Reviewed by USGSArgentina35y ago
M4.6 earthquake 18 km W of El Hoyo, Argentina
Monday, June 24, 1991, 06:03:45 UTC · 27.036°S, 63.422°W
A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck 18 km W of El Hoyo, Argentina on Monday, June 24, 1991, 06:03:45 UTC, at a depth of 573.1 km (deep). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.6 on June 23, 1991.
- Magnitude
- 4.6
- Light · mb
- Depth
- 573 km
- Deep
- 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
626 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: deep
573 km
Deep earthquakes (over 300 km) happen deep inside subducting plates. They rarely cause damage, but can be felt faintly over very large distances.
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 1 M2.5+ earthquake within 50 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M4.4 on June 26, 1991. 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 47 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.331 km SE of Villa Atamisqui, ArgentinaDecember 7, 1912 · 182 km S of this epicenter
- 7.327 km NNW of El Hoyo, ArgentinaJune 23, 1991 · 27 km N of this epicenter
- 7.221 km SSE of Taco Pozo, ArgentinaDecember 8, 1962 · 139 km N of this epicenter
- 7.144 km WNW of Quimilí, ArgentinaAugust 14, 1950 · 78 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.148 km NNW of Suncho Corral, ArgentinaJune 21, 1916 · 54 km S of this epicenter
- 6.930 km SSE of Santa Clara, ArgentinaAugust 25, 1948 · 297 km N of this epicenter
- 6.938 km SE of Suncho Corral, ArgentinaDecember 21, 1983 · 131 km S of this epicenter
- 6.739 km NNE of Suncho Corral, ArgentinaSeptember 9, 1967 · 68 km S of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 6 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 31 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1930M6.1
La Poma
24 Dec 1930 · 293 km away · intensity VIII
31 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1948M6.9
Salta
25 Aug 1948 · 297 km away · intensity IX
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1817
Santiago Del Estero Province
4 Jul 1817 · 151 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1826
Candelaria, Trancas, Zarate, El Tala
19 Jan 1826 · 149 km away · intensity VII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1912M7.5
Santiago Del Estero Province
7 Dec 1912 · 236 km away
- 1916M7.5
Argentina
21 Jun 1916 · 168 km away
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.