Reviewed by USGSPeru85y ago
M8.1 earthquake 21 km NNE of Minas de Marcona, Peru
Monday, August 24, 1942, 22:50:31 UTC · 15.041°S, 75.025°W
A magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck 21 km NNE of Minas de Marcona, Peru on Monday, August 24, 1942, 22:50:31 UTC, at a depth of 30.0 km (shallow). No earthquake of this size or larger appears within 300 km in the USGS catalog since 1900.
- Magnitude
- 8.1
- Great · mw
- Depth
- 30 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- VII
- Very strong (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 400 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
21 megatons of TNT
That is about 1,415 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 44,668 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
28 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Altiplano and South American plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
30 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 400 km
USGS lists 3 M2.5+ earthquakes within 400 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M6.3 on August 25, 1942. 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 16 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.737 km SSW of Atico, PeruAugust 6, 1913 · 216 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.235 km N of El Cardo, PeruOctober 11, 1922 · 284 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.913 km SSW of San Juan, PeruOctober 3, 1916 · 87 km E of this epicenter
- 6.7165 km SSW of Atiquipa, PeruJuly 28, 1913 · 236 km S of this epicenter
- 6.7103 km SSW of Atico, PeruSeptember 13, 1919 · 248 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.691 km SSW of Santiago, PeruJune 25, 1930 · 111 km W of this epicenter
- 6.512 km S of Chiara, PeruJanuary 9, 1921 · 205 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.512 km WNW of Cotaruse, PeruFebruary 28, 1920 · 198 km E of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 17 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 408 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1821
Camana, Ocona, Caraveli
10 Jul 1821 · 250 km away · intensity VIII
162 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1913M6.3
Amyaraes, Abancay, Casaya, Soraya
4 Nov 1913 · 247 km away · intensity X
150 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1914
Pararca,Paysa,Colta,Oyala
2 Dec 1914 · 197 km away · intensity X
34 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1813
Ica
30 Mar 1813 · 112 km away · intensity VII
32 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 1942M8.2
Ica, Nazca
24 Aug 1942 · 105 km away · intensity IX
30 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1913M7.9
Caraveli, Chuquibamba, Ocona, Atico
6 Aug 1913 · 244 km away · intensity X
Severe damage ($5–24M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.