Reviewed by USGSPeru57y ago
M6.0 earthquake 43 km WSW of Huarmey, Peru
Thursday, July 2, 1970, 00:45:02 UTC · 10.166°S, 78.540°W
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck 43 km WSW of Huarmey, Peru on Thursday, July 2, 1970, 00:45:02 UTC, at a depth of 50.1 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M6.4 on June 4, 1970.
- Magnitude
- 6.0
- Strong · mw
- Depth
- 50 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- V
- Moderate (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
15 kilotons of TNT
That is about the energy of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 32 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
162 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Nazca and South American plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: shallow
50 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 100 km
USGS has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 100 km in the 30 days after this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 39 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.221 km SE of Huacho, PeruMay 24, 1940 · 168 km SE of this epicenter
- 8.167 km W of Paramonga, PeruOctober 17, 1966 · 61 km S of this epicenter
- 7.934 km SW of Chimbote, PeruMay 31, 1970 · 106 km N of this epicenter
- 7.155 km SW of Santiago de Cao, PeruJune 21, 1937 · 242 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.0179 km WSW of Huarmey, PeruSeptember 3, 1967 · 136 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.928 km W of Paramonga, PeruSeptember 24, 1963 · 73 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.86 km SSW of Quiches, PeruNovember 10, 1946 · 221 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.710 km SSW of Huacho, PeruMay 24, 1940 · 151 km SE of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 25 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 75,379 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1970M7.9
Northern, Pisco, Chiclayo
31 May 1970 · 111 km away · intensity X
66,794 deaths$530 million damagetsunami
- 1746M8.0
Lima, Callao
29 Oct 1746 · 251 km away · intensity XI
5,941 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
- 1725M7.7
Trujillo, Ancash, Lima
7 Jan 1725 · 139 km away · intensity IX
1,500 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1946M7.3
Jocaibamba,Cerro Angaschaj,Cerro Sillapata
10 Nov 1946 · 218 km away · intensity XI
800 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1940M8.2
Peru
24 May 1940 · 173 km away · intensity X
179 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1966M8.1
Lima,Huacho,Huaura, Chancay,Supe,San Nicolas
17 Oct 1966 · 66 km away · intensity IX
110 deaths$35 million damagetsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.