Chile earthquakes

M5.5 earthquake 27 km NNW of Illapel, Chile

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck 27 km NNW of Illapel, Chile on Mon, Dec 7, 2015, 4:51 AM GMT-3 (07:51 UTC), 50 km (31 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.6 57 km WSW of Ovalle, Chile. This one was a foreshock.

Illapel 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: 5.5 (mwr), moderate
Local time: Mon, Dec 7, 2015, 4:51 AM GMT-3
UTC: 2015-12-07 07:51:11 UTC
Depth: 49.5 km (30.8 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 31.398° S, 71.262° W
Region: Chile
Felt reports: 11
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
Peak ground acceleration: 5.4% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 0.4 cm/s
Map: Automatic

USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter — Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

11 people reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was V, moderate shaking.

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: 5.1 Mwr
Nodal plane 1: Strike 174°, dip 70°, rake 85°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 8°, dip 21°, rake 103°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 5.2 km horizontally, 4.2 km in depth
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 57°
Stations used: 180

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 52 in the 60 days after this one and 37 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 us100044k5 (also filed as iscgem612127639). Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 5:17 AM UTC.