Chile earthquakes

M5.6 earthquake 81 km WNW of Puerto, Chile

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 81 km WNW of Puerto, Chile on Sat, May 17, 2014, 5:11 AM GMT-4 (09:11 UTC), 6 km (3 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.8 85 km WNW of Iquique, Chile. This one was a foreshock.

Iquique 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: 5.6 (mww), moderate
Local time: Sat, May 17, 2014, 5:11 AM GMT-4
UTC: 2014-05-17 09:11:05 UTC
Depth: 5.6 km (3.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 19.987° S, 70.897° W
Region: Chile
Strongest shaking: IV, light shaking
PAGER alert: Green
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Shaking

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

Strongest estimated: IV, light shaking
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.

Estimated impact

The USGS PAGER system estimates deaths and economic losses from the shaking and the population and buildings exposed to it.

Alert level: Green: little or no damage or loss of life expected

Fault motion and ground failure

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

Faulting: Reverse (thrust)
Moment magnitude: 5.6 Mww
Nodal plane 1: Strike 163°, dip 72°, rake 89°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 345°, dip 18°, rake 91°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Depth from: FROM_LOCATION
Station coverage gap: 51°
Stations used: 578

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.6 and up: 50 in the 60 days after this one and 77 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 usb000qsby (also filed as iscgem604633730). Read Thu, Sep 24, 2026, 2:06 PM UTC.