Chile earthquakes

M5.8 earthquake 30 km NW of Antofagasta, Chile

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck 30 km NW of Antofagasta, Chile on Wed, Aug 2, 1995, 12:27 PM GMT-4 (16:27 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.4 68 km NNW of Antofagasta, Chile. This one was a foreshock.

Antofagasta forecast More in Chile

Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 5.8 (Mw, moment), moderate
Magnitude from: USGS National Earthquake Information Center
Local time: Wed, Aug 2, 1995, 12:27 PM GMT-4
UTC: 1995-08-02 16:27:32 UTC
Depth: 33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 23.432° S, 70.571° W
Region: Chile
Strongest shaking: V, moderate shaking
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Magnitude estimates

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
5.8	Mw, moment	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Preferred · Reviewed
5.73	Mw, moment	ISC-GEM global catalog	Final · ±0.1
5.7	Mwc, centroid moment	Global CMT project	Preliminary

What happened

The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.

CENTROID, MOMENT TENSOR (HRV) Data Used: GSN L.P.B.: 63S,117C Centroid Location: Origin Time 16:27:37.3 0.1 Lat 23.28S 0.02 Lon 70.99W 0.02 Dep 15.0 FIX Half-duration 1.6 Moment Tensor; Scale 10**17 Nm Mrr=2.02 0.05 Mtt=0.24 0.06 Mff=-2.26 0.06 Mrt=0.92 0.13 Mrf=-4.20 0.13 Mtf=-0.89 0.05 Principal Axes: (T) Val=4.93 Plg=55 Azm=63 (N) Val=-0.07 Plg=14 Azm=175 (P) Val=-4.86 Plg=31 Azm=274 Best Double Couple:Mo=4.9*10**17 NP1:Strike=42 Dip=19 Slip=139 NP2:Strike=172 Dip=78 Slip=75

From the USGS event page for usp00071bt. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.

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: 10.8% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 1.6 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 2.8 and up: 46 in the 60 days after this one and 86 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today Chile earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00071bt (also filed as gcmtb080295c, gcmt19950802162732, iscgem87058). Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 5:13 PM UTC.