M5.8 earthquake 156 km NE of Iquique, Chile
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck 156 km NE of Iquique, Chile on Thu, Mar 26, 1981, 2:04 PM GMT-4 (18:04 UTC), 138 km (86 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.8 (mb), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1981-03-26 18:04:44 UTC
- Depth
- 138.0 km (85.7 mi), intermediate-depth
- Epicenter
- 19.370° S, 68.957° 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
- 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.
- Depth from
- CONSTRAINED_BY_DEPTH_PHASES
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.8 and up: 3 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 usp0001cwq (also filed as gcmtc032681b, gcmt19810326180444, atlas19810326180444, iscgem630454). Read Wed, Sep 30, 2026, 8:54 PM UTC.