City
Freirina
County
Provincia de Huasco
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-29.03000, -71.28000
Temperature
19.1°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 40.8 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 40.8 km
Shallow
40.8 km
40.8 km — shallower than the regional average (99.5 km)
Regional average: 99.5 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: 331 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'205 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Tipas
    Distance: 336 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'658 m ·Argentina
  • Ojos del Salado, Nevados
    Distance: 343 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'879 m ·Last eruption: 750 ·Chile-Argentina
  • Incahuasi, Nevado de
    Distance: 368 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 6'638 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Falso Azufre
    Distance: 378 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 5'906 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Nevada, Sierra
    Distance: 389 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'173 m ·Chile-Argentina

Atacama Region

Context for this earthquake

21 Sep 2025 – 21 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 2.0 · 121 Catalogue entries

Of 120 other entries for this area and period, 63 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

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

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