M4.8 Earthquake 29 km WSW of Salamanca, Chile — September 3, 2026
2026-09-03 21:18:21 UTC (2 hours ago) · approx. 4:18 PM UTC-5 local
Felt by 5 people across nearby locations.
On September 3, 2026 at 21:18 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 intermediate depth earthquake struck 29 km WSW of Salamanca, Chile, at a depth of 81.9 km and coordinates -31.8967°, -71.2399°. This earthquake was detected by 67 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 356, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Chile, a region characterized by the Peru-Chile Trench, where the Nazca Plate subducts beneath South America at 65-80 mm per year. The nearest mapped fault system is the Peru-Chile Trench. View all earthquakes in Chile.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 5 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-71.2399°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Salamanca, Chile?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 29 km WSW of Salamanca, Chile on September 3, 2026 at 21:18 UTC had a depth of 81.9 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -31.8967°, -71.2399°, which is 29 km WSW of Salamanca, Chile. View all earthquakes in Chile.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Has Chile had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Chile was the M9.5 Great Chilean earthquake of May 22, 1960. Today's magnitude 4.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000te5e). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, September 3, 2026). M4.8 Earthquake 29 km WSW of Salamanca, Chile — September 3, 2026. Retrieved September 3, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000te5e/