M4.9 earthquake 94 km S of Arica, Chile
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck 94 km S of Arica, Chile on Fri, Mar 18, 1988, 6:17 PM GMT-4 (22:17 UTC), 78 km (48 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.2 119 km NE of Iquique, Chile. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 4.9 (mb, body-wave), light
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 1988-03-18 22:17:55 UTC
- Depth
- 77.6 km (48.2 mi), intermediate-depth
- Epicenter
- 19.311° S, 70.127° W
- Region
- Chile
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
What happened
The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.
Felt (IV) at Arica and (II) at Iquique.
From the USGS event page for usp0003e35. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.
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
- FROM_LOCATION
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 1.9 and up: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 1 in the 30 days before it.
After
Before
Earthquakes todayChile earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0003e35. Read Sun, Oct 4, 2026, 2:40 PM UTC.