M4.7 Earthquake near San Martín, Argentina — 19 January 2025
A light earthquake of magnitude 4.7 was recorded near San Martín, Argentina on , with an epicentre 37 km east-northeast of San Martín, at a focal depth of 109.4 km. It ranked as the 4th strongest of 13 earthquakes recorded in Argentina in the preceding 30 days.
Time (UTC): 2025-01-19 19:25:31
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 4.7 (light)
Focal depth: 109.4 km (intermediate)
Epicentre: -31.3017, -68.1343
Location: 37 km ENE of San Martín, Argentina
Country: Argentina
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Reviewed
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items.
A magnitude 4.7 earthquake radiates roughly 169 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 340, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.
What the magnitude scale actually measures →
When it happened locally
That is about 14:52 local solar time at the epicentre, during the afternoon.
This event was shallower than 68% of the 386 earthquakes recorded in Argentina in our catalogue and stronger than 76% of them.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at -31.3017, -68.1343 — 37 km east-northeast of San Martín. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.1 earthquake 10 km southwest of here on 24 February 2025.
The nearest other settlements in our records are San Agustín de Valle Fértil (52 km east), Nueve de Julio (65 km south-southwest), Zonda (86 km west-southwest) and 25 de Mayo (94 km southeast).
Why the 109 km depth matters
At 109 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.
Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →
What does the tsunami information flag mean?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.7 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 109 km focal depth is too great to deform the sea floor significantly; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →
Aftershocks and local seismic history
1 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.3.
65 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.2 event near San Agustín de Valle Fértil on 08 January 2026. This M4.7 event released about 5.6 times less energy than that event.
4 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 1 of them in the past 30 days.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the January 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Argentina during January 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.1 earthquake near San Martín, Argentina — (10 km SW)
- M4.3 earthquake near San Martín, Argentina — (19 km WNW)
- M4.6 earthquake near San Martín, Argentina — (21 km WNW)
- M4.4 earthquake near Caucete, Argentina — (32 km SSE)
- M4.8 earthquake near Caucete, Argentina — (47 km SE)
- M5.2 earthquake near San Agustín de Valle Fértil, Argentina — (52 km E)
- M4.4 earthquake near Caucete, Argentina — (53 km ESE)
- M4.5 earthquake near Nueve de Julio, Argentina — (65 km SSW)
- M4.7 earthquake near Villa Basilio Nievas, Argentina — (74 km W)
- M4.3 earthquake near Villa Basilio Nievas, Argentina — (77 km WNW)
Other recent earthquakes in Argentina
- M4.4 earthquake near San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina —
- M4.7 earthquake near Cafayate, Argentina —
- M5.0 earthquake near Cafayate, Argentina —
- M4.3 earthquake near San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina —
- M5.1 earthquake near Antofagasta de la Sierra, Argentina —
- M4.3 earthquake near Abra Pampa, Argentina —
- M4.5 earthquake near Tinogasta, Argentina —
- M4.2 earthquake near San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina —
- M4.5 earthquake near El Aguilar, Argentina —
- M4.4 earthquake near Abra Pampa, Argentina —
Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide
- M4.7 earthquake near Panguna, Papua New Guinea —
- M4.8 earthquake near Tual, Indonesia —
- M4.8 earthquake near Tadine, New Caledonia —
- M4.4 earthquake near Pelabuhanratu, Indonesia —
- M4.9 earthquake near Patea, New Zealand —
- M4.6 earthquake near Sipí, Colombia —
- M5.0 earthquake near Lae, Papua New Guinea —
- M4.9 earthquake near Sipí, Colombia —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong was the earthquake near San Martín?
It measured magnitude 4.7 — a light earthquake. A magnitude 4.7 earthquake radiates roughly 169 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near San Martín?
The focus was 109 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.
Was the San Martín earthquake felt at the surface?
At magnitude 4.7 and a focal depth of 109 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.
When did the earthquake near San Martín happen?
19 January 2025 at 19:25 UTC.
Was there a tsunami?
No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.
Have there been aftershocks?
1 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.3.
How often do earthquakes happen near San Martín?
65 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.2 event near San Agustín de Valle Fértil on 08 January 2026. This M4.7 event released about 5.6 times less energy than that event.