In the South Pacific Ocean 70 kilometer from Coquimbo, Chile, a shallow and significant MAG-5.1 earthquake occurred in the early afternoon of Friday July 31st, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 63 kilometers (39 mi) off the coast of Chile, 70 kilometer west of Coquimbo in Coquimbo Region. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 21 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jul 31, 2026 13:47 (Santiago Time) - Jul 31, 2026 17:47 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 70 km west of Coquimbo, Coquimbo Region, Chile. Coordinates 29°53'41"S 72°3'40"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 9 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.103 . |
| Depth: | 21 km (13 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
This earthquake may have been felt in Chile . Coquimbo in Coquimbo Region, Chile is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 70 kilometer (43 mi) west of Coquimbo.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 70 km (43 mi) E from epicenter |
Coquimbo Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 78 km (48 mi) E from epicenter |
La Serena Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 114 km (71 mi) SE from epicenter |
Ovalle Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 194 km (121 mi) NE from epicenter |
Vallenar Atacama, Chile. |
| 211 km (131 mi) SE from epicenter |
Illapel Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 295 km (183 mi) S from epicenter |
La Ligua Valparaíso, Chile. |
Aftershocks detected
Before this earthquake struck, 4 smaller foreshocks occurred. Roughly 19 hrs before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-4.4 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.3 |
1 day earlier Jul 30, 2026 05:01 (Santiago Time) | 16 km (10 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
1 day earlier Jul 30, 2026 05:44 (Santiago Time) | 15 km (9 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
21 hrs earlier Jul 30, 2026 17:15 (Santiago Time) | 6 km (4 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.4 |
19 hrs earlier Jul 30, 2026 19:07 (Santiago Time) | 10 km (6 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Jul 31, 2026 13:47 (Santiago Time) | - |
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 June 11th, 2026, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 236 km (147 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck on September 1st, 2020.
In total, 74 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 21 km (13 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 31/07/26 20:38 (). 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 us6000th96
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260731_0000251
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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