Chile earthquakes

M5.5 earthquake 92 km WSW of Illapel, Chile

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck 92 km WSW of Illapel, Chile on Thu, Sep 17, 2015, 2:44 AM GMT-3 (05:44 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.6 22 km WSW of Illapel, 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: 5.5 (mwr), moderate
Local time: Thu, Sep 17, 2015, 2:44 AM GMT-3
UTC: 2015-09-17 05:44:39 UTC
Depth: 10.0 km (6.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 31.801° S, 72.131° W
Region: Chile
Felt reports: 1
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
Map: Automatic

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

Did you feel it?

1 person reported to the USGS what they felt; the strongest reported shaking was III, weak 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: 5.5 Mwr
Nodal plane 1: Strike 30°, dip 37°, rake 118°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 176°, dip 58°, rake 71°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 5.2 km horizontally, 1.7 km in depth
Magnitude uncertainty: ±0.05
Depth from: Operator assigned
Station coverage gap: 40°
Stations used: 329

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: at least 199 in the 60 days after this one and 88 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 us20003khn (also filed as iscgem610637536). Read Fri, Sep 25, 2026, 6:12 PM UTC.