October 9, 1871 Earthquake: Salta, Argentina
An earthquake struck Salta, Argentina on October 9, 1871.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- October 9, 1871
- Place
- Salta, Argentina
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 23.100° S, 64.300° W
- Country
- Argentina
The toll
- Deaths
- Many (about 101 to 1,000)
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
A terrible earthquake shakes Oran and the whole of northern Argentina, reducing buildings to rubble and causing the loss of many lives. The intensity of the quake was VIII Mercalli. (reference #14044)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
More
Significant earthquakes of 1871The 1800sRecent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 10870.