Reviewed by USGSPeru59y ago
M5.3 earthquake 33 km NNW of Segunda Jerusalén - Azunguillo, Peru
Tuesday, July 16, 1968, 13:18:44 UTC · 5.697°S, 77.344°W
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 33 km NNW of Segunda Jerusalén - Azunguillo, Peru on Tuesday, July 16, 1968, 13:18:44 UTC, at a depth of 23.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.5 on July 7, 1968.
- Magnitude
- 5.3
- Moderate · mw
- Depth
- 23 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
1 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/12 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 3 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
189 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Sunda and Australian plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: shallow
23 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 July 28, 1968. 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 40 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.516 km W of Barranca, PeruSeptember 28, 1906 · 115 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.323 km N of Bellavista, PeruMay 14, 1928 · 148 km W of this epicenter
- 7.115 km SSW of Huabal, PeruJuly 18, 1928 · 181 km W of this epicenter
- 6.848 km NNE of Segunda Jerusalén - Azunguillo, PeruJune 19, 1968 · 26 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.517 km NE of Tabaloslos, PeruApril 13, 1963 · 108 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.334 km NNE of Las Pirias, PeruMay 15, 1928 · 159 km W of this epicenter
- 6.298 km E of Gualaquiza, EcuadorNovember 3, 1963 · 243 km N of this epicenter
- 6.280 km ENE of Gualaquiza, EcuadorMay 25, 1958 · 280 km N of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 4 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 44 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1928M7.3
Chacahpoyas,Huancabamba,Cajamarca,Pinpincos
14 May 1928 · 149 km away · intensity X
29 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1968M6.8
San Martin,Moyobamba,Yantalo,Rioja,Lamas
19 Jun 1968 · 30 km away
15 deathsUnder $1 million damage
- 1928M7.0
Peru
18 Jul 1928 · 185 km away · intensity VI
tsunami
- 1907
Peru
16 Nov 1907 · 264 km away · intensity VI
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.