M5.7 Earthquake 53 km SSW of Paracas, Peru — December 10, 2023
2023-12-10 11:52:50 UTC (2023-12-10) · approx. 6:52 AM UTC-5 local
Felt by 4 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 5.3 (strong).
On December 10, 2023 at 11:52 UTC, a magnitude 5.7 shallow crustal earthquake struck 53 km SSW of Paracas, Peru, at a depth of 14.0 km and coordinates -14.3228°, -76.4362°. The earthquake was reported felt by 4 peopleacross nearby locations, 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 88 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 502, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Paracas (population 1,196).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 5 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 5.2 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 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
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 | 544,630 |
| MMI 4 | light | 840,096 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 20 |
Earthquake Details
-76.4362°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.7 earthquake near Paracas, Peru?
The magnitude 5.7 earthquake that struck 53 km SSW of Paracas, Peru on December 10, 2023 at 11:52 UTC had a depth of 14.0 km. It was felt by 4 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 5.3 (strong). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -14.3228°, -76.4362°, which is 53 km SSW of Paracas, Peru. The nearest populated place is Paracas (population 1,196). View all earthquakes in Peru.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.7 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 5.7 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000lhwv). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, December 10, 2023). M5.7 Earthquake 53 km SSW of Paracas, Peru — December 10, 2023. Retrieved February 17, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000lhwv/