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M 5.3 Earthquake Strikes 64 km W of Cafayate, Argentina

Source: USGS · Northwestern Argentina

A magnitude 5.3 earthquake was recorded by USGS near 64 km W of Cafayate. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M5.3 is classified "Moderate". Among the 1,740 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M5.3 event ranks stronger than 80% of them (rank #260 by magnitude).

Read this earthquake report in 30 seconds

Magnitude
M 5.3
USGS class
Moderate
Location
64 km W of Cafayate
Archive rank
#260 of 1,740
Source
USGS
Published
September 20, 2026
MODERATE

Stronger than 80% of the 1,740 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive, weaker than 259 others.

Record status: a snapshot from USGS, not a final record. Check USGS's own event page for aftershocks and any later revision to the magnitude shown here.

What Happened

A magnitude 5.3 mww earthquake struck 64 km W of Cafayate, Argentina, on 2026-09-20 at 12:47:54 UTC. The event was recorded at coordinates 25.9869°S, 66.6117°W with a depth of 10 km.

Location Details

The earthquake was located 64 km west of Cafayate, Argentina, at latitude -25.9869 and longitude -66.6117. A depth of 10 km is considered shallow (less than 20 km).

Impact Assessment

No felt reports were recorded. There was no tsunami advisory (tsunami flag: 0) and no alert level was issued.

What You Should Know

This was a moderate earthquake that can cause damage to poorly constructed buildings. Aftershocks are possible following any earthquake.

Source

Data from USGS: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000tiq2

Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗

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What People Ask

What people usually ask about a notice like this one.

What was the magnitude of this event? ▾
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake occurred 64 km west of Cafayate, Argentina, at a depth of 10 km.
What does a magnitude 5.3 ("Moderate") earthquake mean? ▾
The USGS classifies M5.3 as "Moderate" on its Earthquake Hazards Program scale. Events in this range are felt over a wide area and can cause significant damage near the epicenter, particularly to older or unreinforced buildings.
How does this compare with other earthquakes Areazine has reported? ▾
This is the #260 strongest of the 1,740 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 80% of them and weaker than 259 others.
Was Cafayate likely to feel this earthquake? ▾
This event was centered 64 km W of Cafayate. Shaking intensity falls off sharply with distance from the epicenter and depends on depth and local geology, so check the USGS "Did You Feel It?" report for this event for real felt-shaking data rather than assuming from magnitude and distance alone.

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