Reviewed by USGSPeru29y ago
M7.2 earthquake 51 km N of Barranca, Peru
Tuesday, October 28, 1997, 06:15:17 UTC · 4.368°S, 76.681°W
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck 51 km N of Barranca, Peru on Tuesday, October 28, 1997, 06:15:17 UTC, at a depth of 112.0 km (intermediate). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.4 on July 27, 1971.
- Magnitude
- 7.2
- Major · mwc
- Depth
- 112 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 earthquakeColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
951 kilotons of TNT
That is about 63 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 1,995 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
363 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the North Andes and South American plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: intermediate
112 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 has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 200 km in the 30 days after this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 168 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 · 51 km S of this epicenter
- 7.498 km ESE of Sucúa, EcuadorJuly 27, 1971 · 186 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.323 km N of Bellavista, PeruMay 14, 1928 · 250 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.111 km NE of Rioja, PeruApril 5, 1991 · 185 km S of this epicenter
- 7.115 km SSW of Huabal, PeruJuly 18, 1928 · 297 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.045 km SE of Sucúa, EcuadorOctober 3, 1995 · 224 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.092 km NNE of La Peca, PeruApril 12, 1983 · 166 km W of this epicenter
- 6.8109 km W of Alianza Cristiana, PeruNovember 23, 1986 · 140 km NW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 11 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 323 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1990M6.5
Moyabamba-Riojo
30 May 1990 · 193 km away · intensity VI
200 deaths$1 million damage
- 1991M6.7
Rioja, Moyobamba, Nueva Cajamarca
5 Apr 1991 · 185 km away · intensity VII
53 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1928M7.3
Chacahpoyas,Huancabamba,Cajamarca,Pinpincos
14 May 1928 · 250 km away · intensity X
29 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1968M6.8
San Martin,Moyobamba,Yantalo,Rioja,Lamas
19 Jun 1968 · 145 km away
15 deathsUnder $1 million damage
- 1972M6.1
Juanjui
20 Mar 1972 · 271 km away · intensity IX
12 deaths$20 million damage
- 1983M6.5
Chimbote
12 Apr 1983 · 166 km away
10 deathsUnder $1 million damage
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.