Reviewed by USGSPeru15y ago
M5.2 earthquake 27 km SW of Santiago, Peru
Sunday, November 27, 2011, 19:56:39 UTC · 14.333°S, 75.919°W
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck 27 km SW of Santiago, Peru on Sunday, November 27, 2011, 19:56:39 UTC, at a depth of 35.0 km (shallow). USGS received 20 “Did You Feel It?” reports, with a maximum reported intensity of III (weak). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.6 on October 28, 2011.
- Magnitude
- 5.2
- Moderate · mwc
- Depth
- 35 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 20
- Max intensity III
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquake
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
951 tons of TNT
That is about 1/16 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 2 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
96 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Altiplano and South American plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
35 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
20 people reported feeling this earthquake to USGS; a per-place breakdown is not available 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 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 319 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.121 km NNE of Minas de Marcona, PeruAugust 24, 1942 · 124 km SE of this epicenter
- 8.041 km SW of San Vicente de Cañete, PeruAugust 15, 2007 · 129 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.760 km SW of Changuillo, PeruNovember 12, 1996 · 78 km S of this epicenter
- 7.287 km SW of Callao, PeruNovember 9, 1974 · 287 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.121 km SSE of Nazca, PeruJanuary 15, 1960 · 136 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.939 km SW of Santiago, PeruOctober 28, 2011 · 13 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.913 km SSW of San Juan, PeruOctober 3, 1916 · 184 km E of this epicenter
- 6.752 km SW of San Vicente de Cañete, PeruOctober 20, 2006 · 127 km NW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 45 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 6,807 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1746M8.0
Lima, Callao
29 Oct 1746 · 294 km away · intensity XI
5,941 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
- 2007M8.0
Ica, Pisco, Lima
15 Aug 2007 · 129 km away · intensity VIII
596 deaths$600 million damagetsunami
- 1969M6.6
Huaytapallana, Lampa, Chilifruta
1 Oct 1969 · 293 km away · intensity XI
130 deaths$5 million damage
- 1813
Ica
30 Mar 1813 · 62 km away · intensity VII
32 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 1942M8.2
Ica, Nazca
24 Aug 1942 · 75 km away · intensity IX
30 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1996M7.7
Chincha Alta, Acari, Nazca, Marcona
12 Nov 1996 · 78 km away · intensity VIII
14 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.