M5.0 Earthquake 11 km SSW of San Fernando, Peru — December 21, 2023
2023-12-21 11:36:08 UTC (2023-12-21) · approx. 6:36 AM UTC-5 local
Felt by 2 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.6 mainshock.
On December 21, 2023 at 11:36 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 11 km SSW of San Fernando, Peru, at a depth of 13.9 km and coordinates -8.5023°, -74.5606°. This earthquake was detected by 81 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 386, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.6 mainshock that occurred 20 days ago 13 km ENE of San Fernando, Peru. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 0 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
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 2 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
-74.5606°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near San Fernando, Peru?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 11 km SSW of San Fernando, Peru on December 21, 2023 at 11:36 UTC had a depth of 13.9 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -8.5023°, -74.5606°, which is 11 km SSW of San Fernando, Peru. View all earthquakes in Peru.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.6 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 5.0 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.6 mainshock that occurred earlier 13 km ENE of San Fernando, Peru. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
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 5.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000lkke). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, December 21, 2023). M5.0 Earthquake 11 km SSW of San Fernando, Peru — December 21, 2023. Retrieved February 27, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000lkke/