The recent earthquake in the passage of Drake, of magnitude 7.5, became the strongest registered in the Magallanes region in 76 years. Together with other events highlighted by the National Seismological Center of the University of Chile, they make up the list of the most relevant telluric movements of the last decade in the country.
Last Friday, May 2, the inhabitants of Puerto Williams and other locations in the Magallanes region and Chilean Antarctic received a disturbing alert message and a preventive evacuation order issued by the National Disaster Prevention and Response Service, Senapredproduct of a earthquake magnitude 7.5 Registered at 08:58 hrs. by him National Seismological Center of the University of Chile.
The movement, which had an intensity between III and IV on the Mercalli scale, stood at the Drake Sea, 218 kilometers south of Puerto Williams, what generated the alert by having tsunamigenic characteristicswhat was corroborated by the hydrographic and oceanographic service of the Chilean Navy, Shoa, and its terrain informants.
Although the “alert” went to “caution” with the passing of the hours, and that there were finally no victims, injuries or damage product of the pit, Drake’s earthquake immediately became the most powerful registered during the last 76 years in the Magellan region and Chilean Antarctica. The previous one was the earthquake of Tierra del Fuego in 1949, the sixth earthquake with the greatest magnitude registered in Chile during the last decade and the most magnitude so far from 2025.
North to the south: the most intense earthquakes of the last decade
- 2015 Illapel earthquake
On September 16, 2015, at 7:54 p.m. It was recorded, to date, the most magnitude earthquake recorded in Chile for the last 10 years. The Illapel earthquake shook the central-northern area of Chile, producing a breakdown zone that extended for around 200 kilometers between Punta Language de Vaca (by the north) and Los Vilos (south), generating great destruction and damage to public and private property.
Much of the rupture associated with this earthquake occurred in the oceanic background, off the coast of Illapel. Its epicenter was located 37 kilometers north of Los Vilos, with a depth of 23 km. The magnitude of this movement was 8.4 MW [Magnitud de momento].
- Iquique 2014 earthquake
It happened a year earlier, but without a doubt, the Iquique earthquake remains in the memory of Chileans and Chileans for their destruction and the powerful images that could be registered in the large north of our country during the disaster.
This movement occurred on April 1, 2014, at 8:46 p.m., 73 kilometers west of Pisagua, reaching a magnitude of 8.2 MW.
- Iquique 2014 earthquake replica
The Iquique earthquake generated a break of approximately 200 kilometers in length and recorded hundreds of aftershocks in later days, the most significant being the one that occurred 3 days later (April 3, 2014) and that reached a magnitude of 7.6 MW, thus being located in the third place of our count.
According to experts from the National Seismological Center, Iquique’s earthquake failed to release all projected energy, so the large north of the country still has a significant potential for new events in the short or medium term.
- Melinka Earthquake 2016
On December 25, 2016, at 11:20, the island of Chiloé was shaken by a powerful 7.6 MW magnitude that left the population in suspense during Christmas celebration.
This event, whose epicenter was located in the Pacific Ocean, 67 kilometers northwest of Melinka, caused structural damage, power cuts and the activation of Tsunami alert in coastal towns.
According to experts from the National Seismological Center, this earthquake could be considered a late replica of the devastating earthquake 9.5 MW that hit the same area in 1960, and which is until today the most powerful earthquake recorded in history.
Registered last Friday, May 2 at Drake Sea, 218 kilometers south of Puerto Williams, this earthquake generated a preventive evacuation by the authorities in the Magellan region and Chilean Antarctica, reaching a magnitude of 7.5 MWW [Magnitud Momento obtenida a partir de la Fase W].
According to the director of the National Seismological Center, Sergio Barrientos, “this earthquake responds to the convergence of the Antarctic plaque, which subducts under the Scotia plaque and is part of what is continuously happening in the region.”
He added that “in this area the models show displacements of the Magallanes-Fagnano fault that go between 1 or 1.5 meters, even 4 meters in some places, which has produced many replicas.”
- San Pedro de Atacama 2024
On July 18, 2024, the Antofagasta region recalled before an earthquake 7.4 MWW that was perceived between the regions of Arica and Coquimbo; In addition to Tacna, Peru.
The event was recorded 26 kilometers southeast of San Pedro de Atacama and was generated inside the Nazca plate, 145 kilometers deep, corresponding to what we call “intraplace earthquake”.
Although it did not generate serious damage, this earthquake caused a total blackout in San Pedro de Atacama.
- Illapel and Antarctic replica 2021
Two earthquakes with 7.1 MWW magnitude recorded in 2015 and 2021, respectively.
The first corresponds to one of the hundreds of replicas generated by the Illapel earthquake occurred in 2015 and which was recorded on September 16 at 8:18 p.m., 29 kilometers southwest of Canela Baja.
The second, meanwhile, was recorded 211 kilometers east of the Frei Montalva base, in the Chilean Antarctica, at a depth of 10 kilometers.
This movement raised a Tsunami alert and generated the preventive evacuation of Frei, O’Higgins, Fildes and Prat Antarctic bases.
