Reviewed by USGSArgentina22y ago
M6.4 earthquake 12 km SSW of San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, Argentina
Tuesday, September 7, 2004, 11:53:06 UTC · 28.573°S, 65.840°W
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck 12 km SSW of San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca, Argentina on Tuesday, September 7, 2004, 11:53:06 UTC, at a depth of 22.3 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.0 on April 23, 2000.
- Magnitude
- 6.4
- Strong · mwb
- Depth
- 22 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- VII
- Very strong (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 100 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
60 kilotons of TNT
That is about 4 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 126 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
605 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
22 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 100 km
USGS lists 4 M2.5+ earthquakes within 100 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M4.5 on September 24, 2004. 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 126 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 · 223 km E of this epicenter
- 7.148 km NNW of Suncho Corral, ArgentinaJune 21, 1916 · 255 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.032 km NW of Fiambalá, ArgentinaAugust 3, 1920 · 233 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.022 km NW of Añatuya, ArgentinaApril 23, 2000 · 280 km E of this epicenter
- 6.918 km NW of Colonia Dora, ArgentinaMay 10, 1994 · 268 km E of this epicenter
- 6.944 km SSE of Suncho Corral, ArgentinaApril 29, 1994 · 255 km E of this epicenter
- 6.938 km SE of Suncho Corral, ArgentinaDecember 21, 1983 · 264 km E of this epicenter
- 6.739 km NNE of Suncho Corral, ArgentinaSeptember 9, 1967 · 277 km E of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 8 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 12 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1899
La Rioja
12 Apr 1899 · 250 km away · intensity VIII
11 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 2004M6.1
Catamarca
7 Sep 2004 · 0 km away
1 deathLimited damage (under $1M)
- 1908M6.5
Cordoba
22 Sep 1908 · 250 km away · intensity VII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 2002M6.0
Aminga, Anillaco, Agua Blanca, Chuquis
28 May 2002 · 102 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1817
Santiago Del Estero Province
4 Jul 1817 · 146 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1898
Catamarca
5 Feb 1898 · 33 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.