In the morning of Wednesday October 30th, 2024, a Magnitude 4.9 earthquake hit under land 182 kilometer from Salta in Argentina. Chile and Bolivia are also near its epicenter.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Argentina, 182 kilometer (113 mi) west-northwest of Salta. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 196 km.
| Date and Time: | Oct 30, 2024 08:43 (Salta Time) - Oct 30, 2024 11:43 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 182 km WNW of Salta, Argentina. Coordinates 24°17'21"S 67°7'41"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 4.9 Detected by 47 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.081 . |
| Depth: | 196 km (122 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Tsunami's are usually caused by MAG-6.5+ earthquakes, less than 100km shallow, and with an epicenter under sea. Neither of this seems to be the case. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
3 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Argentina , Chile and Bolivia .
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Salta in Salta, Argentina. Salta is located 182 kilometer (113 mi) west-northwest of the epicenter.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Salta is located 182 km to the east-southeast. San Salvador de Jujuy is located 186 km to the east. Calama is located 274 km to the northwest.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 182 km (113 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Salta Salta, Argentina. |
| 186 km (116 mi) E from epicenter |
San Salvador de Jujuy Jujuy, Argentina. |
| 194 km (121 mi) E from epicenter |
Palpalá Jujuy, Argentina. |
| 229 km (142 mi) E from epicenter |
San Pedro de Jujuy Jujuy, Argentina. |
| 244 km (152 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Libertador General San Martín Jujuy, Argentina. |
| 274 km (170 mi) NW from epicenter |
Calama Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 291 km (181 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Villazón Potosí, Bolivia. |
Shaking reported by 83 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 83 people have reported shaking in 2 places in Argentina.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Salta, Salta, Argentina: 43 people.
- Jujuy, Jujuy, Argentina: 40 people.
2 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 2 smaller aftershocks. Just 8 hrs after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-3.5 was detected 39 km (24 mi) north-northwest of this earthquake.
Before this earthquake struck, 11 smaller foreshocks occurred. A 3.7 magnitude earthquake hit 10 hrs earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.8 |
3 days earlier Oct 27, 2024 09:59 (Salta Time) | 59 km (37 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.2 |
2 days earlier Oct 27, 2024 23:02 (Salta Time) | 47 km (29 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.3 |
2 days earlier Oct 28, 2024 02:06 (Salta Time) | 31 km (19 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.3 |
2 days earlier Oct 28, 2024 02:24 (Salta Time) | 45 km (28 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.2 |
2 days earlier Oct 28, 2024 05:26 (Salta Time) | 35 km (22 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.6 |
1 day earlier Oct 28, 2024 23:40 (Salta Time) | 80 km (50 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.1 |
1 day earlier Oct 29, 2024 00:29 (Salta Time) | 43 km (27 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.3 |
1 day earlier Oct 29, 2024 03:31 (Salta Time) | 85 km (53 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
23 hrs earlier Oct 29, 2024 09:17 (Salta Time) | 19 km (12 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
15 hrs earlier Oct 29, 2024 17:59 (Salta Time) | 58 km (36 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.7 |
10 hrs earlier Oct 29, 2024 22:27 (Salta Time) | 43 km (27 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 4.9 |
Oct 30, 2024 08:43 (Salta Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
8 hrs later Oct 30, 2024 16:40 (Salta Time) | 39 km (24 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
10 hrs later Oct 30, 2024 19:04 (Salta Time) | 49 km (31 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since October 27th, 2024, when a 4.9 magnitude earthquake hit 102 km (63 mi) further north-northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck on July 19th, 2024.
In total, 176 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.9 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 21 days.
Tsunami very unlikely
It is very unlikely that this eartquake will cause any tsunami's. The reported magnitude is lower than the MAG-6.5 strength required to cause any earthquakes. In addition, this earthquake was not very shallow and appears to have occurred under land. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 4.9. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 196 km (122 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 31/10/24 00:08 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000nnz6
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241030_0000133
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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