In the early afternoon of Friday September 18th, 2026, a significant M5.2 earthquake hit under land 33 kilometer from Santiago in Chile. The earthquake struck near a very densely populated region. Another country near the epicenter is Argentina.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Chile, 33 kilometer (21 mi) north-east of Santiago in Santiago Metropolitan. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 100 km.
| Date and Time: | Sep 18, 2026 13:52 (Santiago Time) - Sep 18, 2026 16:52 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 33 km NE of Santiago, Santiago Metropolitan, Chile. Coordinates 33°18'39"S 70°20'4"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 512 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.025 . |
| Depth: | 100 km (62 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| 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. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. Chile and Argentina are both within 300km distance of its epicenter.
Located 30 kilometer (19 mi) east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Chicureo Abajo (Santiago Metropolitan, Chile) is the nearest significant population center.
Major cities near this earthquake: Santiago is located 33 km to the southwest. Puente Alto is located 40 km to the southwest. Mendoza is located 148 km to the east.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 30 km (19 mi) W from epicenter |
Chicureo Abajo Santiago Metropolitan, Chile. |
| 33 km (21 mi) SW from epicenter |
Santiago Santiago Metropolitan, Chile. |
| 39 km (24 mi) SW from epicenter |
Lo Prado Santiago Metropolitan, Chile. |
| 40 km (25 mi) SW from epicenter |
Puente Alto Santiago Metropolitan, Chile. |
| 41 km (25 mi) SW from epicenter |
La Pintana Santiago Metropolitan, Chile. |
| 46 km (29 mi) SW from epicenter |
San Bernardo Santiago Metropolitan, Chile. |
| 50 km (31 mi) W from epicenter |
Lampa Santiago Metropolitan, Chile. |
| 58 km (36 mi) NW from epicenter |
Los Andes Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 60 km (37 mi) SW from epicenter |
Peñaflor Santiago Metropolitan, Chile. |
| 60 km (37 mi) SW from epicenter |
Buin Santiago Metropolitan, Chile. |
| 67 km (42 mi) SW from epicenter |
Paine Santiago Metropolitan, Chile. |
| 68 km (42 mi) SW from epicenter |
Talagante Santiago Metropolitan, Chile. |
| 72 km (45 mi) NW from epicenter |
San Felipe Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 73 km (45 mi) SW from epicenter |
El Monte Santiago Metropolitan, Chile. |
| 78 km (48 mi) NW from epicenter |
Llaillay Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 92 km (57 mi) SW from epicenter |
Graneros O'Higgins Region, Chile. |
| 92 km (57 mi) SW from epicenter |
Melipilla Santiago Metropolitan, Chile. |
| 93 km (58 mi) W from epicenter |
Limache Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 98 km (61 mi) NW from epicenter |
Quillota Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 101 km (63 mi) S from epicenter |
Machalí O'Higgins Region, Chile. |
| 101 km (63 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hacienda La Calera Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 101 km (63 mi) W from epicenter |
Villa Alemana Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 103 km (64 mi) S from epicenter |
Rancagua O'Higgins Region, Chile. |
| 107 km (66 mi) W from epicenter |
Quilpué Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 118 km (73 mi) W from epicenter |
Viña del Mar Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 121 km (75 mi) W from epicenter |
Cartagena Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 122 km (76 mi) W from epicenter |
San Antonio Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 124 km (77 mi) W from epicenter |
Valparaíso Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 127 km (79 mi) NW from epicenter |
La Ligua Valparaíso, Chile. |
| 131 km (81 mi) S from epicenter |
Rengo O'Higgins Region, Chile. |
| 143 km (89 mi) SW from epicenter |
San Vicente de Tagua Tagua O'Higgins Region, Chile. |
| 143 km (89 mi) SW from epicenter |
San Vicente O'Higgins Region, Chile. |
| 148 km (92 mi) E from epicenter |
Mendoza Mendoza, Argentina. |
| 169 km (105 mi) S from epicenter |
Chimbarongo O'Higgins Region, Chile. |
| 176 km (109 mi) E from epicenter |
San Martín Mendoza, Argentina. |
| 176 km (109 mi) SW from epicenter |
Santa Cruz O'Higgins Region, Chile. |
| 202 km (126 mi) NW from epicenter |
Illapel Coquimbo Region, Chile. |
| 204 km (127 mi) SW from epicenter |
Curicó Maule Region, Chile. |
| 219 km (136 mi) SW from epicenter |
Molina Maule Region, Chile. |
| 235 km (146 mi) SE from epicenter |
San Rafael Mendoza, Argentina. |
| 244 km (152 mi) NE from epicenter |
Pocito San Juan, Argentina. |
| 260 km (162 mi) NE from epicenter |
San Juan San Juan, Argentina. |
| 262 km (163 mi) NE from epicenter |
Santa Lucía San Juan, Argentina. |
| 263 km (163 mi) NE from epicenter |
Villa Paula de Sarmiento San Juan, Argentina. |
| 264 km (164 mi) NE from epicenter |
Chimbas San Juan, Argentina. |
| 265 km (165 mi) SW from epicenter |
Talca Maule Region, Chile. |
| 267 km (166 mi) NE from epicenter |
Caucete San Juan, Argentina. |
| 269 km (167 mi) NE from epicenter |
Albardón San Juan, Argentina. |
| 284 km (176 mi) SW from epicenter |
San Javier Maule Region, Chile. |
| 295 km (183 mi) SW from epicenter |
Constitución Maule Region, Chile. |
Shaking reported by 32 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 32 people have reported shaking in 5 places, all within 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:
- Santiago, Metropolitana, Chile: 25 people.
- San Bernardo, Metropolitana, Chile: 3 people.
- Puente Alto, Metropolitana, Chile: 2 people.
- Quilpué, Valparaíso, Chile: 1 person.
- Calera, Valparaíso, Chile: 1 person.
Aftershocks detected
In the days before this main shock, 1 smaller foreshock was detected. Roughly 1 day before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-2.5 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
1 day earlier Sep 17, 2026 13:17 (Santiago Time) | 70 km (43 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
Sep 18, 2026 13:52 (Santiago Time) | - |
More earthquakes coming?
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
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 May 31st, 2026, when a 6 magnitude earthquake hit 155 km (96 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck on April 24th, 2017.
In total, 47 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 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 3 months.
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
| 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 | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 100 km (62 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 19/09/26 09:08 (). 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 us7000tid4
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260918_0000258
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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