Chile earthquakes

M6.8 earthquake 22 km ESE of Cañete, Chile

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck 22 km ESE of Cañete, Chile on Sun, May 22, 1960, 6:32 AM GMT-4 (10:32 UTC), 25 km (16 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M7.8 38 km WNW of Traiguén, Chile. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 6.8 (mw), strong
Local time: Sun, May 22, 1960, 6:32 AM GMT-4
UTC: 1960-05-22 10:32:47 UTC
Depth: 25.0 km (15.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 37.860° S, 73.149° W
Region: Chile
Strongest shaking: VII, very 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: VII, very strong shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 30.9% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 2.9 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: ±0.40
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: 11 in the 60 days after this one and 5 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today Chile earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem879128 (also filed as atlas19600522103248). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 5:37 AM UTC.