Reviewed by USGSArgentina21d ago
M5.1 earthquake 69 km E of Antofagasta de la Sierra, Argentina
Saturday, September 5, 2026, 11:37:12 UTC · 26.108°S, 66.718°W
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 69 km E of Antofagasta de la Sierra, Argentina on Saturday, September 5, 2026, 11:37:12 UTC, at a depth of 10.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.3 on July 24, 2026.
- Magnitude
- 5.1
- Moderate · mww
- Depth
- 10 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
674 tons of TNT
That is about 1/22 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 1 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
491 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Nazca and South American plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: shallow
10 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
No “Did You Feel It?” reports have been published for this event yet. If you felt it, you can add your report on the USGS website.
I felt it — report to USGS ↗USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No PAGER estimate is available for this event.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 75 km
USGS lists 4 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km since this event; the largest was M5.3 on September 20, 2026. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 335 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.2121 km SSE of San Pedro de Atacama, ChileDecember 9, 1950 · 266 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.275 km N of San Antonio de los Cobres, ArgentinaMay 12, 2000 · 286 km N of this epicenter
- 7.032 km NW of Fiambalá, ArgentinaAugust 3, 1920 · 190 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.930 km SSE of Santa Clara, ArgentinaAugust 25, 1948 · 280 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.999 km WNW of San Antonio de los Cobres, ArgentinaFebruary 21, 1971 · 263 km N of this epicenter
- 6.886 km NNW of San Antonio de los Cobres, ArgentinaMay 10, 2022 · 290 km N of this epicenter
- 6.6176 km S of San Pedro de Atacama, ChileJune 11, 1970 · 252 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.674 km WSW of San Antonio de los Cobres, ArgentinaAugust 25, 2006 · 192 km N of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 8 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 37 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1930M6.1
La Poma
24 Dec 1930 · 172 km away · intensity VIII
31 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 2015M5.8
Galpon
17 Oct 2015 · 235 km away · intensity VII
2 deathsLimited damage (under $1M)
- 2010M6.3
Salta
27 Feb 2010 · 190 km away · intensity VII
2 deaths
- 1971M6.3
Catalina, Antofagasta
17 Jun 1971 · 258 km away · intensity V
1 deathModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 2004M6.1
Catamarca
7 Sep 2004 · 287 km away
1 deathLimited damage (under $1M)
- 1844M6.5
Salta, Jujuy, Tucuman
19 Oct 1844 · 143 km away · intensity VII
Severe damage ($5–24M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.