A significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck under land 146 kilometer from Iquique in Chile in the morning of Friday October 9th, 2026. Other countries near the epicenter include Peru and Bolivia.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Chile, 146 kilometer (91 mi) east of Iquique in Tarapacá. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 124 km.
| Date and Time: | Oct 9, 2026 07:22 (Santiago Time) - Oct 9, 2026 10:22 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 146 km east of Iquique, Tarapacá, Chile. Coordinates 19°54'46"S 68°47'26"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 276 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.034 . |
| Depth: | 124 km (77 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Tsunami's are usually caused by MAG-6.5+ earthquakes, less than 100km shallow, and with an epicenter under sea. Neither of this seems to be the case. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
3 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Chile , Peru and Bolivia .
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Alto Hospicio in Tarapacá, Chile. Alto Hospicio is located 143 kilometer (89 mi) east of the epicenter.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Iquique is located 146 km to the west. Tacna is located 261 km to the northwest. Arica is located 225 km to the northwest.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 143 km (89 mi) W from epicenter |
Alto Hospicio Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 145 km (90 mi) W from epicenter |
Goméz Carreño Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 145 km (90 mi) W from epicenter |
Playa Brava Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 145 km (90 mi) W from epicenter |
Caupolicán Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 146 km (91 mi) W from epicenter |
Iquique Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 146 km (91 mi) W from epicenter |
La Tirana Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 146 km (91 mi) W from epicenter |
Cavancha Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 225 km (140 mi) NW from epicenter |
Arica Arica y Parinacota, Chile. |
| 261 km (162 mi) NW from epicenter |
Tacna Tacna, Peru. |
| 273 km (170 mi) NE from epicenter |
Huanuni Oruro, Bolivia. |
| 275 km (171 mi) NE from epicenter |
Oruro Oruro, Bolivia. |
| 283 km (176 mi) S from epicenter |
Calama Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 283 km (176 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tocopilla Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 285 km (177 mi) NE from epicenter |
Llallagua Potosí, Bolivia. |
Shaking reported by 9 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 9 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:
- Iquique, Tarapacá, Chile: 8 people.
- Arica, Tarapacá, Chile: 1 person.
5 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 5 smaller aftershocks. A 3.3 magnitude earthquake hit 18 hrs later 81 km (50 mi) northwest of this earthquake.
In the days before this main shock, 6 smaller foreshocks were detected. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 15 hrs earlier. It measured a magnitude of 2.9
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
3 days earlier Oct 6, 2026 14:38 (Santiago Time) | 94 km (58 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
1 day earlier Oct 7, 2026 20:43 (Santiago Time) | 59 km (36 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
21 hrs earlier Oct 8, 2026 09:56 (Santiago Time) | 91 km (57 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.9 |
15 hrs earlier Oct 8, 2026 16:49 (Santiago Time) | 48 km (30 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.6 |
14 hrs earlier Oct 8, 2026 17:42 (Santiago Time) | 73 km (45 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.6 |
6 hrs earlier Oct 9, 2026 01:42 (Santiago Time) | 83 km (52 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Oct 9, 2026 07:22 (Santiago Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 2.7 |
6 hrs later Oct 9, 2026 13:34 (Santiago Time) | 62 km (38 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
8 hrs later Oct 9, 2026 15:33 (Santiago Time) | 50 km (31 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.9 |
15 hrs later Oct 9, 2026 22:23 (Santiago Time) | 89 km (55 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.3 |
18 hrs later Oct 10, 2026 01:49 (Santiago Time) | 81 km (50 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
1 day later Oct 10, 2026 14:01 (Santiago Time) | 96 km (60 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this 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 May 25th, 2026, when a 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit 274 km (170 mi) further south. That was also the heaviest earthquake to hit the region in the past 10 years.
In total, 84 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 month.
Tsunami very unlikely
It is very unlikely that this eartquake will cause any tsunami's. The reported magnitude is lower than the MAG-6.5 strength required to cause any earthquakes. In addition, this earthquake was not very shallow and appears to have occurred under land. 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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 124 km (77 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 10/10/26 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 us6000u153
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20261009_0000144
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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