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Chile · Región de Coquimbo

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

UTC time: 2026-05-18 18:53:25 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M2.9 earthquake was recorded near Ovalle, Región de Coquimbo (Chile) on May 18, 2026 at 18:53 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 28 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this small magnitude are usually barely noticeable and cause no damage.

The data is provided by EMSC and cross-checked across seismological networks. Chile: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 22 earthquakes, the strongest at M5.0.

Details

ID
8bc1bd02a6a505c788ed694c84b86e8c038ea407
Magnitude
M2.9
Depth
28.2 km
UTC time
2026-05-18 18:53:25 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Chile
State
Región de Coquimbo
City
Ovalle
County
Provincia de Limarí
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-30.42000, -71.61000
Temperature
15.9°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 28.2 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 28.2 km
Shallow
28.2 km
28.2 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

  • Tupungatito
    Distance: 375 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 5'660 m ·Last eruption: 1987 ·Chile-Argentina
  • San Jose
    Distance: 408 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 6'070 m ·Last eruption: 1960 ·Chile-Argentina
  • Maipo
    Distance: 449 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 5'323 m ·Last eruption: 1912 ·Chile-Argentina
  • Solo, El
    Distance: 464 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'205 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Tipas
    Distance: 466 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'658 m ·Argentina
  • Ojos del Salado, Nevados
    Distance: 474 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

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