Chile earthquakes

M6.1 earthquake 153 km NNE of Calama, Chile

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck 153 km NNE of Calama, Chile on Thu, Dec 11, 1980, 3:15 PM GMT-3 (18:15 UTC), 80 km (50 mi) below the surface.

Calama 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
6.1 (mb), strong
Local time
UTC
1980-12-11 18:15:03 UTC
Depth
80.0 km (49.7 mi), intermediate-depth
Epicenter
21.272° S, 68.153° W
Region
Chile
Strongest shaking
V, moderate 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
V, moderate shaking
Peak ground acceleration
7.0% of gravity
Peak ground velocity
1.1 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.

Stations used
195

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 3.1 and up: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

After

Earthquakes todayChile earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001b80 (also filed as gcmtc121180b, gcmt19801211181503, atlas19801211181508, iscgem633873). Read Mon, Sep 28, 2026, 2:18 AM UTC.