Reviewed by USGSPeru25y ago
M5.4 earthquake 31 km SSE of El Algarrobal, Peru
Saturday, August 11, 2001, 06:44:28 UTC · 17.900°S, 71.207°W
A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck 31 km SSE of El Algarrobal, Peru on Saturday, August 11, 2001, 06:44:28 UTC, at a depth of 37.1 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.6 on August 9, 2001.
- Magnitude
- 5.4
- Moderate · mwc
- Depth
- 37 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 earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search area
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
144 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Nazca and Altiplano plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: shallow
37 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 M4.6 on September 9, 2001. 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 355 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.651 km SW of Punta de Bombón, PeruJuly 7, 2001 · 100 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.235 km N of El Cardo, PeruOctober 11, 1922 · 240 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.2Near the coast of Tarapaca, ChileOctober 4, 1940 · 245 km S of this epicenter
- 7.212 km NNE of Cono Norte, PeruFebruary 26, 1914 · 192 km N of this epicenter
- 7.268 km SSE of Arica, ChileAugust 8, 1987 · 179 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.130 km SW of Islay (Matarani), PeruApril 12, 1988 · 141 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.021 km SW of Santa Rita de Siguas, PeruJanuary 15, 1958 · 179 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.9119 km W of Iquique, ChileSeptember 15, 1911 · 254 km S of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 52 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 26,456 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1868M8.5
Arica
13 Aug 1868 · 81 km away · intensity XI
25,000 deaths$300 million damagetsunami
- 1833M7.7
Peru: Tacna; Chile: Arica
18 Sep 1833 · 44 km away · intensity VIII
700 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1784M8.0
Arequipa,Camana,Moquegua,Tambo
13 May 1784 · 177 km away · intensity X
383 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1821
Camana, Ocona, Caraveli
10 Jul 1821 · 273 km away · intensity VIII
162 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1991M4.7
Maca, Chivay, Yanque
23 Jul 1991 · 250 km away · intensity V
92 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 1960M7.8
Arequipa,Chuquibamba,Caraveli,Cotahuasi
13 Jan 1960 · 290 km away · intensity X
63 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.