Reviewed by USGSArgentina6d ago
M5.3 earthquake 64 km W of Cafayate, Argentina
Sunday, September 20, 2026, 08:47:54 UTC · 25.987°S, 66.612°W
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 64 km W of Cafayate, Argentina on Sunday, September 20, 2026, 08:47:54 UTC, at a depth of 10.0 km (shallow). USGS received 3 “Did You Feel It?” reports, with a maximum reported intensity of III (weak). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.3 on July 24, 2026.
- Magnitude
- 5.3
- Moderate · mww
- Depth
- 10 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 3
- Max intensity III
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquake
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
1 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/11 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 3 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
496 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Altiplano 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
Reports sent by people to USGS, grouped by place (most reports first). Intensity uses the Modified Mercalli scale (I–X): what people felt, not the magnitude.
| Place | Intensity | Reports | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salta, Salta, Argentina | III · Weak | 2 | 179 km |
| Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina | III · Weak | 1 | 167 km |
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 has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km since this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 338 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 · 259 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.275 km N of San Antonio de los Cobres, ArgentinaMay 12, 2000 · 272 km N of this epicenter
- 7.032 km NW of Fiambalá, ArgentinaAugust 3, 1920 · 207 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.930 km SSE of Santa Clara, ArgentinaAugust 25, 1948 · 264 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.999 km WNW of San Antonio de los Cobres, ArgentinaFebruary 21, 1971 · 252 km N of this epicenter
- 6.886 km NNW of San Antonio de los Cobres, ArgentinaMay 10, 2022 · 277 km N of this epicenter
- 6.6176 km S of San Pedro de Atacama, ChileJune 11, 1970 · 250 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.674 km WSW of San Antonio de los Cobres, ArgentinaAugust 25, 2006 · 181 km N 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 38 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1930M6.1
La Poma
24 Dec 1930 · 155 km away · intensity VIII
31 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 2015M5.8
Galpon
17 Oct 2015 · 221 km away · intensity VII
2 deathsLimited damage (under $1M)
- 2010M6.3
Salta
27 Feb 2010 · 173 km away · intensity VII
2 deaths
- 1971M6.3
Catalina, Antofagasta
17 Jun 1971 · 265 km away · intensity V
1 deathModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 2004M6.1
Catamarca
7 Sep 2004 · 297 km away
1 deathLimited damage (under $1M)
- 1950M8.0
Chile-Argentina
9 Dec 1950 · 291 km away · intensity VII
1 death
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.