The epicenter was located in a zone of instability towards the north of Aconcagua, in the Andes mountain range, from La Plata. From there the seismic waves spread on one side from west to east, destroying the Andean city, and on the other side towards the west where it reached the Chilean Longitudinal Valley and continued along its length to Santiago. The epicenter was farther west than common for seismic movements in Mendoza.