On Thursday Morning a Strong M6.2 Earthquake struck near Ovalle in Chile.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on February 12th, 2026. Last updated April 13th, 2026.

Under land 28 kilometer from Ovalle in Chile, a strong Magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurred in the morning of Thursday February 12th, 2026. Roughly 0.9 million people may have felt this earthquake. Argentina is also near its epicenter.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Chile, 28 kilometer (17 mi) southwest of Ovalle in Coquimbo Region. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 46 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Feb 12, 2026 10:34 (Santiago Time) - Feb 12, 2026 13:34 Universal Time.
Location:	28 km SW of Ovalle, Coquimbo Region, Chile. Coordinates 30°46'53"S 71°24'9"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.2 Detected by 31 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.056 .
Depth:	46 km (29 mi) A quite shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VI Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

The US Geographic Survey (USGS) describes the impact of this earthquake as follows:

One home damaged at Punitaqui. Rockfalls blocked roads near Almendral.

Based on scientific estimates by the USGS, the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 68% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 98% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.

Roughly 0.9 million people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 0.9 million people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is VI, which corresponds with strong shaking and probably light damage. Roughly 4,300 people are expected to be exposed to this level. Intensity level IV was experienced by the majority of people (around 640 thousand). In their region, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Chile , around 0.9 million people, with impact levels up to VI (strong shaking, probably light damage). Shaking was experienced by inhabitants of Argentina too.

Nearby towns and cities

2 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Chile and Argentina .

Located 28 kilometer (17 mi) southwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Ovalle (Coquimbo Region, Chile) is the nearest significant population center. Ovalle experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly V. That level implies moderate shaking and very light damage.

Major cities near this earthquake: Santiago is located 306 km to the south (intensity unknown, possibly low). Mendoza is located 338 km to the south-east (intensity unknown, possibly low). Coquimbo is located 92 km to the north and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage).

The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is VI.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 123 people in 2 countries

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 123 people have reported shaking in 26 places in 2 countries (Chile, Argentina).We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Santiago, Metropolitana, Chile: 54 people.
• La Serena, Coquimbo, Chile: 12 people.
• Mendoza, Mendoza, Argentina: 11 people.
• Coquimbo, Coquimbo, Chile: 10 people.
• Illapel, Coquimbo, Chile: 4 people.
• San Juan, San Juan, Argentina: 3 people.
• San Bernardo, Metropolitana, Chile: 3 people.
• Viña del Mar, Valparaíso, Chile: 2 people.
• Vicuña, Coquimbo, Chile: 2 people.
• Calera, Valparaíso, Chile: 2 people.

13 Aftershocks detected

This main shock was followed by 13 smaller aftershocks. A 4.3 magnitude earthquake hit 11 hrs later 8 km (5 mi) northwest of this earthquake.

This main shock was prefaced by 3 smaller foreshocks. Roughly 3 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-3.9 was detected nearby this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.

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.

Earthquakes like this are common in the region

Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since October 31st, 2023, when a 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit 227 km (141 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on April 24th, 2017.

In total, 8 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.2 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 year.

Tsunami very unlikely

While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Sources

Last updated 13/04/26 06:28 (). 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.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000s8gw
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260212_0000155
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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