In the South Pacific Ocean 42 kilometer from Coquimbo, Chile, a significant MAG-5.1 earthquake occurred in the night of Thursday September 3rd, 2026. Argentina is also near its epicenter.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 40 kilometers (25 mi) off the coast of Chile, 42 kilometer northwest of Coquimbo in Coquimbo Region. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 55 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Sep 3, 2026 02:04 (Santiago Time) - Sep 3, 2026 06:04 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 42 km NW of Coquimbo, Coquimbo Region, Chile. Coordinates 29°44'5"S 71°41'52"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 19 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.071 . |
| Depth: | 55 km (34 mi) A quite 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
Chile and Argentina are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
Coquimbo in Coquimbo Region, Chile is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 42 kilometer (26 mi) northwest of Coquimbo.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Coquimbo is located 42 km to the south-east. La Serena is located 47 km to the south-east. Copiapó is located 295 km to the north-east.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 42 km (26 mi) SE from epicenter |
Coquimbo Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 47 km (29 mi) SE from epicenter |
La Serena Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 108 km (67 mi) SE from epicenter |
Ovalle Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 158 km (98 mi) NE from epicenter |
Vallenar Atacama, Chile. |
| 217 km (135 mi) S from epicenter |
Illapel Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 290 km (180 mi) E from epicenter |
San José de Jáchal San Juan, Argentina. |
| 295 km (183 mi) NE from epicenter |
Copiapó Atacama, 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:
- La Serena, Coquimbo, Chile: 4 people.
- Vicuña, Coquimbo, Chile: 1 person.
Aftershocks detected
Before this earthquake struck, 4 smaller foreshocks occurred. Roughly 2 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-4.6 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.9 |
2 days earlier Sep 1, 2026 02:32 (Santiago Time) | 40 km (25 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.1 |
2 days earlier Sep 1, 2026 03:04 (Santiago Time) | 39 km (24 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.6 |
2 days earlier Sep 1, 2026 08:15 (Santiago Time) | 38 km (23 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.2 |
2 days earlier Sep 1, 2026 09:16 (Santiago Time) | 38 km (24 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Sep 3, 2026 02:04 (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 216 km (134 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck on September 1st, 2020.
In total, 76 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 55 km (34 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 04/09/26 04:28 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000tduc
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260903_0000086
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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