Reviewed by USGSArgentina19y ago
M5.0 earthquake 117 km W of San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina
Friday, March 30, 2007, 19:34:05 UTC · 24.308°S, 67.472°W
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck 117 km W of San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina on Friday, March 30, 2007, 19:34:05 UTC, at a depth of 220.0 km (intermediate). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.5 on March 10, 2007.
- Magnitude
- 5.0
- Moderate · m
- Depth
- 220 km
- Intermediate
- 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: 75 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
477 tons of TNT
That is about 1/32 of the Hiroshima bomb. Each whole step in magnitude is about 32 times more energy.
Tectonic setting
310 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: intermediate
220 km
Intermediate-depth earthquakes usually break inside a plate that is sinking into the mantle. Shaking spreads over a wide area but is gentler at the epicenter than a shallow quake of the same size.
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 75 km
USGS lists 2 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M4.9 on April 9, 2007. 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 442 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 · 58 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.684 km SSE of Antofagasta, ChileMarch 5, 1987 · 273 km W of this epicenter
- 7.583 km NNE of Taltal, ChileJuly 13, 1936 · 275 km W of this epicenter
- 7.377 km NNE of Taltal, ChileDecember 2, 1960 · 290 km W of this epicenter
- 7.275 km N of San Antonio de los Cobres, ArgentinaMay 12, 2000 · 134 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.134 km SSE of Antofagasta, ChileJanuary 30, 1998 · 281 km W of this epicenter
- 7.187 km SSE of Antofagasta, ChileJuly 8, 1942 · 260 km W of this epicenter
- 7.064 km NNE of Antofagasta, ChileNovember 20, 1928 · 293 km NW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 13 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 · 225 km away · intensity VIII
31 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1953M7.4
Northern
7 Dec 1953 · 276 km away
3 deaths$7 million damage
- 1936M7.3
Taltal
13 Jul 1936 · 257 km away
1 deathModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1987M7.3
Antofagasta, Arica
5 Mar 1987 · 273 km away · intensity VI
1 deathModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1971M6.3
Catalina, Antofagasta
17 Jun 1971 · 219 km away · intensity V
1 deathModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 1950M8.0
Chile-Argentina
9 Dec 1950 · 90 km away · intensity VII
1 death
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.