A significant MAG-5.1 earthquake struck under land 27 kilometer from Calama in Chile in the morning of Wednesday November 11th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Chile, 27 kilometer (17 mi) west of Calama in Antofagasta. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 91 km.
| Date and Time: | Nov 11, 2026 08:36 (Santiago Time) - Nov 11, 2026 11:36 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 27 km west of Calama, Antofagasta, Chile. Coordinates 22°32'34"S 69°10'9"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 214 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.039 . |
| Depth: | 91 km (57 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 may have been felt in Chile . Calama in Antofagasta, Chile is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 27 kilometer (17 mi) west of Calama.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Calama is located 27 km to the east. Antofagasta is located 176 km to the southwest. Iquique is located 278 km to the north.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 27 km (17 mi) E from epicenter |
Calama Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 117 km (73 mi) NW from epicenter |
Tocopilla Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 176 km (109 mi) SW from epicenter |
Antofagasta Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 270 km (168 mi) N from epicenter |
La Tirana Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 271 km (168 mi) N from epicenter |
Alto Hospicio Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 274 km (170 mi) N from epicenter |
Playa Brava Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 275 km (171 mi) N from epicenter |
Goméz Carreño Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 276 km (171 mi) N from epicenter |
Cavancha Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 277 km (172 mi) N from epicenter |
Caupolicán Tarapacá, Chile. |
| 278 km (173 mi) N from epicenter |
Iquique Tarapacá, Chile. |
Aftershocks detected
In the days before this main shock, 12 smaller foreshocks were detected. Roughly 2 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-3.9 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.6 |
3 days earlier Nov 8, 2026 09:43 (Santiago Time) | 99 km (62 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
3 days earlier Nov 8, 2026 10:37 (Santiago Time) | 100 km (62 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
3 days earlier Nov 8, 2026 13:17 (Santiago Time) | 88 km (55 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.6 |
3 days earlier Nov 8, 2026 15:10 (Santiago Time) | 75 km (47 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.9 |
2 days earlier Nov 9, 2026 03:22 (Santiago Time) | 63 km (39 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.4 |
2 days earlier Nov 9, 2026 05:37 (Santiago Time) | 98 km (61 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.9 |
2 days earlier Nov 9, 2026 09:45 (Santiago Time) | 30 km (19 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.5 |
1 day earlier Nov 10, 2026 00:54 (Santiago Time) | 95 km (59 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.3 |
23 hrs earlier Nov 10, 2026 10:03 (Santiago Time) | 86 km (53 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.5 |
20 hrs earlier Nov 10, 2026 12:32 (Santiago Time) | 78 km (48 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.6 |
1 hr earlier Nov 11, 2026 07:07 (Santiago Time) | 59 km (37 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
1 hr earlier Nov 11, 2026 07:27 (Santiago Time) | 100 km (62 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Nov 11, 2026 08:36 (Santiago Time) | - |
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.
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 September 21st, 2026, when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 281 km (175 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck on July 19th, 2024.
In total, 95 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
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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 91 km (57 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 11/11/26 12:08 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000txis
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20261111_0000152
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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