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1844 Salta earthquake

When
1844–1845
Where
Salta Province; Signing of the Pact of Allegiance (Pacta de Fidelidad)
Episodes
2

The 1844 Salta earthquake occurred on 18 October 1844 in Salta Province, Argentina. Estimated magnitude 6.5 Ms with a hypocentral depth of 30 km, it reached Mercalli intensity VII. The event impacted several villages and the capital city, Salta, within a region known for high seismic activity.

Episodes

  1. 18 October 1844 · Salta Province1844 Salta Earthquake Occurrence

    A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Salta Province on 18 October 1844, causing significant damage.

  2. 1845 · Signing of the Pact of Allegiance (Pacta de Fidelidad)1845 Pact of Allegiance

    In 1845, a year after the 1844 earthquake, ecclesiastical authorities and the Government of the Province signed the Pact of Allegiance.

Background and detail

Background. Salta Province is located in northwest Argentina, a geologically active region prone to occasional earthquakes. The 1844 event was significant as the last major earthquake to affect the area prior to this date had occurred in 1692. The province's capital, the city of Salta, serves as the seat of the provincial government.

Event Details. The earthquake took place on 18 October 1844 at 23:00 UTC. Reports estimated a magnitude of 6.5 Ms and a hypocentral depth of 30 km. The destructive force was measured at VII on the Mercalli intensity scale, indicating very strong shaking that impacted several villages and the capital city.

Aftermath. A year after the 1844 earthquake, in 1845, ecclesiastical authorities together with the Government of the Province signed the so-called Pact of Allegiance (Pacta de Fidelidad). The Fiesta del Milagro, whose origins lie in the 1692 Salta earthquake, predates this agreement; the passages record the pact's signing as following the 1844 event in time, without stating a causal link.

Sources

  1. 1844 Salta earthquake Wikipedia, revision of 2026-07-26
  2. Salta Province Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-26

Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.