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Chile · Región de Atacama

M3.1 Earthquake near Freirina, Región de Atacama (Chile)

UTC time: 2026-05-17 11:39:16 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

On May 17, 2026 at 11:39 UTC, a magnitude M3.1 earthquake occurred near Freirina, Región de Atacama (Chile). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 35 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Shaking of this size is frequently noticed but usually harmless.

The event was recorded by EMSC. Chile: 22 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.0.

Details

ID
b68c2dc17efd5e92b19953ac04fe299c5b7d2493
Magnitude
M3.1
Depth
35.4 km
UTC time
2026-05-17 11:39:16 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Chile
State
Región de Atacama
City
Freirina
County
Provincia de Huasco
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-28.91000, -71.46000
Temperature
11.6°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 35.4 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 35.4 km
Shallow
35.4 km
35.4 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: 336 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'205 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Tipas
    Distance: 342 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'658 m ·Argentina
  • Ojos del Salado, Nevados
    Distance: 350 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'879 m ·Last eruption: 750 ·Chile-Argentina
  • Incahuasi, Nevado de
    Distance: 374 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 6'638 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Falso Azufre
    Distance: 384 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 5'906 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Nevada, Sierra
    Distance: 392 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'173 m ·Chile-Argentina

Región de Atacama

Context for this earthquake

07 Sep 2025 – 07 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 129 Catalogue entries

Of 128 other entries for this area and period, 83 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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