M4.5 Earthquake 21 km E of Minas de Marcona, Peru — December 21, 2024
2024-12-21 21:25:34 UTC (2024-12-21) · approx. 4:25 PM UTC-5 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On December 21, 2024 at 21:25 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 21 km E of Minas de Marcona, Peru, at a depth of 55.9 km and coordinates -15.1752°, -74.9179°. This earthquake was detected by 34 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 312, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 767 m — 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response 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
-74.9179°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Minas de Marcona, Peru?
The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck 21 km E of Minas de Marcona, Peru on December 21, 2024 at 21:25 UTC had a depth of 55.9 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -15.1752°, -74.9179°, which is 21 km E of Minas de Marcona, Peru. View all earthquakes in Peru.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.5 earthquakes can continue for several days 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 4.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000p0mw). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, December 21, 2024). M4.5 Earthquake 21 km E of Minas de Marcona, Peru — December 21, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000p0mw/