Earthquakes in Chile
Chile is one of the most seismically active countries on Earth. Off its long Pacific coast the Nazca plate dives beneath the South American plate along the Peru–Chile Trench, converging at nearly 7 cm a year — one of the fastest subduction rates anywhere. The result is an almost continuous succession of earthquakes, from tiny daily tremors to some of the largest events ever measured.
It was here, near Valdivia in 1960, that instruments recorded the strongest earthquake in history at magnitude 9.5, unleashing a Pacific-wide tsunami. Great quakes have followed regularly since — the 2010 Maule M8.8 and the 2014 Iquique and 2015 Illapel events among them. Chile's strict building codes, forged by this relentless shaking, are a large part of why such powerful quakes cause fewer casualties than they might elsewhere.
The figures below are drawn live from the EarthquakeIndex archive for the area shown. No one can predict when the next earthquake will strike — but you can follow every event the moment EMSC records it.
Chile seismic activity at a glance
- 95,328 Earthquakes on record
- 14,346 In the last 12 months
- M8.8 Strongest ever 2010
- M2.7 Most recent 16 Oct 2026
Recent earthquakes in Chile
The last 30 days, newest first.
| Date | Magnitude | Depth | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| M2.7ml | 208 km | Antofagasta, Chile | |
| M2.6ml | 88 km | Maule, Chile | |
| M3.2ml | 209 km | Antofagasta, Chile | |
| M3.4m | 85 km | San Juan, Argentina | |
| M3.0ml | 128 km | Antofagasta, Chile | |
| M2.6ml | 92 km | Tarapaca, Chile | |
| M2.7ml | 85 km | Antofagasta, Chile | |
| M2.8ml | 56 km | Offshore Valparaiso, Chile | |
| M2.5ml | 43 km | Antofagasta, Chile | |
| M3.0ml | 30 km | Coquimbo, Chile | |
| M3.0m | 10 km | Salta, Argentina | |
| M2.6ml | 126 km | Antofagasta, Chile | |
| M2.7ml | 233 km | Potosi, Bolivia | |
| M3.0ml | 33 km | Offshore Valparaiso, Chile | |
| M2.9m | 99 km | San Juan, Argentina | |
| M2.7m | 115 km | San Juan, Argentina | |
| M3.7ml | 58 km | Antofagasta, Chile | |
| M2.9m | 122 km | La Rioja, Argentina | |
| M3.1ml | 208 km | Potosi, Bolivia | |
| M2.6m | 113 km | San Juan, Argentina |
Live data from the EarthquakeIndex archive · source EMSC.
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