A shallow and significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck in the South Pacific Ocean 89 kilometer from Ilo, Peru in the night of Friday May 29th, 2026. Another nearby country is Chile.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 72 kilometers (45 mi) off the coast of Peru, 89 kilometer south of Ilo in Moquegua. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | May 29, 2026 00:32 (Lima Time) - May 29, 2026 05:32 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 89 km south of Ilo, Moquegua, Peru. Coordinates 18°26'5"S 71°23'21"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 342 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.031 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
Peru and Chile are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
Ilo in Moquegua, Peru is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 89 kilometer (55 mi) south of Ilo.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Arequipa is located 227 km to the north. Tacna is located 129 km to the east. Arica is located 115 km to the east.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 89 km (55 mi) N from epicenter |
Ilo Moquegua, Peru. |
| 115 km (71 mi) E from epicenter |
Arica Arica y Parinacota, Chile. |
| 129 km (80 mi) E from epicenter |
Tacna Tacna, Peru. |
| 144 km (89 mi) N from epicenter |
San Antonio Moquegua, Peru. |
| 146 km (91 mi) N from epicenter |
Moquegua Moquegua, Peru. |
| 170 km (106 mi) NW from epicenter |
Mollendo Arequipa, Peru. |
| 222 km (138 mi) N from epicenter |
Jacobo Hunter Arequipa, Peru. |
| 223 km (139 mi) N from epicenter |
Ciudad Satelite Arequipa, Peru. |
| 227 km (141 mi) N from epicenter |
Arequipa Arequipa, Peru. |
| 230 km (143 mi) N from epicenter |
Selva Alegre Arequipa, Peru. |
| 236 km (147 mi) N from epicenter |
Cono Norte Arequipa, Peru. |
| 237 km (147 mi) SE from epicenter |
Iquique Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 239 km (149 mi) SE from epicenter |
Caupolicán Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 239 km (149 mi) SE from epicenter |
Cavancha Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 240 km (149 mi) SE from epicenter |
Goméz Carreño Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 241 km (150 mi) SE from epicenter |
Playa Brava Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 244 km (152 mi) SE from epicenter |
Alto Hospicio Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 245 km (152 mi) SE from epicenter |
La Tirana Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 245 km (152 mi) NW from epicenter |
Camaná Arequipa, Peru. |
| 246 km (153 mi) N from epicenter |
El Pedregal Arequipa, Peru. |
5 Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 5 smaller aftershocks occurred. A 4.4 magnitude earthquake hit 23 hrs later 46 km (29 mi) northwest of this earthquake.
This main shock was prefaced by 2 smaller foreshocks. A 4.4 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.4 |
2 days earlier May 27, 2026 06:14 (Lima Time) | 71 km (44 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
10 hrs earlier May 28, 2026 14:46 (Lima Time) | 16 km (10 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
May 29, 2026 00:32 (Lima Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 2.8 |
32 mins later May 29, 2026 01:05 (Lima Time) | 15 km (9 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
3 hrs later May 29, 2026 03:52 (Lima Time) | 22 km (14 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
8 hrs later May 29, 2026 08:16 (Lima Time) | 84 km (52 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
23 hrs later May 29, 2026 23:09 (Lima Time) | 46 km (29 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
2 days later May 30, 2026 17:48 (Lima Time) | 16 km (10 mi) E from Main Shock. |
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.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
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 September 25th, 2025, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 251 km (156 mi) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck on January 21st, 2018.
In total, 51 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so 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 | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 19/06/26 01:38 (). 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 us7000sp7p
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260529_0000088
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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