EMSC · October 10, 2026

Magnitude 3.1 earthquake near La Serena, Chile

A magnitude 3.1 earthquake was recorded near 10 km SSE of La Serena, Chile on Oct 10, 2026, 08:38 PM (local time at the epicentre — UTC-3), at a depth of about 54.5 km, according to EMSC.

EMSCShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-10-11 02:07 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 3.1 · local (Richter) magnitude
Location
10 km SSE of La Serena, Chile
Local time at the epicentre
Oct 10, 2026, 08:38 PM — UTC-3
Time (UTC)
2026-10-10 23:38 UTC
Depth
54.5 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates
-29.820, -71.290
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 315,838 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 440,381 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
La Serena10.3 km SSE154,521
Coquimbo15.6 km SSW161,317
La Higuera35.3 km NNE4,285
Andacollo50.1 km SSE11,093
Vicuña60.6 km ESE27,771
Paiguano78.0 km ESE4,256
Ovalle87.3 km S77,138

Earthquake history in this area

10 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5+ have been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in Chile.

Other earthquakes near this epicentre

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

Be first to know about the next earthquake near 10 km SSE of La Serena, Chile

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 10 km SSE of La Serena, Chile earthquake?

Magnitude 3.1 (local (Richter) magnitude), at a depth of 54.5 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?

Oct 10, 2026, 08:38 PM (local time at the epicentre — UTC-3). In universal time: 2026-10-10 23:38 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 La Serena, 10.3 km SSE (population 154,521).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 7.1 (36 km SW of Monte Patria, Chile, 1997), and 19 further events were recorded within 100 km 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), in Venezuela FUNVISIS and in Brazil the RSBR through the Centro de Sismologia da USP. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.