Reviewed by USGSPeru99y ago
M6.0 earthquake 5 km NNE of Canchaque, Peru
Wednesday, May 16, 1928, 07:56:44 UTC · 5.327°S, 79.600°W
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck 5 km NNE of Canchaque, Peru on Wednesday, May 16, 1928, 07:56:44 UTC, at a depth of 35.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M6.3 on May 15, 1928.
- Magnitude
- 6.0
- Moderate · mw
- Depth
- 35 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 earthquake
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
13 kilotons of TNT
That is about the energy of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 28 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
38 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Sunda and Australian plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
35 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 has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km in the 30 days after this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 6 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.323 km N of Bellavista, PeruMay 14, 1928 · 105 km E of this epicenter
- 6.813 km ESE of Huangala, PeruJuly 24, 1912 · 110 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.3115 km SSW of Sechura, PeruDecember 27, 1925 · 226 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.334 km NNE of Las Pirias, PeruMay 15, 1928 · 96 km E of this epicenter
- 6.220 km WNW of Las Lomas, PeruSeptember 25, 1914 · 121 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.023 km SE of Bernal, PeruMarch 13, 1927 · 118 km W 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 29 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1928M7.3
Chacahpoyas,Huancabamba,Cajamarca,Pinpincos
14 May 1928 · 104 km away · intensity X
29 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1913M7.7
Gonzanama, San Pedro, Molleture
24 Feb 1913 · 214 km away · intensity VII
Severe damage ($5–24M)
- 1912M7.0
Huancabamba,Cajamarca; Ecuador: Guayaquil
24 Jul 1912 · 96 km away · intensity X
Severe damage ($5–24M)
- 1928M7.0
Peru
18 Jul 1928 · 69 km away · intensity VI
tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.