Moderate magnitude 4.0 earthquake at 214 km depth16 May 00:57 UTC: First to report: EMSC after 21 minutes.I didn't feel itI felt this quakeEarthquake detailsDate & timeMay 16, 2026 00:35:57 UTC - Local time at epicenterSaturday, May 16, 2026, at 12:35 am (Universal Time GMT +0)Statuspreliminary (automatic detection)Magnitude4.00Depth214 kmEpicenter latitude / longitude21.521°S / 66.712°WDepartamento de Potosi, BoliviaAlso near: Argentina 58 km (36 mi) awaySeismic antipode21.521°N / 113.288°EChinaShaking intensityNot feltPrimary data sourceEMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)Nearest volcanoEscala (19 km / 12 mi)Estimated seismic energy released6.3 x 1010 joules (17.5 megawatt hours, equivalent to 15.1 tons of TNT) | equivalent to ONE quake of magnitude 4.0 | about seismic energy22 minutes agoMay 16, 2026 00:35 GMT / May 16, 2026 12:35 am (Universal Time)Lat / Lng: -21.521 / -66.712: Potosi, BoliviaSource: EMSCDetail info | You felt it? - Report it!';storedMarkers.push(['quake-23006280',-21.52100,-66.71200,'22 minutes ago: Mag. 4.0, Potosi, Bolivia',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 BoliviaNearby placesThe closest larger town near the epicenter is Porco, a town with 6,000 inhabitants in Bolivia, in 60 km (37 mi) distance to the northeast, but it is unlikely that the quake was felt there. DistancePlaceMax. shaking intensity(*)RegionCountry60 km (37 mi)NE of epicenterPorco(pop: 5,960)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia60 km (37 mi)NW of epicenterCulpina K(pop: 71)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia62 km (39 mi)NW of epicenterSan Cristobal(pop: 75)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia83 km (51 mi)NE of epicenterAtocha(pop: 1,830)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia96 km (60 mi)NE of epicenterSanta Barbara(pop: 2,430)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia103 km (64 mi)E of epicenterTupiza(pop: 22,200)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia119 km (74 mi)N of epicenterUyuni(pop: 10,300)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia132 km (82 mi)SE of epicenterVillazon(pop: 30,300)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia132 km (82 mi)SE of epicenterLa Quiaca(pop: 14,800)I: Not feltDepartamento de Yavi, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina134 km (83 mi)NE of epicenterSantiago de Cotagaita(pop: 1,900)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia138 km (86 mi)N of epicenterColchani(pop: 12,000)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia170 km (105 mi)SE of epicenterAbra Pampa(pop: 9,430)I: Not feltDepartamento de Cochinoca, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina184 km (114 mi)NE of epicenterCamargo(pop: 4,720)I: Not feltProvincia Nor Cinti, Departamento de ChuquisacaBolivia205 km (127 mi)E of epicenterTarija(pop: 159,300)I: Not feltDepartamento de TarijaBolivia216 km (134 mi)SE of epicenterEl Aguilar(pop: 3,660)I: Not feltDepartamento de Humahuaca, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina218 km (135 mi)SW of epicenterSan Pedro de Atacama(pop: 11,000)I: Not feltProvincia de El Loa, Region de AntofagastaChile234 km (146 mi)SE of epicenterHumahuaca(pop: 11,400)I: Not feltJujuy ProvinceArgentina237 km (148 mi)NE of epicenterPotosi(pop: 141,300)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia237 km (148 mi)NE of epicenterPotosi(pop: 141,300)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia251 km (156 mi)SW of epicenterCalama(pop: 166,300)I: Not feltProvincia de El Loa, Region de AntofagastaChile255 km (159 mi)NE of epicenterBetanzos(pop: 4,850)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia263 km (163 mi)E of epicenterEntre Rios(pop: 2,690)I: Not feltDepartamento de TarijaBolivia266 km (165 mi)SE of epicenterTilcara(pop: 5,640)I: Not feltJujuy ProvinceArgentina279 km (174 mi)SE of epicenterBermejo(pop: 35,400)I: Not feltDepartamento de TarijaBolivia291 km (181 mi)N of epicenterChallapata(pop: 8,020)I: Not feltOruroBolivia295 km (183 mi)W of epicenterPica(pop: 9,300)I: Not feltProvincia del Tamarugal, TarapacáChile304 km (189 mi)SE of epicenterOrán(pop: 74,100)I: Not feltSalta ProvinceArgentina315 km (196 mi)NE of epicenterSucre(pop: 224,800)I: Not feltDepartamento de ChuquisacaBolivia317 km (197 mi)E of epicenterSalvador Mazza(pop: 25,000)I: Not feltGeneral Jose de San Martin, Salta ProvinceArgentina318 km (198 mi)E of epicenterYacuiba(pop: 82,800)I: Not feltProvincia Gran Chaco, Departamento de TarijaBolivia319 km (199 mi)E of epicenterTartagal(pop: 60,800)I: Not feltGeneral Jose de San Martin, Salta ProvinceArgentina322 km (200 mi)E of epicenterGeneral Mosconi(pop: 19,800)I: Not feltGeneral Jose de San Martin, Salta ProvinceArgentina322 km (200 mi)SE of epicenterLibertador General San Martin(pop: 49,300)I: Not feltDepartamento de Ledesma, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina322 km (200 mi)N of epicenterColquechaca(pop: 1,710)I: Not feltDepartamento de PotosiBolivia328 km (204 mi)SE of epicenterEmbarcacion(pop: 24,000)I: Not feltGeneral Jose de San Martin, Salta ProvinceArgentina331 km (206 mi)SE of epicenterSan Salvador de Jujuy(pop: 258,000)I: Not feltDepartamento de Doctor Manuel Belgrano, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina341 km (212 mi)SE of epicenterPalpala(pop: 48,200)I: Not feltDepartamento de Palpala, Jujuy ProvinceArgentina345 km (214 mi)NE of epicenterMonteagudo(pop: 8,290)I: Not feltDepartamento de ChuquisacaBolivia349 km (217 mi)NW of epicenterPozo Almonte(pop: 16,900)I: Not feltProvincia del Tamarugal, TarapacáChile356 km (221 mi)SE of epicenterSan Pedro de Jujuy(pop: 58,400)I: Not feltDepartamento de San Pedro, Jujuy ProvinceArgentinaNotes:(*) 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 GMT2026-05-16EpicenterAgency4.0214 km133 mi00:35:57POTOSI, BOLIVIAEMSC (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 1 km2 (0 square miles) as a first-order estimate. The length of the rupture zone thus was probably around 2 km (1 mi).[More info]Recorded aftershocks, latest first (0 quake)May 16, 2026 12:35 am (Universal Time)22 minutes ago4.0214 km0 km - This quakePotosi, BoliviaMain Shock (this quake)MoreMap of aftershocksEarthquake statisticsAverage number of earthquakesBased on data from the past 56 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 75 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):Mag. 6 or higher: 0.02 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 62.5 years)Mag. 5 or higher: 0.66 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 1.5 years)Mag. 4 or higher: 28.1 quakes per yearMag. 3 or higher: 73 quakes per year (or 6.1 quakes per month)Mag. 2 or higher: 77 quakes per year (or 6.4 quakes per month)The area where this quake occurred has a high level of seismic activity. It has had at least 2 quakes above magnitude 6 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 60 to 65 years.Number of quakes per yearPrevious quakes in the same area of this earthquake