M4.9 Earthquake 3 km ESE of Huaros, Peru — December 15, 2022
2022-12-15 09:31:18 UTC (2022-12-15) · approx. 4:31 AM UTC-5 local
Felt by 13 people across nearby locations.
On December 15, 2022 at 09:31 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 3 km ESE of Huaros, Peru, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates -11.4227°, -76.5433°. This earthquake was detected by 61 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 374, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Peru, a region characterized by the northern Peru-Chile subduction zone, complicated by the subduction of the Nazca Ridge. The nearest mapped fault system is the Peru-Chile Trench. View all earthquakes in Peru.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 13 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-76.5433°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Huaros, Peru?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 3 km ESE of Huaros, Peru on December 15, 2022 at 09:31 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -11.4227°, -76.5433°, which is 3 km ESE of Huaros, Peru. View all earthquakes in Peru.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Has Peru had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Peru was the M8.0 Arequipa earthquake of June 23, 2001. Today's magnitude 4.9 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000j9du). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, December 15, 2022). M4.9 Earthquake 3 km ESE of Huaros, Peru — December 15, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000j9du/