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Chile · Región de Atacama

M2.9 Earthquake near Vallenar, Región de Atacama (Chile)

UTC time: 2026-02-26 05:40:23 UTC Local time: —

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About this earthquake

On February 26, 2026 at 05:40 UTC, a magnitude M2.9 earthquake occurred near Vallenar, Región de Atacama (Chile). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 39 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this small magnitude are usually barely noticeable and cause no damage.

The event was recorded by EMSC. Chile: 25 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M3.9.

Details

ID
b9f68ced2d31fed938e41a78ff29e34e098d5ead
Magnitude
M2.9
Depth
38.5 km
UTC time
2026-02-26 05:40:23 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Chile
State
Región de Atacama
City
Vallenar
County
Provincia de Huasco
Source
emsc
Coordinates
-28.49000, -70.63000
Temperature
14.7°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 38.5 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 38.5 km
Shallow
38.5 km
38.5 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: 243 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'205 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Tipas
    Distance: 249 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'658 m ·Argentina
  • Ojos del Salado, Nevados
    Distance: 257 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 6'879 m ·Last eruption: 750 ·Chile-Argentina
  • Incahuasi, Nevado de
    Distance: 281 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 6'638 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Falso Azufre
    Distance: 291 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 5'906 m ·Chile-Argentina
  • Nevada, Sierra
    Distance: 301 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 6'173 m ·Chile-Argentina

Región de Atacama

Context for this earthquake

07 Sep 2025 – 07 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 2.0 · 252 Catalogue entries

Of 251 other entries for this area and period, 128 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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