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M5.2 Earthquake near 167 km WNW of Mejillones, Chile

UTC time: 2026-09-21 11:48:29 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published: Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Magnitude
M5.2
Depth
10.0 km
Source
USGS

167 km WNW of Mejillones, Chile

Map

M5.2 Earthquake near 167 km WNW of Mejillones, Chile · 2026-09-21 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.2 Earthquake near 167 km WNW of Mejillones, Chile · 2026-09-21 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.2 earthquake was recorded near 167 km WNW of Mejillones, Chile on September 21, 2026 at 11:48 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

ID
c7d72d772cefb028afff4820ecf5d4bef4280fa3
Magnitude
M5.2
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-21 11:48:29 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
usgs
Coordinates
-22.36430, -71.86780
Temperature
17.9°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 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

Estimated impact

1 Felt reports · max reported intensity 1

Tectonic context

Located on the Nazca Plate.
Near the boundary Nazca ↔ South America · about 56 km away

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Tocopilla174.5 kmE25'400
Antofagasta207.6 kmSE401'096
Arequipa664.2 kmN1'195'700

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Irruputuncu
    Distance: 388 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 5'163 m ·Last eruption: 1995 ·Chile-Bolivia
  • Olca-Paruma
    Distance: 391 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 5'705 m ·Chile-Bolivia
  • Negrillar, La
    Distance: 399 km ·Pyroclastic cone(s) ·Elevation: 4'220 m ·Chile
  • Sairecabur
    Distance: 410 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 5'961 m ·Chile-Bolivia
  • Licancabur
    Distance: 413 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 5'916 m ·Chile-Bolivia
  • Putana
    Distance: 413 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 5'884 m ·Last eruption: 1810 ·Chile

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours0
First 24 hours0
First 72 hours0
Strongest subsequent eventM3.6
M3.32026-09-25 15:34:04 UTC135.0 kmOFFSHORE ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE M2.52026-09-26 12:19:47 UTC148.6 kmChile M3.22026-09-27 18:13:31 UTC139.5 kmOFFSHORE ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE M3.62026-09-29 09:18:51 UTC118.9 kmOFFSHORE ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE M2.72026-10-14 11:06:12 UTC120.9 kmOFFSHORE ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE M2.82026-10-19 18:19:48 UTC134.8 kmOFFSHORE ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE M3.22026-10-20 19:05:08 UTC95.6 kmOFF COAST OF ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE M2.72026-10-20 22:23:11 UTC136.5 kmOFFSHORE ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE

Comparison of seismic sources

4 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.0 to M5.2.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM5.010.0 km11.9 km
USGSM5.210.0 km0.0 km
USPM5.010.0 km21.8 km
EMSCM5.035.0 km8.5 km

No unambiguous area assignment

Context for this earthquake

This event has no unambiguous country assignment in the analysed catalogue. It is therefore not assigned to a regional profile.

Earthquake overview

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#1
Earlier events M≥420
Earlier events M≥50
Compared since2025-01-08

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M4.82026-05-08 21:19:33 UTC149.3 kmNear Coast of Northern Chile M4.72026-08-30 05:19:51 UTC148.4 km26 km WSW of Tocopilla, Chile M4.62025-12-09 09:01:19 UTC113.1 kmNear Coast of Northern Chile M4.62025-01-08 20:30:19 UTC141.7 km36 km WSW of Mejillones, Chile M4.62026-05-08 21:19:30 UTC147.8 kmNear Coast of Northern Chile

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
583
Country (24h)
—
—
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