In the late afternoon of Saturday December 20th, 2025, a significant Magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit under land 260 kilometer from Oruro in Bolivia. Chile is also near its epicenter.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Bolivia, 260 kilometer (162 mi) south-southwest of Oruro. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 157 km.
| Date and Time: | Dec 20, 2025 17:30 (Santiago Time) - Dec 20, 2025 20:30 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 216 km east of Iquique, Tarapacá, Chile. Coordinates 20°8'44"S 68°4'49"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 34 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.053 . |
| Depth: | 157 km (97 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Tsunami's are usually caused by MAG-6.5+ earthquakes, less than 100km shallow, and with an epicenter under sea. Neither of this seems to be the case. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
2 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Chile and Bolivia .
Located 212 kilometer (132 mi) east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Alto Hospicio (Tarapacá, Chile) is the nearest significant population center.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Iquique is located 216 km to the west. Oruro is located 260 km to the north-northeast. Arica is located 298 km to the northwest.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 212 km (132 mi) W from epicenter |
Alto Hospicio Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 214 km (133 mi) W from epicenter |
La Tirana Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 215 km (134 mi) W from epicenter |
Goméz Carreño Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 215 km (134 mi) W from epicenter |
Playa Brava Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 215 km (134 mi) W from epicenter |
Caupolicán Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 216 km (134 mi) W from epicenter |
Iquique Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 216 km (134 mi) W from epicenter |
Cavancha Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 244 km (152 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Huanuni Oruro, Bolivia. |
| 248 km (154 mi) NE from epicenter |
Llallagua Potosí, Bolivia. |
| 251 km (156 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Potosí Potosí, Bolivia. |
| 260 km (162 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Oruro Oruro, Bolivia. |
| 271 km (168 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Calama Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 285 km (177 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Tupiza Potosí, Bolivia. |
| 298 km (185 mi) NW from epicenter |
Arica Arica y Parinacota, Chile. |
Shaking reported by 1 person
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in Chile.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Iquique, Tarapacá, Chile: 1 person.
3 Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 3 smaller aftershocks were detected. Just 23 hrs after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-3.5 was detected 96 km (60 mi) west-northwest of this earthquake.
Before this earthquake struck, 2 smaller foreshocks occurred. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 2 days earlier. It measured a magnitude of 3.6
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.6 |
2 days earlier Dec 18, 2025 13:05 (Santiago Time) | 21 km (13 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.2 |
17 hrs earlier Dec 20, 2025 00:03 (Santiago Time) | 91 km (56 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
Dec 20, 2025 17:30 (Santiago Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
14 hrs later Dec 21, 2025 07:41 (Santiago Time) | 90 km (56 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
23 hrs later Dec 21, 2025 16:28 (Santiago Time) | 96 km (60 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
1 day later Dec 21, 2025 20:06 (Santiago Time) | 87 km (54 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since December 13th, 2025, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 157 km (97 mi) further southwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck on January 21st, 2018.
In total, 54 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 2 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
It is very unlikely that this eartquake will cause any tsunami's. The reported magnitude is lower than the MAG-6.5 strength required to cause any earthquakes. In addition, this earthquake was not very shallow and appears to have occurred under land. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 157 km (97 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 07/01/26 22:28 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000rw89
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20251220_0000294
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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