EMSC · August 20, 2026

Magnitude 3.6 earthquake — 36 km SE of Papudo, Chile

A magnitude 3.6 earthquake was recorded near 36 km SE of Papudo, Chile on Aug 20, 2026, 09:15 PM (local time at the epicentre — UTC-4), at a depth of about 28.7 km, according to EMSC.

EMSCShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-08-26 01:45 UTC

The full record

Magnitude: M 3.6 · local (Richter) magnitude
Location: 36 km SE of Papudo, Chile
Local time at the epicentre: Aug 20, 2026, 09:15 PM — UTC-4
Time (UTC): 2026-08-21 01:15 UTC
Depth: 28.7 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates: -32.250, -71.680
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

Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.

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

Who lives nearby

About 0 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 1,392,861 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

Place	Distance	Population
Papudo	36.3 km SE	4,015
Los Vilos	41.1 km NNE	18,275
La Ligua	47.8 km ESE	32,131
Puchuncaví	58.4 km SSE	5,353
Cabildo	60.6 km ESE	19,315
Quintero	61.2 km SSE	22,174
Loncura	62.0 km SSE	6,174
Nogales	66.7 km SE	8,547
Petorca	70.1 km E	2,548
Hacienda La Calera	73.5 km SE	49,106

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

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

Be first to know about the next earthquake near 36 km SE of Papudo, Chile

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 36 km SE of Papudo, Chile earthquake?

Magnitude 3.6 (local (Richter) magnitude), at a depth of 28.7 km. Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.

Exactly when did it happen?

Aug 20, 2026, 09:15 PM (local time at the epicentre — UTC-4). In universal time: 2026-08-21 01:15 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 Papudo, 36.3 km SE (population 4,015).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

29 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.