On Monday Afternoon an Unusually powerful M6.9 Earthquake struck near Calama in Chile.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on May 25th, 2026. Last updated July 8th, 2026.

An unusually powerful MAG-6.9 earthquake struck under land 35 kilometer from Calama in Chile in the late afternoon of Monday May 25th, 2026. Roughly 720 thousand people may have felt this earthquake. Bolivia and Argentina are also near its epicenter.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Chile, 35 kilometer (22 mi) east of Calama in Antofagasta. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 109 km.

Date and Time:	May 25, 2026 17:52 (Santiago Time) - May 25, 2026 21:52 Universal Time.
Location:	35 km east of Calama, Antofagasta, Chile. Coordinates 22°22'0"S 68°36'5"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.9 Detected by 82 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.045 .
Depth:	109 km (68 mi) An intermediate depth.
Max. Intensity:	VII Very Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely While a very strong earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

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

At least 16 homes and seven buildings damaged, landslides blocked roads and power and water outages occurred in the Calama area.

Based on scientific estimates by the USGS, the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 720 thousand people exposed to shaking

The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 720 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is VI, which corresponds with strong shaking and probably light damage. Roughly 186,700 people are expected to be exposed to this level. Intensity level IV was experienced by the majority of people (around 510 thousand). In their region, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected.

People in 3 countries have been exposed to shaking. Roughly 670 thousand people were exposed to shaking in Chile , with level VI (strong shaking, probably light damage) as the highest recorded. Roughly 40 thousand people were exposed to shaking in Bolivia . People were exposed to shaking in Argentina as well.

Nearby towns and cities

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

Located 35 kilometer (22 mi) east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Calama (Antofagasta, Chile) is the nearest significant population center. Calama experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly VI. That level implies strong shaking and probably light damage.

Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Calama is located 35 km to the west and experienced an intensity of VI (strong shaking, probably light damage). Antofagasta is located 233 km to the southwest and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage). Salta is located 422 km to the south-east (intensity unknown, possibly low).

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 graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected 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 76 people in 2 countries

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 76 people have reported shaking in 12 places in 2 countries (Chile, Peru).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: 33 people.
• Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile: 16 people.
• Calama, Antofagasta, Chile: 13 people.
• Arica, Tarapacá, Chile: 3 people.
• Arequipa, Arequipa, Peru: 3 people.
• Tocopilla, Antofagasta, Chile: 2 people.
• Taltal, Antofagasta, Chile: 1 person.
• La Serena, Coquimbo, Chile: 1 person.
• Vicuña, Coquimbo, Chile: 1 person.
• Diego de Almagro, Atacama, Chile: 1 person.

82 Aftershocks detected

After this earthquake struck, 82 smaller aftershocks occurred. At a distance of 19 km (12 mi) northwest of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 1 day later. It measured a magnitude of 5.1

Before this earthquake struck, 15 smaller foreshocks occurred. Roughly 2 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-4.3 was detected nearby this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

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.

This is an unusually powerful earthquake

Earthquakes of this strength are not so common in the region, but it's not the first time. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since July 19th, 2024, when a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit 111 km (69 mi) further south-east. That was also the heaviest earthquake to hit the region in the past 10 years.

In total, 1 earthquake with a magnitude of 6.9 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 10 years.

Tsunami very unlikely

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

Tsunami Risk Factors

Sources

Last updated 08/07/26 03:28 (). 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.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000t04s
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260525_0000358
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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