Reviewed by USGSArgentina20d ago
M4.6 earthquake 61 km WSW of Cafayate, Argentina
Sunday, September 6, 2026, 09:24:37 UTC · 26.196°S, 66.576°W
A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck 61 km WSW of Cafayate, Argentina on Sunday, September 6, 2026, 09:24:37 UTC, at a depth of 10.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.1 on September 5, 2026.
- Magnitude
- 4.6
- Light · mb
- 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: 50 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
120 tons of TNT
That is about 1/126 of the Hiroshima bomb. A magnitude 5.0 releases about 4 times more energy.
Tectonic setting
506 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 50 km
USGS lists 3 M2.5+ earthquakes within 50 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 327 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 · 281 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.275 km N of San Antonio de los Cobres, ArgentinaMay 12, 2000 · 295 km N of this epicenter
- 7.032 km NW of Fiambalá, ArgentinaAugust 3, 1920 · 191 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.930 km SSE of Santa Clara, ArgentinaAugust 25, 1948 · 275 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.999 km WNW of San Antonio de los Cobres, ArgentinaFebruary 21, 1971 · 275 km N of this epicenter
- 6.6176 km S of San Pedro de Atacama, ChileJune 11, 1970 · 269 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.674 km WSW of San Antonio de los Cobres, ArgentinaAugust 25, 2006 · 204 km N of this epicenter
- 6.410 km WNW of Tinogasta, ArgentinaNovember 29, 1943 · 232 km SW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 9 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 · 168 km away · intensity VIII
31 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 2015M5.8
Galpon
17 Oct 2015 · 225 km away · intensity VII
2 deathsLimited damage (under $1M)
- 2010M6.3
Salta
27 Feb 2010 · 188 km away · intensity VII
2 deaths
- 1971M6.3
Catalina, Antofagasta
17 Jun 1971 · 274 km away · intensity V
1 deathModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 2004M6.1
Catamarca
7 Sep 2004 · 274 km away
1 deathLimited damage (under $1M)
- 1844M6.5
Salta, Jujuy, Tucuman
19 Oct 1844 · 145 km away · intensity VII
Severe damage ($5–24M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.