M7.2 Earthquake 10 km W of Azángaro, Peru — May 26, 2022
2022-05-26 12:02:21 UTC (2022-05-26) · approx. 7:02 AM UTC-5 local
Felt by 109 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 5.3 (strong).
On May 26, 2022 at 12:02 UTC, a magnitude 7.2 intermediate depth earthquake struck 10 km W of Azángaro, Peru, at a depth of 236.0 km and coordinates -14.9076°, -70.2924°. The earthquake was reported felt by 109 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 5.3 (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 144 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 877, making it one of the more significant events of the week. The nearest populated place is Azangaro (population 13,290).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 7.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 56 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
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 5.3 (strong), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Moderate shaking that everyone in the area would feel. Sleeping people are awakened. Dishes and windows may break. Unstable objects may be knocked over.
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 109 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 | 664 |
| MMI 4 | light | 6,492,662 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 1,344,705 |
Earthquake Details
-70.2924°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 7.2 earthquake near Azángaro, Peru?
The magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck 10 km W of Azángaro, Peru on May 26, 2022 at 12:02 UTC had a depth of 236.0 km. It was felt by 109 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 5.3 (strong). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -14.9076°, -70.2924°, which is 10 km W of Azángaro, Peru. The nearest populated place is Azangaro (population 13,290). View all earthquakes in Peru.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 7.2 earthquakes can continue for months to years 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 7.2 event is within one magnitude unit of that historical record.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000hcmn). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, May 26, 2022). M7.2 Earthquake 10 km W of Azángaro, Peru — May 26, 2022. Retrieved July 16, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000hcmn/