Reviewed by USGSEcuador63y ago
M6.2 earthquake 98 km E of Gualaquiza, Ecuador
Sunday, November 3, 1963, 03:10:13 UTC · 3.546°S, 77.705°W
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck 98 km E of Gualaquiza, Ecuador on Sunday, November 3, 1963, 03:10:13 UTC, at a depth of 25.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M6.6 on May 10, 1963.
- Magnitude
- 6.2
- Strong · mw
- Depth
- 25 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 earthquakeColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
30 kilotons of TNT
That is about 2 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 63 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
218 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the North Andes and South American plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: shallow
25 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 13 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 · 171 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.323 km N of Bellavista, PeruMay 14, 1928 · 237 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.115 km SSW of Huabal, PeruJuly 18, 1928 · 281 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.655 km ENE of Macas, EcuadorMay 10, 1963 · 151 km N of this epicenter
- 6.6119 km E of Macas, EcuadorJuly 28, 1961 · 159 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.522 km NE of Baños, EcuadorAugust 5, 1949 · 265 km N of this epicenter
- 6.334 km NNE of Las Pirias, PeruMay 15, 1928 · 230 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.3128 km ESE of Palora, EcuadorJune 12, 1942 · 187 km NE 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 46,080 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1797M8.3
Riobamba, Quito, Cuzco; Peru; Colombia
4 Feb 1797 · 238 km away · intensity XI
40,000 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
- 1949M6.5
Tungurahua
5 Aug 1949 · 265 km away
6,000 deaths$8 million damage
- 1924M6.9
Ecuador
3 Mar 1924 · 238 km away
40 deathsLimited damage (under $1M)
- 1928M7.3
Chacahpoyas,Huancabamba,Cajamarca,Pinpincos
14 May 1928 · 235 km away · intensity X
29 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1960
Ecuador
30 Jul 1960 · 269 km away
11 deathsLimited damage (under $1M)
- 1913M7.7
Gonzanama, San Pedro, Molleture
24 Feb 1913 · 211 km away · intensity VII
Severe damage ($5–24M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.