M5.6 Earthquake 2 km SSE of Quequeña, Peru — December 16, 2020
2020-12-16 17:48:44 UTC (2020-12-16) · approx. 12:48 PM UTC-5 local
Felt by 44 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 5.2 (strong).
On December 16, 2020 at 17:48 UTC, a magnitude 5.6 intermediate depth earthquake struck 2 km SSE of Quequeña, Peru, at a depth of 90.3 km and coordinates -16.5756°, -71.4433°. The earthquake was reported felt by 44 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 5.2 (strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Arequipa (population 841,130).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 4 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 4.4 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
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 44 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 | 1,375,586 |
| MMI 4 | light | 452,030 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 1,105,273 |
Earthquake Details
-71.4433°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.6 earthquake near Quequeña, Peru?
The magnitude 5.6 earthquake that struck 2 km SSE of Quequeña, Peru on December 16, 2020 at 17:48 UTC had a depth of 90.3 km. It was felt by 44 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 5.2 (strong). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -16.5756°, -71.4433°, which is 2 km SSE of Quequeña, Peru. The nearest populated place is Arequipa (population 841,130). View all earthquakes in Peru.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.6 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 5.6 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000crmx). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 16, 2020). M5.6 Earthquake 2 km SSE of Quequeña, Peru — December 16, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000crmx/