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Chile · Región de Antofagasta

M2.6 Earthquake near María Elena, Región de Antofagasta (Chile)

UTC time: 2026-04-18 08:03:17 UTC Local time: —
Magnitude
M2.6
Depth
32.7 km
Source
EMSC

Región de Antofagasta · María Elena

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About this earthquake

On April 18, 2026 at 08:03 UTC, a magnitude M2.6 earthquake occurred near María Elena, Región de Antofagasta (Chile). With a focal depth of about 33 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. 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 M3.9.

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 32.7 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 32.7 km
Shallow
32.7 km
32.7 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

  • Irruputuncu
    Distance: 147 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 5'163 m ·Last eruption: 1995 ·Chile-Bolivia
  • Olca-Paruma
    Distance: 149 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 5'705 m ·Chile-Bolivia
  • Putana
    Distance: 228 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 5'884 m ·Last eruption: 1810 ·Chile
  • Sairecabur
    Distance: 235 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 5'961 m ·Chile-Bolivia
  • Licancabur
    Distance: 243 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 5'916 m ·Chile-Bolivia
  • Purico Complex
    Distance: 265 km ·Shield(pyroclastic) ·Elevation: 5'703 m ·Chile

Región de Antofagasta

Context for this earthquake

07 Sep 2025 – 07 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 2.0 · 1,604 Catalogue entries

Of 1,603 other entries for this area and period, 1,207 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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