M5.4 earthquake 57 km WSW of Huarmey, Peru

Wednesday, January 15, 2020, 09:45:18 UTC · 10.354°S, 78.591°W

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck 57 km WSW of Huarmey, Peru on Wednesday, January 15, 2020, 09:45:18 UTC, at a depth of 36.0 km (shallow). USGS received 54 “Did You Feel It?” reports, with a maximum reported intensity of IV (light). The USGS PAGER alert is green: low likelihood of casualties and damage. It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.5 on March 31, 2019.

Magnitude: 5.4; Moderate · mww
Depth: 36 km; Shallow
Felt reports: 54; Max intensity IV
Est. shaking: IV; Light (ShakeMap)
PAGER alert: Green; Impact estimate
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

2 kilotons of TNT

That is about 1/8 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 4 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.

Tectonic setting

148 km

from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Nazca and South American plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.

Depth: shallow

36 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

Reports sent by people to USGS, grouped by place (most reports first). Intensity uses the Modified Mercalli scale (I–X): what people felt, not the magnitude.

Place	Intensity	Reports	Distance
Lima, Lima Provincias, Peru	III · Weak	28	255 km
San Luis, Lima Provincias, Peru	III · Weak	14	260 km
Huaraz, Ancash, Peru	IV · Light	5	154 km
Trujillo, La Libertad, Peru	II · Weak	3	256 km
Oxapampa, Pasco, Peru	III · Weak	1	352 km
Chilca, Lima Provincias, Peru	III · Weak	1	314 km
Santa María, Lima Provincias, Peru	II · Weak	1	261 km
Nicolás de Pierola, Arequipa, Peru	II · Weak	1	273 km

I felt it — report to USGS ↗

USGS PAGER estimate

Who was exposed to shaking

Modelled from the ShakeMap and population data. Alert level green: low likelihood of casualties and damage.

IV · Light shaking: 15,000 people
III · Weak shaking: 255,000 people

Estimated shaking in nearby towns

La Caleta CulebrasPopulation 0IV · Light
HuarmeyPopulation 16,000IV · Light
ParamongaPopulation 28,000III · Weak
PativilcaPopulation 14,000III · Weak
CasmaPopulation 0III · Weak
BarrancaPopulation 46,000III · Weak
Puerto SupePopulation 11,000III · Weak
SupePopulation 14,000III · Weak

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 188 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:

History · NOAA

Deadliest earthquakes in this area

NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 33 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 75,480 recorded deaths. The most severe:

1970M7.9
Northern, Pisco, Chiclayo
31 May 1970 · 130 km away · intensity X
66,794 deaths$530 million damagetsunami
1746M8.0
Lima, Callao
29 Oct 1746 · 238 km away · intensity XI
5,941 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
1725M7.7
Trujillo, Ancash, Lima
7 Jan 1725 · 157 km away · intensity IX
1,500 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
1946M7.3
Jocaibamba,Cerro Angaschaj,Cerro Sillapata
10 Nov 1946 · 238 km away · intensity XI
800 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
1940M8.2
Peru
24 May 1940 · 175 km away · intensity X
179 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
1966M8.1
Lima,Huacho,Huaura, Chancay,Supe,San Nicolas
17 Oct 1966 · 44 km away · intensity IX
110 deaths$35 million damagetsunami

NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.

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