Chile earthquakes

M7.0 earthquake 25 km WNW of Illapel, Chile

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck 25 km WNW of Illapel, Chile on Wed, Sep 16, 2015, 8:18 PM GMT-3 (23:18 UTC), 28 km (18 mi) below the surface.

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Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 7.0 (mww), major
Local time: Wed, Sep 16, 2015, 8:18 PM GMT-3
UTC: 2015-09-16 23:18:41 UTC
Depth: 28.4 km (17.7 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 31.562° S, 71.426° W
Region: Chile
Felt reports: 57
Strongest shaking: VII, very strong 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: VII, very strong shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 31.6% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 3.1 cm/s
Map: Automatic

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

Did you feel it?

57 people reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was VIII, severe 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: 7.0 Mww
Nodal plane 1: Strike 180°, dip 54°, rake 93°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 355°, dip 36°, rake 86°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 4.3 km horizontally, 3.0 km in depth
Depth from: From location
Station coverage gap: 13°
Stations used: 496

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 4.0 and up: at least 199 in the 60 days after this one and 6 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of at least 199.

Before

Earthquakes today Chile earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us20003k7w (also filed as gcmt20150916231841, iscgem610637518, atlas20150916231841). Read Sat, Sep 26, 2026, 1:58 PM UTC.