EMSC · August 19, 2026

Magnitude 3.4 earthquake — 20 km NNW of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

A magnitude 3.4 earthquake was recorded near 20 km NNW of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile on Aug 19, 2026, 10:14 PM (local time at the epicentre — UTC-4), at a depth of about 163.9 km, according to EMSC.

EMSCIntermediate (70–300 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-08-24 07:45 UTC

The full record

Magnitude: M 3.4 · local (Richter) magnitude
Location: 20 km NNW of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile
Local time at the epicentre: Aug 19, 2026, 10:14 PM — UTC-4
Time (UTC): 2026-08-20 02:14 UTC
Depth: 163.9 km · Intermediate (70–300 km)
Coordinates: -23.090, -68.160
Felt reports: No “Did You Feel It?” reports submitted
Tsunami: No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Review status: Reviewed by a seismologist
Catalog: EMSC (Centro Sismológico Euromediterráneo)

Open the official catalog record

Epicentre and nearby recent earthquakes

The highlighted circle is this earthquake. Smaller circles are other events recorded nearby in the last 30 days.

What the shaking was like

At this depth the energy spreads out before it reaches the surface, so shaking is usually weaker but felt over a wider area.

No intensity estimate was published for this event, which is usual for small earthquakes far from populated areas.

Who lives nearby

About 10,960 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 10,960 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

Place	Distance	Population
San Pedro de Atacama	20.3 km NNW	10,960

Earthquake history in this area

No earthquake of magnitude 4.5+ has been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in Chile.

Other earthquakes near this epicentre

30 other events within 100 km in the last 30 days.

Be first to know about the next earthquake near 20 km NNW of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 20 km NNW of San Pedro de Atacama, Chile earthquake?

Magnitude 3.4 (local (Richter) magnitude), at a depth of 163.9 km. At this depth the energy spreads out before it reaches the surface, so shaking is usually weaker but felt over a wider area.

Exactly when did it happen?

Aug 19, 2026, 10:14 PM (local time at the epicentre — UTC-4). In universal time: 2026-08-20 02:14 UTC.

Was it felt?

No “Did You Feel It?” reports were submitted for this event. Small earthquakes usually pass unnoticed except very close to the epicentre.

Was there a tsunami warning?

No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.

Which towns are closest to the epicentre?

The closest is San Pedro de Atacama, 20.3 km NNW (population 10,960).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

30 further events were recorded within 100 km of the epicentre in the last 30 days.

How do I get alerts for the next earthquake here?

Install the free SeismoWatch Android app, draw a box over this area, set a minimum magnitude, and turn alerts on.

About this page

Event data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and, in Venezuela, FUNVISIS. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.