Reviewed by USGSPeru36y ago
M5.5 earthquake 3 km E of Rioja, Peru
Saturday, June 9, 1990, 01:14:34 UTC · 6.062°S, 77.136°W
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck 3 km E of Rioja, Peru on Saturday, June 9, 1990, 01:14:34 UTC, at a depth of 25.6 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.7 on May 30, 1990.
- Magnitude
- 5.5
- Moderate · mw
- Depth
- 26 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 earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
3 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/6 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 6 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
149 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: shallow
26 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 lists 1 M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M4.8 on June 15, 1990. 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 119 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 · 144 km N of this epicenter
- 7.323 km N of Bellavista, PeruMay 14, 1928 · 182 km W of this epicenter
- 7.115 km SSW of Huabal, PeruJuly 18, 1928 · 207 km W of this epicenter
- 7.092 km NNE of La Peca, PeruApril 12, 1983 · 173 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.86 km SSW of Quiches, PeruNovember 10, 1946 · 269 km S of this epicenter
- 6.848 km NNE of Segunda Jerusalén - Azunguillo, PeruJune 19, 1968 · 54 km N of this epicenter
- 6.66 km ESE of Segunda Jerusalén - Azunguillo, PeruMay 30, 1990 · 11 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.517 km NE of Tabaloslos, PeruApril 13, 1963 · 69 km E 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 1,070 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1946M7.3
Jocaibamba,Cerro Angaschaj,Cerro Sillapata
10 Nov 1946 · 274 km away · intensity XI
800 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1990M6.5
Moyabamba-Riojo
30 May 1990 · 11 km away · intensity VI
200 deaths$1 million damage
- 1928M7.3
Chacahpoyas,Huancabamba,Cajamarca,Pinpincos
14 May 1928 · 183 km away · intensity X
29 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1968M6.8
San Martin,Moyobamba,Yantalo,Rioja,Lamas
19 Jun 1968 · 51 km away
15 deathsUnder $1 million damage
- 1972M6.1
Juanjui
20 Mar 1972 · 90 km away · intensity IX
12 deaths$20 million damage
- 1983M6.5
Chimbote
12 Apr 1983 · 173 km away
10 deathsUnder $1 million damage
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.