Under land 84 kilometer from La Rioja in Argentina, a significant MAG-5.3 earthquake occurred in the early morning of Wednesday September 23rd, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Argentina, 84 kilometer (52 mi) northwest of La Rioja. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 121 km.
| Date and Time: | Sep 23, 2026 06:21 (La Rioja Time) - Sep 23, 2026 09:21 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 84 km NW of La Rioja, Argentina. Coordinates 28°46'14"S 67°18'7"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 59 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.04 . |
| Depth: | 121 km (75 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
This earthquake may have been felt in Argentina . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Chilecito in La Rioja, Argentina. Chilecito is located 47 kilometer (29 mi) north-east of the epicenter.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. San Miguel de Tucumán is located 298 km to the north-east. La Rioja is located 84 km to the south-east. Catamarca is located 152 km to the east.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 47 km (29 mi) SW from epicenter |
Chilecito La Rioja, Argentina. |
| 84 km (52 mi) SE from epicenter |
La Rioja La Rioja, Argentina. |
| 152 km (94 mi) E from epicenter |
Catamarca Catamarca, Argentina. |
| 215 km (134 mi) SW from epicenter |
San José de Jáchal San Juan, Argentina. |
| 222 km (138 mi) NE from epicenter |
Aguilares Tucuman, Argentina. |
| 251 km (156 mi) NE from epicenter |
Monteros Tucuman, Argentina. |
| 267 km (166 mi) NE from epicenter |
Famaillá Tucuman, Argentina. |
| 275 km (171 mi) NE from epicenter |
Bella Vista Tucuman, Argentina. |
| 278 km (173 mi) NE from epicenter |
Termas de Río Hondo Santiago del Estero, Argentina. |
| 292 km (181 mi) NE from epicenter |
Yerba Buena Tucuman, Argentina. |
| 298 km (185 mi) NE from epicenter |
San Miguel de Tucumán Tucuman, Argentina. |
Shaking reported by 3 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 3 people have reported shaking in one place 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:
- La Rioja, La Rioja, Argentina: 3 people.
2 Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 2 smaller aftershocks were detected. Just 2 days after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-2.6 was detected 92 km (57 mi) south-east of this earthquake.
Before this earthquake struck, 3 smaller foreshocks occurred. Roughly 9 hrs before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-2.8 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 2.5 |
16 hrs earlier Sep 22, 2026 14:18 (La Rioja Time) | 50 km (31 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.6 |
11 hrs earlier Sep 22, 2026 19:17 (La Rioja Time) | 35 km (22 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 2.8 |
9 hrs earlier Sep 22, 2026 21:21 (La Rioja Time) | 65 km (40 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
Sep 23, 2026 06:21 (La Rioja Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
1 day later Sep 24, 2026 14:50 (La Rioja Time) | 100 km (62 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 2.6 |
2 days later Sep 25, 2026 10:16 (La Rioja Time) | 92 km (57 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.
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 May 1st, 2025, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 28 km (17 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck on December 24th, 2024.
In total, 15 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 8 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 121 km (75 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 18/10/26 00:58 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000tx29
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260923_0000107
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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