What the record shows for Argentina
The strongest earthquake on record near Argentina is a magnitude 8.3 in 2015, centred 48 km W of Illapel, Chile - 11 years ago. The event is catalogued by USGS. See the event record.
Over the last 20 years, USGS has catalogued 5,661 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or greater within 833 km of Argentina - roughly 283 a year. That rate describes how often the ground moves enough to be recorded, not how often damage occurs; most of these are never felt.
The NOAA NCEI database records 42 tsunamis within 833 km of Argentina between 1542 and 2017. The most significant was in 1939 near Central Chile, triggered by an M8.3 earthquake, which killed around 30,000 people.
40 volcanoes are catalogued near Argentina, including Maipo, Tupungatito, San Jose, Atuel, Caldera del, Payun Matru, Infiernillo and 34 more. Volcanic systems generate their own earthquake swarms, which is why activity here can look different from a purely tectonic region.
Sources: USGS earthquake catalog, NOAA tsunami database, and the Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program. Figures update as the catalogs are revised.
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Western Argentina, along the Andes, experiences regular earthquakes driven by the subducting Nazca plate.
The only real protection is a warning the moment the ground moves - which is exactly what the free QuakeMate app gives you, along with tsunami and volcano alerts for Argentina.
Earthquake risk in Argentina - FAQ
Is Argentina at risk of earthquakes?
Yes. On average about 283 quakes a year nearby of magnitude 4+ within 833 km, based on the last 20 years of USGS data. The strongest earthquake on record nearby is M8.3 in 2015.
What was the biggest earthquake in Argentina?
The strongest earthquake on record near Argentina is M8.3, in 2015 (48 km W of Illapel, Chile), from USGS.
Does Argentina get tsunamis?
Yes - 42 tsunamis since 1542 (most recently 2017) within 833 km, from the NOAA database. The deadliest killed around 30,000 people.
How do I get earthquake warnings in Argentina?
Download the free QuakeMate app for iPhone. It watches your location and sends a real-time push the instant a quake strikes nearby, plus tsunami and volcano alerts, with custom magnitude and distance rules. On Android, join the waitlist.