M5.0 earthquake 71 km N of Vallenar, Chile
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 71 km N of Vallenar, Chile on Wed, Jan 20, 1988, 7:52 AM GMT-3 (10:52 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.
A larger quake followed: M5.1 133 km NW of Vallenar, Chile. This one was a foreshock.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.0 (mb, body-wave), moderate
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 1988-01-20 10:52:04 UTC
- Depth
- 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 27.940° S, 70.856° W
- Region
- Chile
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
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 2.0 and up: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 2 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 usp0003c7m. Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 4:13 PM UTC.