M5.1 earthquake 25 km SE of Arica, Chile
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 25 km SE of Arica, Chile on Tue, May 16, 1978, 4:05 PM GMT-4 (20:05 UTC), 55 km (34 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.1 (mb), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1978-05-16 20:05:35 UTC
- Depth
- 55.0 km (34.2 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 18.651° S, 70.145° W
- Region
- Chile
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Stations used
- 45
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.1 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
Before
Earthquakes todayChile earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0000ujw. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 7:56 AM UTC.