M6.5 earthquake - 41 km SE of Taltal, Chile

What happened

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck 41 km SE of Taltal, Chile on 22 Dec 1944, 22:31 UTC at a depth of 45 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Strong. Can cause damage in populated areas up to tens of kilometres away. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Caldera, about 162 km away in Atacama, Chile.