Chile earthquakes

M6.5 earthquake 54 km WNW of Illapel, Chile

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck 54 km WNW of Illapel, Chile on Thu, Sep 17, 2015, 12:55 AM GMT-3 (03:55 UTC), 27 km (17 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.8 39 km SW 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: 6.5 (mww), strong
Local time: Thu, Sep 17, 2015, 12:55 AM GMT-3
UTC: 2015-09-17 03:55:15 UTC
Depth: 27.0 km (16.8 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 31.424° S, 71.688° W
Region: Chile
Felt reports: 12
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: 24.0% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 2.6 cm/s
Map: Automatic

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

Did you feel it?

12 people reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was VI, strong 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: 6.5 Mww
Nodal plane 1: Strike 157°, dip 56°, rake 79°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 356°, dip 35°, rake 106°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 2.2 km horizontally, 1.8 km in depth
Depth from: Operator assigned
Station coverage gap: 62°
Stations used: 155

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 3.5 and up: at least 201 in the 60 days after this one and 85 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of at least 201.

Before

Earthquakes today Chile earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us20003kfj (also filed as iscgem608098144, atlas20150917035515). Read Sat, Sep 26, 2026, 2:31 AM UTC.