A shallow and significant MAG-5.2 earthquake struck in the South Pacific Ocean 208 kilometer from Antofagasta, Chile in the morning of Monday September 21st, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 164 kilometers (102 mi) off the coast of Chile, 208 kilometer northwest of Antofagasta. 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: | Sep 21, 2026 08:48 (Santiago Time) - Sep 21, 2026 11:48 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 208 km NW of Antofagasta, Chile. Coordinates 22°21'51"S 71°52'4"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 205 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.04 . |
| 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
This earthquake may have been felt in Chile . Tocopilla in Antofagasta, Chile is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 175 kilometer (109 mi) west of Tocopilla.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Antofagasta is located 208 km to the south-east. Iquique is located 298 km to the north-east. Alto Hospicio is located 296 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 |
|---|---|
| 175 km (109 mi) E from epicenter |
Tocopilla Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 208 km (129 mi) SE from epicenter |
Antofagasta Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 293 km (182 mi) NE from epicenter |
La Tirana Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 296 km (184 mi) NE from epicenter |
Alto Hospicio Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 296 km (184 mi) NE from epicenter |
Playa Brava Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 297 km (185 mi) NE from epicenter |
Goméz Carreño Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 297 km (185 mi) NE from epicenter |
Cavancha Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 298 km (185 mi) NE from epicenter |
Iquique Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 298 km (185 mi) NE from epicenter |
Caupolicán Tarapacá, Chile. |
Shaking reported by 1 person
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place 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:
- Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile: 1 person.
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
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.
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.
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 November 10th, 2025, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 192 km (119 mi) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck on September 11th, 2020.
In total, 15 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 8 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 5.2. 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 21/09/26 22:58 (). 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 us7000tixc
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260921_0000190
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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