Light magnitude 3.9 earthquake at 124 km depth17 Jan 21:58 UTC: First to report: EMSC after 3 minutes.17 Jan 22:00: Now using data updates from CSNI didn't feel itI felt this quakeEarthquake detailsDate & timeJan 17, 2026 21:55:29 UTC - Local time at epicenterSaturday, Jan 17, 2026, at 09:55 pm (Universal Time GMT +0)StatusconfirmedMagnitude3.9Depth124 kmEpicenter latitude / longitude26.545°S / 70.08°WChanaral, Region de Atacama, ChileSeismic antipode26.545°N / 109.92°EChinaShaking intensityII Very weak shakingFelt0 reportsPrimary data sourceCSN (National Seismological Center (Centro Sismológico Nacional))Nearest volcanoCopiapo (126 km / 78 mi)Weather at epicenter at time of quakeClear Sky 25.8°C (78 F), humidity: 33%, wind: 5 m/s (10 kts) from WNWEstimated seismic energy released4.5 x 1010 joules (12.4 megawatt hours, equivalent to 10.7 tons of TNT) | equivalent to ONE quake of magnitude 3.9 | about seismic energy6 minutes agoJan 17, 2026 21:55 GMT / Jan 17, 2026 09:55 pm (Universal Time)Lat / Lng: -26.545 / -70.08: Chile: 17 km Al S De Diego De AlmagroSource: CSNOther sources: EMSC: 3.9 / 124 kmDetail info | You felt it? - Report it!';storedMarkers.push(['quake-22625993',-26.54500,-70.08000,'6 minutes ago: Mag. 3.9, Chile: 17 km Al S De Diego De Almagro',html,'quakes-5-24.png',18,18,9,9,124]); function mkRep(id,notFelt){var nFelt=notFelt||false;var src="https://www.volcanoesandearthquakes.com/app/earthquake-report.php?quakeId="+id;if(nFelt==true){src+="¬Felt=true";}window.open(src,"","status=0,toolbar=0,location=0,directories=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,height=400,width=350");} function locationHashChanged(e){-1!=e.oldURL.indexOf("#popupMap")&&closePopup()} window.onhashchange = locationHashChanged; function comment(e){var t=e.parentNode,a=(t.dataset.id,document.getElementById("commentForm"));"none"==a.style.display?(t.appendChild(a),a.style.display="block"):a.style.display="none"}function sendComment(e){var t=e.parentNode,a=t.parentNode.dataset.id,n=document.getElementById("commentContent"),p=n.value.trim();if(p){var o="id="+a+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId;o+="&comment="+decodeURIComponent(p),mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",o,function(e){e.responseText;alert("Thank you for submitting your comment!"),t.style.display="none",n.value=""})}}function flagReport(e){var t=e.parentNode.dataset.id;if(confirm("Report this as inappropriate?")){var a="id="+t+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId+"&flagAsInappropriate=1";mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",a,function(t){var a=t.responseText;alert(a),e.style.display="none"})}}function likeReport(e){var t="id="+e.parentNode.dataset.id+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId+"&like=1";mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",t,function(t){t.responseText;e.style.opacity=.5})}]]>[smaller] [bigger]Most recent quakes Top 20 past 24 hrs Quakes in ChileNearby placesThe closest larger town where the quake might have been felt is Diego de Almagro, a town with 14,000 inhabitants in Chile, in 17.6 km (11 mi) distance north of the epicenter. People likely experienced very weak shaking there. In the capital of Chile, Santiago, 771 km (479 mi) away from the epicenter, the earthquake could not be felt.The following table shows some of the places that might have been affected (or not) by the shaking.DistancePlaceMax. shaking intensity(*)RegionCountry18 km (11 mi)N of epicenterDiego de Almagro(pop: 13,900)II: Very weakChanaral, Region de AtacamaChile94 km (58 mi)SW of epicenterCaldera(pop: 16,200)II: Very weakCopiapo, Region de AtacamaChile95 km (59 mi)S of epicenterCopiapo(pop: 129,300)II: Very weakCopiapo, Region de AtacamaChile104 km (65 mi)S of epicenterTierra Amarilla(pop: 12,900)I: Not feltCopiapo, Region de AtacamaChile133 km (83 mi)N of epicenterTaltal(pop: 10,000)I: Not feltProvincia de Antofagasta, Region de AntofagastaChile236 km (146 mi)S of epicenterVallenar(pop: 44,900)I: Not feltHuasco, Region de AtacamaChile240 km (149 mi)SW of epicenterFreirina(pop: 6,040)I: Not feltHuasco, Region de AtacamaChile242 km (150 mi)SW of epicenterHuasco(pop: 8,980)I: Not feltRegion de AtacamaChile249 km (155 mi)S of epicenterAlto del Carmen(pop: 5,030)I: Not feltHuasco, Region de AtacamaChile272 km (169 mi)E of epicenterAntofagasta de la Sierra(pop: 500)I: Not feltCatamarca ProvinceArgentina274 km (170 mi)SE of epicenterFiambala(pop: 8,060)I: Not feltDepartamento de Tinogasta, Catamarca ProvinceArgentina301 km (187 mi)SE of epicenterTinogasta(pop: 14,500)I: Not feltCatamarca ProvinceArgentina308 km (191 mi)SE of epicenterVinchina(pop: 2,830)I: Not feltLa Rioja ProvinceArgentina771 km (479 mi)S of epicenterSantiago(pop: 4,837,300): Not feltSantiago MetropolitanChileNotes:(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.User-reports for this quakeThere are no user reports for this quake yet.If you felt it, be the first to report it!Compare Quake DataData for the same earthquake as reported by different agenciesThe more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.MagDepthTime GMT2026-01-17EpicenterAgency3.9124 km77 mi21:55:2917 km al S de Diego de AlmagroCSN (National Seismological Center (Centro Sismológico Nacional))3.9124 km77 mi21:55:29ATACAMA, CHILE0.6 km (0.3 mi) epicenter difference with CSNEMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)Earthquake statisticsAverage number of earthquakesBased on data from the past 56 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 74 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):Mag. 7 or higher: 0.02 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 41.7 years)Mag. 6 or higher: 0.13 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 7.5 years)Mag. 5 or higher: 1.34 quakes per yearMag. 4 or higher: 8.1 quakes per yearMag. 3 or higher: 41 quakes per year (or 3.4 quakes per month)Mag. 2 or higher: 75 quakes per year (or 6.3 quakes per month)The area where this quake occurred has a very high level of seismic activity. It has had at least 3 quakes above magnitude 7 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 40 to 45 years.Number of quakes per yearPrevious quakes in the same area of this earthquakeThe earthquake occurred 2 weeks after a magnitude 4.1 earthquake had hit on Friday, Jan 2, 2026, at 04:30 pm local time (America/Santiago GMT -3) in 4.8 km (3 mi) distance to the southwest:Mag. 4.1 earthquake Chanaral - Region de Atacama, Chile - Jan 2, 2026 - The largest quake near the epicenter of this quake during the 10 years before was an event of magnitude 6.4. It had occurred 32 weeks earlier, on Friday, Jun 6, 2025, at 02:15 pm local time (America/Santiago GMT -3) in Region de Atacama, Chile:Mag. 6.4 earthquake 58 km north of Copiapo - Region de Atacama, Chile - Jun 6, 2025 - The strongest-ever (since 1900) recorded quake in this area measured magnitude 8.5. It had occurred 103 years ago earlier, on Saturday, Nov 11, 1922, at 04:32 am local time (Universal Time GMT +0) in Region de Atacama, Chile:Mag. 8.5 earthquake Copiapo - Region de Atacama, Chile - Nov 11, 1922 - Below is a list and map of larger or recent quakes that had occurred near the epicenter before this earthquake (within up to 100 km/61 mi distance, up to 300 km/183 mi for very large quakes above mag. 7). Filter and sort the list by magnitude or time.Max results102050100AllMagnitudeAll2+3+4+5+6+7+8+Time before48 hours1 week30 days1 year5 years30 yearsAny ageDate and TimeMagDepthDistanceLocationDetailsMapJan 4, 11:26 pm (GMT -3)3.050 km91 km (57 mi) to the SW 33 km northwest of Copiapo, Copiapo, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoJan 4, 07:53 am (GMT -3)3.374 km65 km (41 mi) to the N 49 km Al NE De ChañaralInfoJan 2, 04:30 pm (Santiago)4.168 km4.8 km (3 mi) to the SWChanaral, 92 km north of Copiapo, Copiapo, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoDec 28, 2025 10:57 pm (Santiago)3.133 km52 km (33 mi) to the W 41 km Al S De ChañaralInfoDec 25, 2025 03:24 pm (Santiago)3.997 km83 km (51 mi) to the S 28 km east of Copiapo, Copiapo, Region de Atacama, Chile 2 reportsInfoDec 12, 2025 04:11 am (Santiago)3.943 km76 km (47 mi) to the NWSouth Pacific Ocean, 133 km north of Copiapo, Copiapo, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoOct 15, 2025 10:37 am (Santiago)4.272 km59 km (37 mi) to the S 39 km Al NE De Copiapó 3 reportsInfoJul 21, 2025 07:20 pm (Santiago)4.6109 km97 km (60 mi) to the NE 41 km Al E De El SalvadorInfoJun 6, 2025 02:15 pm (Santiago)6.466 km37 km (23 mi) to the S 58 km north of Copiapo, Copiapo, Region de Atacama, Chile 28 reportsInfoJun 5, 2019 12:19 pm (Santiago)5.276 km96 km (60 mi) to the S 22 km east of Copiapo, Copiapo, Region de Atacama, Chile 1 reportInfoJan 30, 2019 03:44 am (Santiago)5.550 km79 km (49 mi) to the NWProvincia de Antofagasta, Region de Antofagasta, 68 km northwest of Diego de Almagro, Chanaral, Region de Atacama, Chile 4 reportsInfoJul 25, 2016 01:26 pm (Santiago)6.052 km54 km (33 mi) to the NW 42 km northwest of Diego de Almagro, Chanaral, Region de Atacama, Chile 8 reportsInfoApr 16, 2016 03:05 am (Santiago)5.254 km19 km (12 mi) to the NE 14 km southeast of Diego de Almagro, Chanaral, Region de Atacama, Chile 3 reportsInfoMay 12, 2013 08:59 am (Santiago)5.410 km77 km (48 mi) to the NE 66 km northeast of Diego de Almagro, Chanaral, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoMay 17, 2009 08:35 am (Santiago)5.294 km88 km (55 mi) to the SE 70 km east of Copiapo, Copiapo, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoOct 2, 2007 11:38 am (Santiago)5.229 km92 km (57 mi) to the NW 49 km S of Taltal, ChileInfoNov 6, 2006 10:51 am (Santiago)5.264 km42 km (26 mi) to the W 52 km southwest of Diego de Almagro, Chanaral, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoMay 8, 2000 08:45 pm (Santiago)5.257 km67 km (41 mi) to the N 49 km north of Diego de Almagro, Chanaral, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoJan 30, 1998 08:16 am (Santiago)7.142 km293 km (182 mi) to the N Antofagasta, ChileInfoMar 18, 1993 09:48 pm (Santiago)6.029 km91 km (56 mi) to the WSouth Pacific Ocean, 94 km northwest of Copiapo, Copiapo, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoMar 15, 1993 12:08 pm (Santiago)6.729 km85 km (53 mi) to the WSouth Pacific Ocean, 94 km northwest of Copiapo, Copiapo, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoJun 21, 1992 06:52 am (Santiago)5.839 km58 km (36 mi) to the W 62 km west of Diego de Almagro, Chanaral, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoAug 17, 1988 07:34 am (Santiago)6.139 km100 km (62 mi) to the SW 73 km WNW of Copiap?, ChileInfoFeb 5, 1988 10:01 am (Santiago)7.237 km202 km (126 mi) to the N Antofagasta, ChileInfoJan 19, 1988 03:30 am (Santiago)7.033 km210 km (130 mi) to the N Antofagasta, ChileInfoMar 5, 1987 06:55 am (Santiago)7.035 km236 km (147 mi) to the N 98 km SSW of Antofagasta, ChileInfoMar 5, 1987 05:17 am (Santiago)7.662 km240 km (149 mi) to the N 84 km SSE of Antofagasta, ChileInfoOct 9, 1983 07:25 am (Santiago)6.716 km63 km (39 mi) to the NW 55 km northwest of Diego de Almagro, Chanaral, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoOct 4, 1983 02:52 pm (Santiago)7.415 km48 km (30 mi) to the WChanaral, 95 km north of Copiapo, Copiapo, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoAug 3, 1978 02:11 pm (Santiago)6.358 km46 km (29 mi) to the WChanaral, 97 km north of Copiapo, Copiapo, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoAug 7, 1973 10:22 am (Santiago)6.314 km89 km (55 mi) to the W 83 km NW of Copiapó, ChileInfoAug 7, 1973 06:04 am (Santiago)5.934 km84 km (52 mi) to the W offshore Atacama, ChileInfoAug 6, 1973 11:41 pm (Santiago)6.125 km84 km (52 mi) to the W offshore Atacama, ChileInfoAug 4, 1969 05:50 pm (Santiago)5.526 km76 km (47 mi) to the WSouth Pacific Ocean, 78 km northwest of Copiapo, Copiapo, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoDec 28, 1966 04:18 am (Santiago)7.625 km126 km (78 mi) to the N 12 km southwest of Taltal, Provincia de Antofagasta, Region de Antofagasta, ChileInfoFeb 28, 1966 05:38 pm (Santiago)5.665 km67 km (42 mi) to the N Atacama, ChileInfoDec 2, 1960 05:10 am (Santiago)7.335 km203 km (126 mi) to the N 121 km south of Antofagasta, Provincia de Antofagasta, Region de Antofagasta, ChileInfoNov 17, 1955 02:53 am (Santiago)6.334 km17 km (10.7 mi) to the NW Atacama, ChileInfoAug 2, 1946 07:18 pm (Universal Time)6.839 km50 km (31 mi) to the W 52 km west of Diego de Almagro, Chanaral, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoDec 22, 1944 10:31 pm (Universal Time)6.445 km95 km (59 mi) to the N Antofagasta, ChileInfoApr 18, 1939 06:22 am (Universal Time)7.435 km109 km (68 mi) to the SW 56 km west of Copiapo, Copiapo, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoJul 13, 1936 11:12 am (Universal Time)7.535 km203 km (126 mi) to the N 121 km south of Antofagasta, Provincia de Antofagasta, Region de Antofagasta, ChileInfoJul 9, 1935 06:41 am (Universal Time)5.935 km80 km (50 mi) to the SW 58 km northwest of Copiapo, Copiapo, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoNov 11, 1922 04:32 am (Universal Time)8.570 km196 km (122 mi) to the SCopiapo, 94 km east of Vallenar, Huasco, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoJan 5, 1919 07:52 pm (Universal Time)6.435 km82 km (51 mi) to the NW 72 km WNW of Diego De Almagro, ChileInfoDec 4, 1918 11:47 am (Universal Time)8.040 km57 km (36 mi) to the W 61 km west of Diego de Almagro, Chanaral, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoJun 8, 1909 01:46 am (Santiago)7.60 km42 km (26 mi) to the WChanaral, 98 km north of Copiapo, Copiapo, Region de Atacama, ChileInfoDec 7, 1903 02:44 pm (Universal Time)6.80 km51 km (32 mi) to the S Near Coast of Northern ChileInfoMap of earlier quakes in the area of this quakeMax results102050100AllMagnitudeAll2+3+4+5+6+7+8+Time before48 hours1 week30 days1 year5 years30 yearsAny ageOldest quakes are shown in yellow, most recent in red.[quakes -][quakes +][smaller][bigger]