Moderate magnitude 4.4 earthquake at 263 km depth20 Aug 20:38 UTC: First to report: EMSC after 4 minutes.I didn't feel itI felt this quakeEarthquake detailsDate & timeAug 20, 2026 20:34:58 UTC - Local time at epicenterThursday, Aug 20, 2026, at 05:34 pm (GMT -3)Statuspreliminary (automatic detection)Magnitude4.40Depth263 kmEpicenter latitude / longitude24.23°S / 67.37°WDepartamento de Los Andes, Salta Province, ArgentinaAlso near: Chile 23 km (14 mi) awaySeismic antipode24.23°N / 112.63°EChinaShaking intensityII Very weak shakingFelt0 reportsPrimary data sourceEMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)Nearest volcanoIncaguasi (28 km / 17 mi)Weather at epicenter at time of quakeClear Sky 1.8°C (35 F), humidity: 10%, wind: 3 m/s (6 kts) from WNWEstimated seismic energy released2.5 x 1011 joules (69.8 megawatt hours, equivalent to 60 tons of TNT) | equivalent to ONE quake of magnitude 4.4 | about seismic energy4 minutes agoAug 20, 2026 20:34 GMT / Aug 20, 2026 05:34 pm (GMT -3)Lat / Lng: -24.23 / -67.37: Salta, ArgentinaSource: EMSCDetail info | You felt it? - Report it!';storedMarkers.push(['quake-23299000',-24.23000,-67.37000,'4 minutes ago: Mag. 4.4, Salta, Argentina',html,'quakes-6-24.png',25,25,12,12,125]); function mkRep(id,notFelt){var nFelt=notFelt||false;var src="https://www.volcanoesandearthquakes.com/app/earthquake-report.php?quakeId="+id;if(nFelt==true){src+="¬Felt=true";}window.open(src,"","status=0,toolbar=0,location=0,directories=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,height=400,width=350");} function locationHashChanged(e){-1!=e.oldURL.indexOf("#popupMap")&&closePopup()} window.onhashchange = locationHashChanged; function comment(e){var t=e.parentNode,a=(t.dataset.id,document.getElementById("commentForm"));"none"==a.style.display?(t.appendChild(a),a.style.display="block"):a.style.display="none"}function sendComment(e){var t=e.parentNode,a=t.parentNode.dataset.id,n=document.getElementById("commentContent"),p=n.value.trim();if(p){var o="id="+a+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId;o+="&comment="+decodeURIComponent(p),mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",o,function(e){e.responseText;alert("Thank you for submitting your comment!"),t.style.display="none",n.value=""})}}function flagReport(e){var t=e.parentNode.dataset.id;if(confirm("Report this as inappropriate?")){var a="id="+t+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId+"&flagAsInappropriate=1";mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",a,function(t){var a=t.responseText;alert(a),e.style.display="none"})}}function likeReport(e){var t="id="+e.parentNode.dataset.id+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId+"&like=1";mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",t,function(t){t.responseText;e.style.opacity=.5})}]]>[smaller] [bigger]Most recent quakes Top 20 past 24 hrs Quakes in ArgentinaNearby placesThe closest larger town where the quake might have been felt is San Antonio de los Cobres, a town with 4,000 inhabitants in Argentina, in 107 km (66 mi) distance east of the epicenter. People likely experienced very weak shaking there.The following table shows some of the places that might have been affected (or not) by the shaking.DistancePlaceMax. shaking intensity(*)RegionCountry107 km (66 mi)E of epicenterSan Antonio de los Cobres(pop: 4,000)II: Very weakDepartamento de Los Andes, Salta ProvinceArgentina138 km (86 mi)NE of epicenterSusques(pop: 1,140)I: Not feltJujuy ProvinceArgentina146 km (91 mi)E of epicenterSanta Rosa de Tastil(pop: 2,000)I: Not feltDepartamento de Rosario de Lerma, Salta ProvinceArgentina157 km (98 mi)SE of epicenterCachi(pop: 2,190)I: Not feltSalta ProvinceArgentina169 km (105 mi)NW of epicenterSan Pedro de Atacama(pop: 11,000)I: Not feltProvincia de El Loa, Region de AntofagastaChile191 km (118 mi)SE of epicenterCampo Quijano(pop: 5,000)I: Not feltDepartamento de Rosario de Lerma, Salta ProvinceArgentina206 km (128 mi)NE of epicenterEl Aguilar(pop: 3,660)I: Not feltDepartamento de Humahuaca, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina207 km (129 mi)E of epicenterSalta(pop: 520,700)I: Not feltDepartamento Capital, Salta ProvinceArgentina211 km (131 mi)E of epicenterSan Salvador de Jujuy(pop: 258,000)I: Not feltDepartamento de Doctor Manuel Belgrano, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina212 km (131 mi)SE of epicenterEl Carril(pop: 9,780)I: Not feltDepartamento de Chicoana, Salta ProvinceArgentina214 km (133 mi)E of epicenterTilcara(pop: 5,640)I: Not feltJujuy ProvinceArgentina219 km (136 mi)E of epicenterPalpala(pop: 48,200)I: Not feltDepartamento de Palpala, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina235 km (146 mi)NE of epicenterHumahuaca(pop: 11,400)I: Not feltJujuy ProvinceArgentina239 km (149 mi)NE of epicenterAbra Pampa(pop: 9,430)I: Not feltDepartamento de Cochinoca, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina244 km (152 mi)E of epicenterLa Mendieta(pop: 3,810)I: Not feltDepartamento de San Pedro, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina248 km (154 mi)SE of epicenterCafayate(pop: 11,800)I: Not feltSalta ProvinceArgentina253 km (157 mi)NW of epicenterCalama(pop: 166,300)I: Not feltProvincia de El Loa, Region de AntofagastaChile254 km (158 mi)E of epicenterSan Pedro de Jujuy(pop: 58,400)I: Not feltDepartamento de San Pedro, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina263 km (163 mi)E of epicenterFraile Pintado(pop: 13,700)I: Not feltDepartamento de Ledesma, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina266 km (165 mi)E of epicenterLibertador General San Martin(pop: 49,300)I: Not feltDepartamento de Ledesma, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina275 km (171 mi)E of epicenterSanta Clara(pop: 4,880)I: Not feltDepartamento de Santa Barbara, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina287 km (179 mi)E of epicenterCaimancito(pop: 5,400)I: Not feltDepartamento de Ledesma, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina298 km (185 mi)NE of epicenterLa Quiaca(pop: 14,800)I: Not feltDepartamento de Yavi, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina300 km (186 mi)NE of epicenterVillazon(pop: 30,300)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia302 km (188 mi)E of epicenterYuto(pop: 7,730)I: Not feltDepartamento de Ledesma, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina303 km (188 mi)SE of epicenterEl Galpon(pop: 8,360)I: Not feltDepartamento de Metan, Salta ProvinceArgentina306 km (190 mi)SE of epicenterTrancas(pop: 6,660)I: Not feltTucuman ProvinceArgentina313 km (194 mi)E of epicenterPalma Sola(pop: 5,320)I: Not feltDepartamento de Santa Barbara, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina314 km (195 mi)W of epicenterAntofagasta(pop: 401,100)I: Not feltRegion de AntofagastaChile333 km (207 mi)E of epicenterOrán(pop: 74,100)I: Not feltSalta ProvinceArgentina350 km (217 mi)SE of epicenterTafi Viejo(pop: 48,500)I: Not feltTafi Viejo, Tucuman ProvinceArgentina351 km (218 mi)NE of epicenterBermejo(pop: 35,400)I: Not feltDepartamento de TarijaBolivia353 km (219 mi)NE of epicenterTupiza(pop: 22,200)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia355 km (220 mi)SE of epicenterYerba Buena(pop: 50,800)I: Not feltTucuman ProvinceArgentina360 km (224 mi)SE of epicenterSan Miguel de Tucuman(pop: 548,900)I: Not feltDepartamento de Capital, Tucuman ProvinceArgentina365 km (227 mi)SE of epicenterAlderetes(pop: 38,500)I: Not feltDepartamento de Cruz Alta, Tucuman ProvinceArgentina371 km (231 mi)SE of epicenterFamailla(pop: 31,000)I: Not feltDepartamento de Famailla, Tucuman ProvinceArgentina374 km (233 mi)NW of epicenterTocopilla(pop: 25,400)I: Not feltRegion de AntofagastaChile375 km (233 mi)SE of epicenterBella Vista(pop: 15,100)I: Not feltDepartamento de Leales, Tucuman ProvinceArgentina404 km (251 mi)NE of epicenterTarija(pop: 159,300)I: Not feltDepartamento de TarijaBoliviaNotes:(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.User-reports for this quakeThere are no user reports for this quake yet.If you felt it, be the first to report it!Get the Android appCompare Quake DataData for the same earthquake as reported by different agenciesThe more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.MagDepthTime GMT2026-08-20EpicenterAgency4.4263 km164 mi20:34:58SALTA, ARGENTINAEMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)Aftershocks for this quakeNo aftershocks have been recorded so far. When aftershocks are detected, we will update this section.What are aftershocks?Larger earthquakes (above magnitude 5 or so) such as this one are usually followed by smaller ones known as aftershocks that occur in the same area during the days, weeks, months or even years after the main shock.[More info]What about this quake?Based on its magnitude, the fault that was active during the quake likely ruptured beneath a surface area of approximately 3 km2 (1 square miles) as a first-order estimate. The length of the rupture zone thus was probably around 3 km (2 mi).[More info]Recorded aftershocks, latest first (0 quake)Aug 20, 2026 05:34 pm (GMT -3)4 minutes ago4.4263 km0 km - This quakeDepartamento de Los Andes, 207 km W of Salta, Departamento Capital, Salta Province, ArgentinaMain Shock (this quake)MoreMap of aftershocksEarthquake statisticsAverage number of earthquakesBased on data from the past 26 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 1,000 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):Mag. 6 or higher: 0.08 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 12.7 years)Mag. 5 or higher: 3 quakes per yearMag. 4 or higher: 130 quakes per year (or 10.8 quakes per month)Mag. 3 or higher: 825 quakes per year (or 69 quakes per month)Mag. 2 or higher: 1,000 quakes per year (or 2.9 quakes per day)The area where this quake occurred has a very high level of seismic activity. It has had at least 10 quakes above magnitude 6 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 10 to 15 years.Number of quakes per yearPrevious quakes in the same area of this earthquake