Chile earthquakes

M6.3 earthquake 86 km N of Antofagasta, Chile

A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck 86 km N of Antofagasta, Chile on Thu, Nov 15, 2007, 12:03 PM GMT-3 (15:03 UTC), 27 km (17 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.8 82 km NNE 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.

Open the live map with earthquakes

The earthquake

Magnitude: 6.3 (Mwc, centroid moment), strong
Magnitude from: USGS National Earthquake Information Center
Local time: Thu, Nov 15, 2007, 12:03 PM GMT-3
UTC: 2007-11-15 15:03:08 UTC
Depth: 27.0 km (16.8 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 22.867° S, 70.407° W
Region: Chile
Strongest shaking: VI, strong 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
6.3	Mwc, centroid moment	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Preferred · Reviewed
6.34	Mw, moment	ISC-GEM global catalog	Final · ±0.1
6.3	Mwc, centroid moment	Global CMT project	Preliminary
5.9	Me, energy	Choy, USGS energy magnitude	Reviewed

What happened

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

Felt (V) at Mejillones; (IV) at Antofagasta, Quillagua, Sierra Gorda and Tocopilla; (III) at Maria Elena, Ollague, Pozo Almonte and San Pedro de Atacama; (II) at Caldera, Copiapo, Iquique, Taltal and Tierra Amarilla.

From the USGS event page for usp000fsme. 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: VI, strong shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 19.9% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 2.2 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.

Fault motion and ground failure

How the rock slipped, from the moment tensor, and the USGS estimate of landslides and liquefaction.

Faulting: Reverse (thrust)
Nodal plane 1: Strike 5°, dip 21°, rake 106°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 168°, dip 70°, rake 84°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Depth from: OPERATOR_ASSIGNED
Station coverage gap: 45°
Stations used: 318

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 3.3 and up: 110 in the 60 days after this one and 25 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 110.

Before

Earthquakes today Chile earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp000fsme (also filed as choy20071115150308, gcmtc200711151503a, gcmt20071115150308, atlas20071115150308, iscgem13266835). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 4:08 AM UTC.