M5.3 Earthquake 35 km SW of Quilca, Peru — January 12, 2024
2024-01-12 13:00:48 UTC (2024-01-12) · approx. 8:00 AM UTC-5 local
Felt by 4 people across nearby locations.
On January 12, 2024 at 13:00 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 35 km SW of Quilca, Peru, at a depth of 65.3 km and coordinates -16.9464°, -72.6584°. This earthquake was detected by 113 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 435, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.7 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 4 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
-72.6584°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Quilca, Peru?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 35 km SW of Quilca, Peru on January 12, 2024 at 13:00 UTC had a depth of 65.3 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -16.9464°, -72.6584°, which is 35 km SW of Quilca, Peru. View all earthquakes in Peru.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.3 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks 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 5.3 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000m39t). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, January 12, 2024). M5.3 Earthquake 35 km SW of Quilca, Peru — January 12, 2024. Retrieved March 16, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000m39t/