Chile earthquakes

M7.2 earthquake 135 km W of Valparaíso, Chile

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck 135 km W of Valparaíso, Chile on Fri, Oct 16, 1981, 12:25 AM GMT-3 (03:25 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

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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: 7.2 (ms), major
Local time: Fri, Oct 16, 1981, 12:25 AM GMT-3
UTC: 1981-10-16 03:25:42 UTC
Depth: 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 33.134° S, 73.074° 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: 5.0% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 2.0 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.

Depth from: OPERATOR_ASSIGNED

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 6 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

After

Earthquakes today Chile earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001gg1 (also filed as gcmtc101681a, gcmt19811016032542, iscgem610009, atlas19811016032543). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 10:26 PM UTC.