M5.5 earthquake 25 km WSW of Antofagasta, Chile
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck 25 km WSW of Antofagasta, Chile on Wed, Jan 7, 1981, 1:26 PM GMT-3 (16:26 UTC), 37 km (23 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.5 (mb), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1981-01-07 16:26:42 UTC
- Depth
- 37.0 km (23.0 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 23.754° S, 70.622° W
- Region
- Chile
- Strongest shaking
- IV, light 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
- IV, light shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 4.6% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 0.5 cm/s
- Map
- Automatic
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
- 69
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 0 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
None recorded.
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Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001bmu (also filed as gcmtb010781c, gcmt19810107162642, iscgem632399). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:23 PM UTC.