Under land 174 kilometer from San Salvador de Jujuy in Argentina, a significant MAG-5.2 earthquake occurred in the morning of Thursday December 5th, 2024. Other nearby countries are Bolivia and Chile.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Argentina, 174 kilometer (108 mi) west-northwest of San Salvador de Jujuy in Jujuy. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 227 km.
| Date and Time: | Dec 5, 2024 10:39 (Jujuy Time) - Dec 5, 2024 13:39 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 174 km WNW of San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy, Argentina. Coordinates 23°27'32"S 66°48'42"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 19 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.071 . |
| Depth: | 227 km (141 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 , Bolivia and Chile .
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is San Salvador de Jujuy in Jujuy, Argentina. San Salvador de Jujuy is located 174 kilometer (108 mi) west-northwest of the epicenter.
Major cities near this earthquake: Salta is located 205 km to the south-east. San Salvador de Jujuy is located 174 km to the east-southeast. Calama is located 243 km to the west-northwest.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 174 km (108 mi) ESE from epicenter |
San Salvador de Jujuy Jujuy, Argentina. |
| 185 km (115 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Palpalá Jujuy, Argentina. |
| 197 km (122 mi) NE from epicenter |
Villazón Potosí, Bolivia. |
| 205 km (127 mi) SE from epicenter |
Salta Salta, Argentina. |
| 210 km (130 mi) E from epicenter |
Libertador General San Martín Jujuy, Argentina. |
| 216 km (134 mi) ESE from epicenter |
San Pedro de Jujuy Jujuy, Argentina. |
| 243 km (151 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Calama Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 251 km (156 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Tupiza Potosí, Bolivia. |
| 257 km (160 mi) E from epicenter |
San Ramón de la Nueva Orán Salta, Argentina. |
| 266 km (165 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Bermejo Tarija, Bolivia. |
| 278 km (173 mi) E from epicenter |
Embarcación Salta, Argentina. |
5 Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 5 smaller aftershocks were detected. A 4.3 magnitude earthquake hit 1 day later 97 km (60 mi) north-east of this earthquake.
This main shock was prefaced by 15 smaller foreshocks. A 4.7 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.2 |
3 days earlier Dec 2, 2024 11:44 (Jujuy Time) | 46 km (29 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
3 days earlier Dec 2, 2024 12:21 (Jujuy Time) | 60 km (37 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.5 |
3 days earlier Dec 2, 2024 15:42 (Jujuy Time) | 91 km (56 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
3 days earlier Dec 2, 2024 17:59 (Jujuy Time) | 99 km (61 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.9 |
2 days earlier Dec 3, 2024 00:02 (Jujuy Time) | 34 km (21 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.7 |
2 days earlier Dec 3, 2024 11:54 (Jujuy Time) | 42 km (26 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.7 |
2 days earlier Dec 3, 2024 11:54 (Jujuy Time) | 42 km (26 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
2 days earlier Dec 3, 2024 16:15 (Jujuy Time) | 72 km (44 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.3 |
2 days earlier Dec 3, 2024 20:05 (Jujuy Time) | 90 km (56 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.8 |
1 day earlier Dec 4, 2024 04:45 (Jujuy Time) | 87 km (54 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.8 |
1 day earlier Dec 4, 2024 06:04 (Jujuy Time) | 99 km (61 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.6 |
1 day earlier Dec 4, 2024 06:21 (Jujuy Time) | 54 km (34 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.3 |
14 hrs earlier Dec 4, 2024 20:34 (Jujuy Time) | 35 km (22 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.8 |
12 hrs earlier Dec 4, 2024 22:37 (Jujuy Time) | 84 km (52 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
9 hrs earlier Dec 5, 2024 02:04 (Jujuy Time) | 68 km (42 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
Dec 5, 2024 10:39 (Jujuy Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
1 hr later Dec 5, 2024 11:45 (Jujuy Time) | 81 km (50 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
9 hrs later Dec 5, 2024 19:41 (Jujuy Time) | 56 km (35 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
1 day later Dec 6, 2024 16:28 (Jujuy Time) | 97 km (60 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.8 |
1 day later Dec 6, 2024 18:52 (Jujuy Time) | 12 km (7 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.0 |
3 days later Dec 8, 2024 06:13 (Jujuy Time) | 52 km (32 mi) SE 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.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major 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 August 21st, 2024, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 175 km (109 mi) further north-northeast. An even stronger magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck on July 19th, 2024.
In total, 70 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 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 2 months.
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 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 227 km (141 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 18/12/24 15:08 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000nw44
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241205_0000119
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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