M5.6 Earthquake 11 km N of Pichigua, Peru — July 14, 2026
2026-07-14 08:21:06 UTC (13 hours ago) · approx. 3:21 AM UTC-5 local
On July 14, 2026 at 08:21 UTC, a magnitude 5.6 intermediate depth earthquake struck 11 km N of Pichigua, Peru, at a depth of 140.1 km and coordinates -14.5779°, -71.4358°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 101 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 482, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Azangaro (population 28,526).
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
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 | 2,404,537 |
| MMI 4 | light | 25,392 |
Earthquake Details
-71.4358°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.6 earthquake near Pichigua, Peru?
The magnitude 5.6 earthquake that struck 11 km N of Pichigua, Peru on July 14, 2026 at 08:21 UTC had a depth of 140.1 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -14.5779°, -71.4358°, which is 11 km N of Pichigua, Peru. The nearest populated place is Azangaro (population 28,526). 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.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000t0a3). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, July 14, 2026). M5.6 Earthquake 11 km N of Pichigua, Peru — July 14, 2026. Retrieved July 14, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000t0a3/