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Chile · Región de Coquimbo

M2.9 Earthquake near Ovalle, Región de Coquimbo (Chile)

UTC time: 2026-05-16 05:24:11 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

On May 16, 2026 at 05:24 UTC, a magnitude M2.9 earthquake occurred near Ovalle, Región de Coquimbo (Chile). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 66 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size typically go unnoticed.

The event was recorded by EMSC. Chile: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 24 earthquakes, the strongest at M5.0.

Details

ID
7966d37170d88d731ad58614bd50f513e18db0d6
Magnitude
M2.9
Depth
66.3 km
UTC time
2026-05-16 05:24:11 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Chile
State
Región de Coquimbo
City
Ovalle
County
Provincia de Limarí
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-30.44000, -71.22000
Temperature
13.6°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 66.3 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 66.3 km
Shallow
66.3 km
66.3 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

  • Tupungatito
    Distance: 358 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 5'660 m ·Last eruption: 1987 ·Chile-Argentina
  • San Jose
    Distance: 393 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 6'070 m ·Last eruption: 1960 ·Chile-Argentina
  • Maipo
    Distance: 434 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 5'323 m ·Last eruption: 1912 ·Chile-Argentina
  • Tipas
    Distance: 444 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'658 m ·Argentina
  • Solo, El
    Distance: 444 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'205 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Ojos del Salado, Nevados
    Distance: 453 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'879 m ·Last eruption: 750 ·Chile-Argentina

Región de Coquimbo

Context for this earthquake

07 Sep 2025 – 07 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 2.0 · 326 Catalogue entries

Of 325 other entries for this area and period, 174 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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