Moderate magnitude 4.8 earthquake at 42 km depth20 Aug 04:53 UTC: First to report: VolcanoDiscovery after 54 seconds.20 Aug 04:56: Now using data updates from EMSC20 Aug 04:56: Magnitude recalculated from 5.3 to 5.2.20 Aug 05:05: Magnitude recalculated from 5.2 to 4.8. Epicenter location corrected by 32 km (20 mi) towards E.Update Thu, 20 Aug 2026, 04:57Significant earthquake of magnitude 5.2 just reported 81 km south of Antofagasta, ChileAn earthquake of magnitude 5.2 occurred only 4 minutes ago 81 km south of Antofagasta, Chile, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) reported.The quake hit at a moderately shallow depth of 42. km beneath the epicenter near Antofagasta, Provincia de Antofagasta, Region de Antofagasta, Chile, after midnight on Thursday, August 20th, 2026, at 12:52 am local time. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake should not have caused any significant damage, but was probably felt by many people as light vibration in the area of the epicenter.Weak shaking might have been felt in Antofagasta (pop. 401,100) located 81 km from the epicenter, and Taltal (pop. 11,100) 115 km away.VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update magnitude and depth if these change and follow up if other significant news about the quake become available. If you're in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.If you were or still are in this area during the quake help others with your feedback and report it here.Download the Volcanoes & Earthquakes app and get one of the fastest seismic alerts online: Android | iOSI didn't feel itI felt this quakeEarthquake detailsDate & timeAug 20, 2026 04:52:53 UTC - Local time at epicenterThursday, Aug 20, 2026, at 12:52 am (GMT -4)StatusconfirmedMagnitude4.80Depth42 kmEpicenter latitude / longitude24.3545°S / 70.1718°WProvincia de Antofagasta, Region de Antofagasta, ChileSeismic antipode24.3545°N / 109.8282°EShaking intensityIV Light shaking near epicenterFelt8 reportsPrimary data sourceEMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)Nearest volcanoLa Negrillar (160 km / 99 mi)Weather at epicenter at time of quakeClear Sky 16.4°C (61 F), humidity: 63%, wind: 4 m/s (7 kts) from SSWEstimated seismic energy released1 x 1012 joules (278 megawatt hours, equivalent to 239 tons of TNT) | equivalent to ONE quake of magnitude 4.8 | about seismic energy15 minutes ago reported feltAug 20, 2026 04:52 GMT / Aug 20, 2026 12:52 am (GMT -4)Lat / Lng: -24.3545 / -70.1718: Antofagasta, ChileSource: EMSCOther sources: CSN: 5.1 / 43 km, GFZ: 4.8 / 46 km, 1 more...Detail info | Read user reports | You felt it? - Report it!';storedMarkers.push(['quake-23296362',-24.35450,-70.17180,'15 minutes ago: Mag. 4.8, Antofagasta, Chile',html,'quakes-6-24.png',25,25,12,12,125]); 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 Antofagasta, a city with more than 400,000 inhabitants in Chile, in 82 km (51 mi) distance north of the epicenter. People likely experienced weak shaking there.The following table shows some of the places that might have been affected (or not) by the shaking.DistancePlaceMax. shaking intensity(*)RegionCountry82 km (51 mi)N of epicenterAntofagasta(pop: 401,100)III: WeakRegion de AntofagastaChile118 km (74 mi)N of epicenterBaquedano(pop: 858)III: WeakProvincia de Antofagasta, Region de AntofagastaChile121 km (75 mi)S of epicenterTaltal(pop: 11,100)III: WeakProvincia de Antofagasta, Region de AntofagastaChile142 km (88 mi)N of epicenterMejillones(pop: 14,100)III: WeakProvincia de Antofagasta, Region de AntofagastaChile184 km (115 mi)NE of epicenterSierra Gorda(pop: 1,070)II: Very weakProvincia de Antofagasta, Region de AntofagastaChile227 km (141 mi)S of epicenterDiego de Almagro(pop: 13,900)II: Very weakChanaral, Region de AtacamaChile230 km (143 mi)N of epicenterMaria Elena(pop: 7,530)II: Very weakProvincia de Tocopilla, Region de AntofagastaChile247 km (153 mi)NE of epicenterCalama(pop: 166,300)II: Very weakProvincia de El Loa, Region de AntofagastaChile252 km (156 mi)N of epicenterTocopilla(pop: 25,400)II: Very weakRegion de AntofagastaChile257 km (160 mi)NE of epicenterSan Pedro de Atacama(pop: 11,000)II: Very weakProvincia de El Loa, Region de AntofagastaChile307 km (191 mi)N of epicenterQuillagua(pop: 141)II: Very weakProvincia de Tocopilla, Region de AntofagastaChile309 km (192 mi)S of epicenterCaldera(pop: 16,200)II: Very weakCopiapo, Region de AtacamaChile335 km (208 mi)S of epicenterCopiapo(pop: 129,300)II: Very weakCopiapo, Region de AtacamaChile337 km (209 mi)SE of epicenterAntofagasta de la Sierra(pop: 500)II: Very weakCatamarca ProvinceArgentina346 km (215 mi)S of epicenterTierra Amarilla(pop: 12,900)II: Very weakCopiapo, Region de AtacamaChile373 km (232 mi)N of epicenterRio Seco(pop: 145)II: Very weakProvincia de Iquique, TarapacáChile391 km (243 mi)E of epicenterSan Antonio de los Cobres(pop: 4,000)II: Very weakDepartamento de Los Andes, Salta ProvinceArgentina400 km (248 mi)NE of epicenterOllagüe(pop: 134)II: Very weakProvincia de El Loa, Region de AntofagastaChile401 km (249 mi)E of epicenterSusques(pop: 1,140)II: Very weakJujuy ProvinceArgentina406 km (252 mi)N of epicenterChanavayita(pop: 603)II: Very weakProvincia de Iquique, TarapacáChile414 km (257 mi)E of epicenterCachi(pop: 2,190)II: Very weakSalta ProvinceArgentina428 km (266 mi)E of epicenterSanta Rosa de Tastil(pop: 2,000)II: Very weakDepartamento de Rosario de Lerma, Salta ProvinceArgentina437 km (271 mi)N of epicenterLos Verdes(pop: 216)II: Very weakProvincia de Iquique, TarapacáChile438 km (272 mi)N of epicenterPica(pop: 9,300)II: Very weakProvincia del Tamarugal, TarapacáChile449 km (279 mi)SE of epicenterFiambala(pop: 8,060)II: Very weakDepartamento de Tinogasta, Catamarca ProvinceArgentina450 km (280 mi)N of epicenterLa Tirana(pop: 837)II: Very weakProvincia del Tamarugal, TarapacáChile462 km (287 mi)SE of epicenterHualfin(pop: 2,300)I: Not feltDepartamento de Belen, Catamarca ProvinceArgentina463 km (288 mi)SE of epicenterCafayate(pop: 11,800)I: Not feltSalta ProvinceArgentina476 km (296 mi)SE of epicenterPuerta de San Jose(pop: 1,070)I: Not feltDepartamento de Belen, Catamarca ProvinceArgentina481 km (299 mi)SE of epicenterLondres(pop: 2,630)I: Not feltDepartamento de Belen, Catamarca ProvinceArgentina488 km (303 mi)SE of epicenterTinogasta(pop: 14,500)I: Not feltCatamarca ProvinceArgentina527 km (327 mi)SE of epicenterAndalgala(pop: 14,100)I: Not feltDepartamento de Andalgala, Catamarca ProvinceArgentina531 km (330 mi)NE of epicenterPorco(pop: 5,960)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia553 km (344 mi)NE of epicenterUyuni(pop: 10,300)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia556 km (345 mi)NE of epicenterAtocha(pop: 1,830)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia570 km (354 mi)NE of epicenterSanta Barbara(pop: 2,430)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia585 km (364 mi)SE of epicenterLos Varela(pop: 1,910)I: Not feltDepartamento de Ambato, Catamarca ProvinceArgentina596 km (370 mi)SE of epicenterMutquin(pop: 1,210)I: Not feltDepartamento de Poman, Catamarca ProvinceArgentina598 km (371 mi)SE of epicenterPoman(pop: 3,390)I: Not feltDepartamento de Poman, Catamarca ProvinceArgentina606 km (377 mi)SE of epicenterEl Rodeo(pop: 1,080)I: Not feltDepartamento de Ambato, Catamarca ProvinceArgentinaNotes:(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.User-reports for this quake (8)The first report about ground shaking reached us after only 54 seconds, before other agencies reported it. So far, we have received 8 reports for this quake from Chile. The quake was reported to have been felt in up to approx. 100–120 km (62–75 mi) distance, with isolated cases to have felt the quake even 121 km (75 mi) away.Most reports came from Antofagasta (4 reports), a city with more than 400,000 inhabitants in 82 km (51 mi) distance north of the epicenter, Chile, and Taltal (1 report) (121 km or 75 mi to the south), a town with 11,000 inhabitants in Region de Antofagasta. Further below is a list of places where most people reported this quake.This section is being updated as new data comes in.User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale.Contribute:Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it.Flag as inappropriate.Mark as helpful or interesting.Send your own user report!TranslateAntofagasta (81.5 km NNW of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : Ligera sacudida con un final un poco largo y suave,pensé que seguiría. Antofagasta (81.5 km NNW of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 sMejillones chile (142.4 km NNW of epicenter) [Map] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / complex motion difficult to describe : Un terremoto de magnitud 7.4 con epicentro en antofagasta chile azota a mejillones chile 80.7 km NNW of epicenter [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app)121.2 km SSW of epicenter [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II)92.3 km NNW of epicenter [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app)79.2 km NNW of epicenter [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s79.4 km NNW of epicenter [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app)List of cities/places with most reportsPlaceDistance from epicenterAverage reported Shaking IntensityNr. of reportsAntofagasta, Region de Antofagasta, Chile(Pop.: 401,096)82 km (51 mi)N of epicenterIII: Weak shaking4Taltal, Region de Antofagasta, Chile(Pop.: 11,132)121 km (75 mi)S of epicenterII: Very weak shaking1Note: Only reports with latitude/longitude coordinate positions given (8 in total) could be used for statistics.What is Intensity and the Mercalli Intensity Scale?The amount of shaking that occurs on the surface due to an earthquake is called the intensity. It is commonly measured on the so-called Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) ranging from 1 (not felt) to 10 (extreme shaking), and given in Roman numerals as I,II,...IX, X, and often displayed with color codes ranging from light blue to dark red.Earthquake intensity depends mainly on the magnitude and depth of the quake as well as the distance from the epicenter: The further away, the less shaking intensity occurs.Read more about the MMI scale!Number of reports by intensityShaking intensityNumber of reportsMin-Max distance from epicenter (*)Average distance (*)II: Very weak shaking281–121 km (51–75 mi)101 km (63 mi)III: Weak shaking379–92 km (49–57 mi)84 km (52 mi)IV: Light shaking279–82 km (49–51 mi)80 km (50 mi)Notes(*) Reports are filtered to exclude those that are likely highly inaccurate or esaggerated.Only reports with latitude/longitude coordinate positions given (8 in total) could be used for geographic statistics.Get the Android appI didn't feel itI felt this quakeIf you were near the epicenter and felt it, please share your experience and submit a short "I felt it" report! Other users would love to hear about it!If you did NOT feel the quake although you were in the area, please report it as well! Your contribution is valuable to earthquake science and seismic hazard analysis.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 GMT2026-08-20EpicenterAgency4.842 km26 mi04:52:53.43ANTOFAGASTA, CHILEEMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)5.143 km27 mi04:52:5118 km al SE de Caleta El Cobre23 km (14 mi) epicenter difference with EMSCCSN (National Seismological Center (Centro Sismológico Nacional))4.846 km29 mi04:52:53.43Near Coast of Northern Chile6.1 km (3.8 mi) epicenter difference with EMSCGFZ (German Research Centre for Geosciences)4.846 km29 mi04:52:53Near Coast of Northern Chile6.1 km (3.8 mi) epicenter difference with EMSCRaspberryShake (RaspberryShake)Aftershocks for this quakeNo aftershocks have been recorded so far. When aftershocks are detected, we will update this section.What are aftershocks?Larger earthquakes (above magnitude 5 or so) such as this one are usually followed by smaller ones known as aftershocks that occur in the same area during the days, weeks, months or even years after the main shock.[More info]What about this quake?Based on its magnitude, the fault that was active during the quake likely ruptured beneath a surface area of approximately 6 km2 (2 square miles) as a first-order estimate. The length of the rupture zone thus was probably around 4 km (3 mi).[More info]Recorded aftershocks, latest first (0 quake)Aug 20, 2026 12:52 am (GMT -4)15 minutes ago - felt4.842 km0 km - This quake82 km S of Antofagasta, Provincia de Antofagasta, Region de Antofagasta, ChileMain Shock (this quake)MoreMap of aftershocksEarthquake statisticsAverage number of earthquakesBased on data from the past 26 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 100 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):Mag. 7 or higher: 0.07 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 14.1 years)Mag. 6 or higher: 0.22 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 4.5 years)Mag. 5 or higher: 1.38 quakes per yearMag. 4 or higher: 11.6 quakes per yearMag. 3 or higher: 56 quakes per year (or 4.7 quakes per month)Mag. 2 or higher: 100 quakes per year (or 8.4 quakes per month)The area where this quake occurred has a very high level of seismic activity. It has had at least 9 quakes above magnitude 7 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 10 to 15 years.Number of quakes per yearPrevious quakes in the same area of this earthquake