Under land 127 kilometer from Calama in Chile, a significant Magnitude 5.3 earthquake occurred in the night of Tuesday January 13th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Chile, 127 kilometer (79 mi) north of Calama in Antofagasta. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 118 km.
| Date and Time: | Jan 13, 2026 04:28 (Santiago Time) - Jan 13, 2026 07:28 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 127 km north of Calama, Antofagasta, Chile. Coordinates 21°18'40"S 68°56'55"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 25 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.062 . |
| Depth: | 118 km (73 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
This earthquake may have been felt in Chile . Calama in Antofagasta, Chile is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 127 kilometer (79 mi) north of Calama.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Iquique is located 175 km to the northwest. Calama is located 127 km to the south. Antofagasta is located 300 km to the south-southwest.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 127 km (79 mi) S from epicenter |
Calama Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 156 km (97 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tocopilla Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 167 km (104 mi) NW from epicenter |
Alto Hospicio Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 167 km (104 mi) NW from epicenter |
La Tirana Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 171 km (106 mi) NW from epicenter |
Playa Brava Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 172 km (107 mi) NW from epicenter |
Goméz Carreño Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 173 km (107 mi) NW from epicenter |
Caupolicán Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 173 km (107 mi) NW from epicenter |
Cavancha Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 175 km (109 mi) NW from epicenter |
Iquique Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 300 km (186 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Antofagasta Antofagasta, Chile. |
Shaking reported by 5 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 5 people have reported shaking in 2 places 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: 4 people.
- Calama, Antofagasta, Chile: 1 person.
16 Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 16 smaller aftershocks were detected. A 4 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days later 93 km (58 mi) south of this earthquake.
In the days before this main shock, 14 smaller foreshocks were detected. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 3 days earlier. It measured a magnitude of 4.4
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.4 |
3 days earlier Jan 10, 2026 10:05 (Santiago Time) | 43 km (27 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
3 days earlier Jan 10, 2026 12:17 (Santiago Time) | 49 km (30 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.8 |
2 days earlier Jan 10, 2026 18:40 (Santiago Time) | 57 km (36 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.8 |
2 days earlier Jan 10, 2026 19:53 (Santiago Time) | 55 km (34 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.2 |
2 days earlier Jan 11, 2026 04:30 (Santiago Time) | 11 km (7 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.3 |
2 days earlier Jan 11, 2026 05:10 (Santiago Time) | 37 km (23 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
2 days earlier Jan 11, 2026 12:40 (Santiago Time) | 63 km (39 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.6 |
1 day earlier Jan 11, 2026 23:09 (Santiago Time) | 60 km (37 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.8 |
18 hrs earlier Jan 12, 2026 10:03 (Santiago Time) | 33 km (21 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
18 hrs earlier Jan 12, 2026 10:45 (Santiago Time) | 59 km (36 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
12 hrs earlier Jan 12, 2026 16:16 (Santiago Time) | 53 km (33 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.5 |
5 hrs earlier Jan 12, 2026 23:14 (Santiago Time) | 31 km (20 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
4 hrs earlier Jan 13, 2026 00:50 (Santiago Time) | 36 km (22 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
1 hr earlier Jan 13, 2026 03:13 (Santiago Time) | 61 km (38 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
Jan 13, 2026 04:28 (Santiago Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.6 |
3 hrs later Jan 13, 2026 07:51 (Santiago Time) | 24 km (15 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
10 hrs later Jan 13, 2026 14:25 (Santiago Time) | 25 km (15 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
1 day later Jan 14, 2026 10:31 (Santiago Time) | 56 km (35 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.7 |
1 day later Jan 14, 2026 12:05 (Santiago Time) | 25 km (15 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
1 day later Jan 14, 2026 15:56 (Santiago Time) | 53 km (33 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.9 |
2 days later Jan 14, 2026 18:15 (Santiago Time) | 43 km (27 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
2 days later Jan 15, 2026 01:21 (Santiago Time) | 29 km (18 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
2 days later Jan 15, 2026 04:42 (Santiago Time) | 83 km (51 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.7 |
2 days later Jan 15, 2026 11:14 (Santiago Time) | 94 km (58 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.0 |
2 days later Jan 15, 2026 13:36 (Santiago Time) | 93 km (58 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.8 |
2 days later Jan 15, 2026 13:46 (Santiago Time) | 35 km (21 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
3 days later Jan 15, 2026 18:58 (Santiago Time) | 98 km (61 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
3 days later Jan 15, 2026 19:00 (Santiago Time) | 61 km (38 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
3 days later Jan 15, 2026 19:36 (Santiago Time) | 44 km (27 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.5 |
3 days later Jan 15, 2026 20:29 (Santiago Time) | 22 km (13 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
3 days later Jan 16, 2026 02:49 (Santiago Time) | 15 km (10 mi) ESE 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.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this 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 20th, 2025, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 159 km (99 mi) further north-northeast. An even stronger magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck on July 19th, 2024.
In total, 67 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 118 km (73 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 27/01/26 08:58 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000rpce
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260113_0000092
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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