Chile earthquakes

M5.9 earthquake 113 km WNW of La Ligua, Chile

A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck 113 km WNW of La Ligua, Chile on Thu, Sep 17, 2015, 10:32 AM GMT-3 (13:32 UTC), 10 km (6 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.2 92 km NW of Valparaíso, Chile. This one was a foreshock.

Los Vilos 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: 5.9 (mww), moderate
Local time: Thu, Sep 17, 2015, 10:32 AM GMT-3
UTC: 2015-09-17 13:32:26 UTC
Depth: 10.0 km (6.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 32.143° S, 72.378° 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.

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: 5.9 Mww
Nodal plane 1: Strike 182°, dip 75°, rake 88°
Nodal plane 2: Strike 11°, dip 15°, rake 99°

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Location uncertainty: About 9.7 km horizontally, 1.8 km in depth
Depth from: Operator assigned
Station coverage gap: 102°
Stations used: 101

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 200 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.

After

The first 60 of 200.

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event us20003kl4 (also filed as gcmt20150917133226, iscgem607743707). Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.