Under land 155 kilometer from Salta in Argentina, a significant M5.3 earthquake occurred in the night of Thursday January 1st, 2026. Bolivia and Chile are also near its epicenter.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Argentina, 155 kilometer (96 mi) west-northwest of Salta. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 182 km.
| Date and Time: | Jan 1, 2026 01:26 (Jujuy Time) - Jan 1, 2026 04:26 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 155 km WNW of Salta, Argentina. Coordinates 24°10'34"S 66°47'13"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 35 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.052 . |
| Depth: | 182 km (113 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
Argentina , Bolivia and Chile are all located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
San Salvador de Jujuy in Jujuy, Argentina is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 151 kilometer (94 mi) west of San Salvador de Jujuy.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Salta is located 155 km to the east-southeast. San Salvador de Jujuy is located 151 km to the east. Calama is located 290 km to the northwest.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 151 km (94 mi) E from epicenter |
San Salvador de Jujuy Jujuy, Argentina. |
| 155 km (96 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Salta Salta, Argentina. |
| 160 km (99 mi) E from epicenter |
Palpalá Jujuy, Argentina. |
| 195 km (121 mi) E from epicenter |
San Pedro de Jujuy Jujuy, Argentina. |
| 207 km (129 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Libertador General San Martín Jujuy, Argentina. |
| 262 km (163 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Villazón Potosí, Bolivia. |
| 276 km (171 mi) ENE from epicenter |
San Ramón de la Nueva Orán Salta, Argentina. |
| 288 km (179 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Joaquín V. González Salta, Argentina. |
| 290 km (180 mi) NW from epicenter |
Calama Antofagasta, Chile. |
| 294 km (183 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Embarcación Salta, Argentina. |
| 297 km (185 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Bermejo Tarija, Bolivia. |
Shaking reported by 1 person
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in Chile.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Antofagasta, Antofagasta, Chile: 1 person.
5 Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 5 smaller aftershocks were detected. At a distance of 43 km (27 mi) west of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 2 days later. It measured a magnitude of 4.1
This main shock was prefaced by 13 smaller foreshocks. A 4.4 magnitude earthquake hit 3 days earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.4 |
3 days earlier Dec 29, 2025 01:49 (Jujuy Time) | 19 km (12 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.3 |
3 days earlier Dec 29, 2025 02:30 (Jujuy Time) | 71 km (44 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
3 days earlier Dec 29, 2025 04:59 (Jujuy Time) | 52 km (32 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.7 |
3 days earlier Dec 29, 2025 05:18 (Jujuy Time) | 67 km (42 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
3 days earlier Dec 29, 2025 06:04 (Jujuy Time) | 74 km (46 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.6 |
2 days earlier Dec 30, 2025 04:21 (Jujuy Time) | 62 km (38 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
1 day earlier Dec 30, 2025 17:11 (Jujuy Time) | 65 km (40 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
1 day earlier Dec 31, 2025 00:52 (Jujuy Time) | 95 km (59 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.1 |
20 hrs earlier Dec 31, 2025 05:41 (Jujuy Time) | 65 km (41 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
11 hrs earlier Dec 31, 2025 13:57 (Jujuy Time) | 54 km (34 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.9 |
7 hrs earlier Dec 31, 2025 18:48 (Jujuy Time) | 71 km (44 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.0 |
6 hrs earlier Dec 31, 2025 19:46 (Jujuy Time) | 73 km (45 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.5 |
2 hrs earlier Dec 31, 2025 23:22 (Jujuy Time) | 66 km (41 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
Jan 1, 2026 01:26 (Jujuy Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
17 mins later Jan 1, 2026 01:43 (Jujuy Time) | 72 km (45 mi) NNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.0 |
4 hrs later Jan 1, 2026 05:00 (Jujuy Time) | 16 km (10 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.1 |
2 days later Jan 2, 2026 21:00 (Jujuy Time) | 43 km (27 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.7 |
2 days later Jan 2, 2026 21:59 (Jujuy Time) | 26 km (16 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.2 |
2 days later Jan 3, 2026 09:36 (Jujuy Time) | 64 km (39 mi) N from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
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 September 4th, 2025, when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 38 km (24 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck on July 19th, 2024.
In total, 51 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 182 km (113 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 14/01/26 00:58 (). 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 us7000rlu1
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260101_0000059
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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