Reviewed by USGSArgentina32y ago
M6.9 earthquake 44 km SSE of Suncho Corral, Argentina
Friday, April 29, 1994, 07:11:29 UTC · 28.299°S, 63.252°W
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck 44 km SSE of Suncho Corral, Argentina on Friday, April 29, 1994, 07:11:29 UTC, at a depth of 561.5 km (deep). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.3 on June 23, 1991.
- Magnitude
- 6.9
- Strong · mwb
- Depth
- 562 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: 100 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
338 kilotons of TNT
That is about 22 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 708 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
767 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
562 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 100 km
USGS lists 1 M2.5+ earthquake within 100 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M6.9 on May 10, 1994. 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 39 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 · 50 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.327 km NNW of El Hoyo, ArgentinaJune 23, 1991 · 167 km N of this epicenter
- 7.221 km SSE of Taco Pozo, ArgentinaDecember 8, 1962 · 278 km N of this epicenter
- 7.144 km WNW of Quimilí, ArgentinaAugust 14, 1950 · 97 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.148 km NNW of Suncho Corral, ArgentinaJune 21, 1916 · 92 km N of this epicenter
- 6.938 km SE of Suncho Corral, ArgentinaDecember 21, 1983 · 14 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.739 km NNE of Suncho Corral, ArgentinaSeptember 9, 1967 · 75 km N of this epicenter
- 6.523 km WSW of Colonia Dora, ArgentinaOctober 31, 1985 · 44 km S of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 7 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700. The most severe:
- 1908M6.5
Cordoba
22 Sep 1908 · 273 km away · intensity VII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1817
Santiago Del Estero Province
4 Jul 1817 · 127 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1826
Candelaria, Trancas, Zarate, El Tala
19 Jan 1826 · 254 km away · intensity VII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1898
Catamarca
5 Feb 1898 · 284 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1892
Catamarca
21 Mar 1892 · 216 km away · intensity VII
Limited damage (under $1M)
- 1912M7.5
Santiago Del Estero Province
7 Dec 1912 · 107 km away
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.