Reviewed by USGSPeru56y ago
M5.9 earthquake 15 km NNE of Máncora, Peru
Tuesday, December 29, 1970, 08:01:59 UTC · 3.974°S, 81.020°W
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck 15 km NNE of Máncora, Peru on Tuesday, December 29, 1970, 08:01:59 UTC, at a depth of 35.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.2 on December 10, 1970.
- Magnitude
- 5.9
- Moderate · mw
- Depth
- 35 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- VI
- Strong (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
10 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/2 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 21 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
79 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the North Andes and South American plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
35 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
No “Did You Feel It?” reports have been published for this event yet. If you felt it, you can add your report on the USGS website.
I felt it — report to USGS ↗USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No PAGER estimate is available for this event.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 75 km
USGS lists 1 M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M5.3 on January 25, 1971. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 51 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.314 km NNE of Zorritos, PeruDecember 12, 1953 · 63 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.29 km ENE of Papayal, PeruDecember 10, 1970 · 41 km E of this epicenter
- 7.115 km SSW of Huabal, PeruJuly 18, 1928 · 299 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.971 km NW of El Alto, PeruFebruary 7, 1959 · 76 km W of this epicenter
- 6.813 km ESE of Huangala, PeruJuly 24, 1912 · 118 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.846 km SW of Paján, EcuadorOctober 2, 1933 · 241 km N of this epicenter
- 6.661 km WSW of Jipijapa, EcuadorMarch 29, 1946 · 264 km N of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 9 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 88 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1970M7.6
N; Ecuador: S
10 Dec 1970 · 36 km away · intensity X
82 deaths$6 million damage
- 1953M7.4
Peru-Ecuador
12 Dec 1953 · 79 km away · intensity IX
6 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1913M7.7
Gonzanama, San Pedro, Molleture
24 Feb 1913 · 170 km away · intensity VII
Severe damage ($5–24M)
- 1912M7.0
Huancabamba,Cajamarca; Ecuador: Guayaquil
24 Jul 1912 · 195 km away · intensity X
Severe damage ($5–24M)
- 1943M6.9
Guayaquil
30 Jan 1943 · 216 km away · intensity VI
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1959M7.4
Peru-Ecuador
7 Feb 1959 · 53 km away · intensity VII
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.