Reviewed by USGSEcuador69y ago
M6.2 earthquake 80 km ENE of Gualaquiza, Ecuador
Sunday, May 25, 1958, 21:11:45 UTC · 3.235°S, 77.877°W
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck 80 km ENE of Gualaquiza, Ecuador on Sunday, May 25, 1958, 21:11:45 UTC, at a depth of 45.8 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M6.5 on August 5, 1949.
- Magnitude
- 6.2
- Strong · mw
- Depth
- 46 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
29 kilotons of TNT
That is about 2 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 61 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
180 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
46 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 10 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 · 211 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.323 km N of Bellavista, PeruMay 14, 1928 · 261 km S of this epicenter
- 6.522 km NE of Baños, EcuadorAugust 5, 1949 · 227 km N of this epicenter
- 6.334 km NNE of Las Pirias, PeruMay 15, 1928 · 253 km S of this epicenter
- 6.3128 km ESE of Palora, EcuadorJune 12, 1942 · 170 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.233 km W of Ambato, EcuadorJuly 22, 1924 · 249 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.219 km SSW of Lomas de Sargentillo, EcuadorJanuary 30, 1943 · 284 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.152 km WSW of Barranca, PeruApril 17, 1953 · 214 km SE of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 10 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 47,069 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1797M8.3
Riobamba, Quito, Cuzco; Peru; Colombia
4 Feb 1797 · 198 km away · intensity XI
40,000 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
- 1949M6.5
Tungurahua
5 Aug 1949 · 227 km away
6,000 deaths$8 million damage
- 1757M7.0
Cotopaxi,Tungurahua, Latacunga
22 Feb 1757 · 272 km away · intensity IX
1,000 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1924M6.9
Ecuador
3 Mar 1924 · 199 km away
40 deathsLimited damage (under $1M)
- 1928M7.3
Chacahpoyas,Huancabamba,Cajamarca,Pinpincos
14 May 1928 · 260 km away · intensity X
29 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1913M7.7
Gonzanama, San Pedro, Molleture
24 Feb 1913 · 192 km away · intensity VII
Severe damage ($5–24M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.