Reviewed by USGSPeru44y ago
M7.0 earthquake 92 km NNE of La Peca, Peru
Tuesday, April 12, 1983, 12:07:54 UTC · 4.843°S, 78.103°W
A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck 92 km NNE of La Peca, Peru on Tuesday, April 12, 1983, 12:07:54 UTC, at a depth of 104.2 km (intermediate). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.4 on July 27, 1971.
- Magnitude
- 7.0
- Major · mw
- Depth
- 104 km
- Intermediate
- 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: 200 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
477 kilotons of TNT
That is about 32 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 1,000 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
225 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Sunda and Australian plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: intermediate
104 km
Intermediate-depth earthquakes usually break inside a plate that is sinking into the mantle. Shaking spreads over a wide area but is gentler at the epicenter than a shallow quake of the same size.
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 200 km
USGS lists 1 M2.5+ earthquake within 200 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M4.8 on April 15, 1983. 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 100 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 · 142 km E of this epicenter
- 7.498 km ESE of Sucúa, EcuadorJuly 27, 1971 · 236 km N of this epicenter
- 7.323 km N of Bellavista, PeruMay 14, 1928 · 91 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.29 km ENE of Papayal, PeruDecember 10, 1970 · 297 km W of this epicenter
- 7.115 km SSW of Huabal, PeruJuly 18, 1928 · 139 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.813 km ESE of Huangala, PeruJuly 24, 1912 · 265 km W of this epicenter
- 6.848 km NNE of Segunda Jerusalén - Azunguillo, PeruJune 19, 1968 · 134 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.655 km ENE of Macas, EcuadorMay 10, 1963 · 300 km N of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 8 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 67 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1928M7.3
Chacahpoyas,Huancabamba,Cajamarca,Pinpincos
14 May 1928 · 91 km away · intensity X
29 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1968M6.8
San Martin,Moyobamba,Yantalo,Rioja,Lamas
19 Jun 1968 · 141 km away
15 deathsUnder $1 million damage
- 1972M6.1
Juanjui
20 Mar 1972 · 261 km away · intensity IX
12 deaths$20 million damage
- 1983M6.5
Chimbote
12 Apr 1983 · 0 km away
10 deathsUnder $1 million damage
- 1971M6.3
Guayaquil
27 Jul 1971 · 251 km away · intensity VII
1 deathModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 1913M7.7
Gonzanama, San Pedro, Molleture
24 Feb 1913 · 231 km away · intensity VII
Severe damage ($5–24M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.