Earthquakes medium

M 5.2 - 28 km NE of Villa Presidente Frei, Chile

Source: USGS · Chile

A magnitude 5.2 earthquake was recorded by USGS near 28 km NE of Villa Presidente Frei. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M5.2 is classified "Moderate". Among the 1,740 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M5.2 event ranks stronger than 74% of them (rank #344 by magnitude).

This earthquake report, quickly

Magnitude
M 5.2
USGS class
Moderate
Location
28 km NE of Villa Presidente Frei
Archive rank
#344 of 1,740
Source
USGS
Published
September 18, 2026
MODERATE

Out of 1,740 earthquake reports Areazine has logged, this one outranks 74% of them — 343 recorded a higher magnitude.

Record status: a snapshot from USGS, not a final record. Check USGS's own event page for aftershocks and any later revision to the magnitude shown here.

What Happened

A magnitude 5.2 mb earthquake occurred 28 km NE of Villa Presidente Frei, Chile, on 2026-09-18 at 12:52:07 UTC. The event was recorded at a depth of 100 km.

Location Details

The earthquake was centered at latitude -33.3109, longitude -70.3344. The depth of 100 km places it in the deep category (greater than 70 km).

Impact Assessment

The earthquake was felt by 3 people, with a maximum reported intensity of 4.3 on the Community Decimal Intensity scale. No tsunami was generated (tsunami advisory status: 0). No alert level was issued.

What You Should Know

Earthquakes of this magnitude are classified as moderate and can cause damage to poorly constructed buildings. Aftershocks are possible following any seismic event.

Source

Data from USGS: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000tid4

Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗

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Similar notices nationwide by length or severity timing 8

Two Areazine-derived peer sets for this USGS earthquake report: nearest notices by body length and by same severity near the same agency date. Peers come from other categories so they are not the same-feed Related list above.

Similar body length

Nearest notices by article body length (839 characters here).

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Similar severity timing

Same severity (medium) notices issued closest in time to September 18, 2026.

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Questions & Answers

Questions readers often have about this USGS earthquake report.

What was the magnitude of this event? ▾
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 28 km northeast of Villa Presidente Frei, Chile, at a depth of 100 km.
What does a magnitude 5.2 ("Moderate") earthquake mean? ▾
The USGS classifies M5.2 as "Moderate" on its Earthquake Hazards Program scale. Events in this range are felt over a wide area and can cause significant damage near the epicenter, particularly to older or unreinforced buildings.
Where does this event rank against Areazine's other recorded earthquakes? ▾
This is the #344 strongest of the 1,740 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 74% of them and weaker than 343 others.
Was Villa Presidente Frei likely to feel this earthquake? ▾
This event was centered 28 km NE of Villa Presidente Frei. Shaking intensity falls off sharply with distance from the epicenter and depends on depth and local geology, so check the USGS "Did You Feel It?" report for this event for real felt-shaking data rather than assuming from magnitude and distance alone.

Where this data comes from

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AirNow (EPA / NOAA)

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National Weather Service

Active watches, warnings, and advisories, NOAA

CDC Air Quality & Health

Health-impact reference behind every AQI category