M6.7 Earthquake 37 km NE of Tambo, Peru — August 20, 2026
2026-08-20 18:00:18 UTC (2026-08-20) · approx. 1:00 PM UTC-5 local
Felt by 75 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 5.8 (strong).
On August 20, 2026 at 18:00 UTC, a magnitude 6.7 intermediate depth earthquake struck 37 km NE of Tambo, Peru, at a depth of 99.0 km and coordinates -14.6020°, -73.6401°. The earthquake was reported felt by 75 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 5.8 (strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 165 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 730, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Coracora (population 7,420).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 169 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 25 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
Nearest Populated Places
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 75 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
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 357,727 |
| MMI 4 | light | 1,920,698 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 112,855 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 1,017 |
Earthquake Details
-73.6401°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.7 earthquake near Tambo, Peru?
The magnitude 6.7 earthquake that struck 37 km NE of Tambo, Peru on August 20, 2026 at 18:00 UTC had a depth of 99.0 km. It was felt by 75 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 5.8 (strong). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -14.6020°, -73.6401°, which is 37 km NE of Tambo, Peru. The nearest populated place is Coracora (population 7,420). View all earthquakes in Peru.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.7 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months 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 6.7 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000tm81). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, August 20, 2026). M6.7 Earthquake 37 km NE of Tambo, Peru — August 20, 2026. Retrieved September 6, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000tm81/