Chile earthquakes

M5.0 earthquake 80 km NW of Illapel, Chile

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 80 km NW of Illapel, Chile on Mon, Oct 12, 2015, 12:31 AM GMT-3 (03:31 UTC), 20 km (12 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.8 39 km SW of Ovalle, Chile. This one was a foreshock.

Illapel forecastMore in Chile

Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude
5.0 (mwr), moderate
Local time
UTC
2015-10-12 03:31:32 UTC
Depth
19.6 km (12.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
31.187° S, 71.832° 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.

Did You Feel It? map: shaking reported by the public
Shaking reported by the public, by area. Map: USGS Did You Feel It?

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
4.6 Mwr
Nodal plane 1
Strike 169°, dip 65°, rake 75°
Nodal plane 2
Strike 21°, dip 29°, rake 119°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty
About 5.8 km horizontally, 3.0 km in depth
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
82°
Stations used
121

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.0 and up: 142 in the 60 days after this one and at least 200 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 142.

Before

Earthquakes todayChile earthquakesLive radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us10003mxb. Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 12:59 AM UTC.