M5.6 earthquake 88 km SSE of Antofagasta, Chile

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 88 km SSE of Antofagasta, Chile on Thu, Mar 5, 1987, 6:51 AM GMT-3 (09:51 UTC), 43 km (27 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M7.0 98 km SSW of Antofagasta, Chile. This one was a foreshock.

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.

Mag.	Scale	Computed by	Notes
5.6	mb, body-wave	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Preferred · Reviewed · 45 stations
5.71	Mw, moment	ISC-GEM global catalog	Final · ±0.36

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

Reviewed by a seismologist.

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

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.6 and up: 17 in the 60 days after this one and 2 in the 30 days before it.

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0003306 (also filed as iscgem471279). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 5:34 PM UTC.