Reviewed by USGSArgentina26y ago
M7.0 earthquake 22 km NW of Añatuya, Argentina
Sunday, April 23, 2000, 09:27:23 UTC · 28.307°S, 62.990°W
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck 22 km NW of Añatuya, Argentina on Sunday, April 23, 2000, 09:27:23 UTC, at a depth of 608.5 km (deep). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.3 on June 23, 1991.
- Magnitude
- 7.0
- Major · mwb
- Depth
- 609 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: 200 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
477 kilotons of TNT
That is about 32 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 1,000 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
769 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
609 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 200 km
USGS lists 2 M2.5+ earthquakes within 200 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M6.1 on April 23, 2000. 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 41 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 · 68 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.327 km NNW of El Hoyo, ArgentinaJune 23, 1991 · 171 km N of this epicenter
- 7.221 km SSE of Taco Pozo, ArgentinaDecember 8, 1962 · 279 km N of this epicenter
- 7.144 km WNW of Quimilí, ArgentinaAugust 14, 1950 · 90 km N of this epicenter
- 7.148 km NNW of Suncho Corral, ArgentinaJune 21, 1916 · 104 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.918 km NW of Colonia Dora, ArgentinaMay 10, 1994 · 24 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.944 km SSE of Suncho Corral, ArgentinaApril 29, 1994 · 26 km W of this epicenter
- 6.938 km SE of Suncho Corral, ArgentinaDecember 21, 1983 · 22 km NW 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. The most severe:
- 1908M6.5
Cordoba
22 Sep 1908 · 284 km away · intensity VII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1817
Santiago Del Estero Province
4 Jul 1817 · 152 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1826
Candelaria, Trancas, Zarate, El Tala
19 Jan 1826 · 245 km away · intensity VII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1892
Catamarca
21 Mar 1892 · 236 km away · intensity VII
Limited damage (under $1M)
- 1912M7.5
Santiago Del Estero Province
7 Dec 1912 · 91 km away
- 1916M7.5
Argentina
21 Jun 1916 · 21 km away
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.