Chile earthquakes

M5.2 earthquake 80 km WNW of Illapel, Chile

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 80 km WNW of Illapel, Chile on Thu, Sep 17, 2015, 1:38 AM GMT-3 (04:38 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.

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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
5.2 (mb), moderate
Local time
UTC
2015-09-17 04:38:08 UTC
Depth
19.8 km (12.3 mi), shallow
Epicenter
31.259° S, 71.895° 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.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty
About 4.8 km horizontally, 3.9 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty
±0.06
Depth from
From location
Station coverage gap
77°
Stations used
122

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.2 and up: at least 202 in the 60 days after this one and 103 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of at least 202.

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us20003kh2. Read Thu, Sep 24, 2026, 1:17 PM UTC.