Chile earthquakes

M6.2 earthquake 17 km SE of Arauco, Chile

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck 17 km SE of Arauco, Chile on Sat, May 21, 1960, 9:00 AM GMT-4 (13:00 UTC), 25 km (16 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M7.1 26 km W of Angol, Chile. This one was a foreshock.

Arauco forecastMore in Chile

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
6.2 (mw), strong
Local time
UTC
1960-05-21 13:00:04 UTC
Depth
25.0 km (15.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
37.364° S, 73.194° W
Region
Chile
Strongest shaking
VI, strong shaking
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Shaking

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

Strongest estimated
VI, strong shaking
Peak ground acceleration
21.6% of gravity
Peak ground velocity
2.3 cm/s
Map
Automatic
USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter
Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Magnitude uncertainty
±0.47
Depth from
From location

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 12 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 5.830 km SE of Cañete, Chile · 24230 days ago · 25 km deep · 68 km away
  2. 7.126 km W of Angol, Chile · 24230 days ago · 25 km deep · 48 km away
  3. 6.822 km ESE of Cañete, Chile · 24230 days ago · 25 km deep · 55 km away
  4. 7.838 km WNW of Traiguén, Chile · 24229 days ago · 25 km deep · 79 km away
  5. 9.51960 Great Chilean Earthquake (Valdivia Earthquake) · 24229 days ago · 25 km deep · 89 km away
  6. 6.49 km N of Traiguén, Chile · 24229 days ago · 25 km deep · 99 km away
  7. 6.222 km ESE of Cañete, Chile · 24229 days ago · 25 km deep · 55 km away
  8. 6.010 km NNW of Angol, Chile · 24224 days ago · 25 km deep · 54 km away
  9. 6.317 km W of Mulchén, Chile · 24223 days ago · 25 km deep · 76 km away
  10. 5.915 km ENE of Cañete, Chile · 24223 days ago · 25 km deep · 43 km away
  11. 6.128 km WSW of Angol, Chile · 24220 days ago · 35 km deep · 61 km away
  12. 7.024 km WNW of Traiguén, Chile · 24201 days ago · 25 km deep · 91 km away

Before

  1. 8.14 km ESE of Cañete, Chile · 24231 days ago · 25 km deep · 53 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem879111. Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 2:37 AM UTC.