A shallow and significant MAG-5.1 earthquake struck under land 55 kilometer from Cusco in Peru in the evening of Wednesday May 1st, 2024.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Peru, 55 kilometer (34 mi) west of Cusco. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | May 1, 2024 21:16 (Lima Time) - May 2, 2024 02:16 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 55 km west of Cusco, Peru. Coordinates 13°32'44"S 72°28'28"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 248 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.036 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Peru . Located 45 kilometer (28 mi) east-northeast of the epicenter of this earthquake, Abancay (Apurímac, Peru) is the nearest significant population center.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 45 km (28 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Abancay Apurímac, Peru. |
| 53 km (33 mi) E from epicenter |
Santiago Cusco, Peru. |
| 55 km (34 mi) E from epicenter |
Cusco Cusco, Peru. |
| 55 km (34 mi) E from epicenter |
Wanchaq Cusco, Peru. |
| 80 km (50 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Santa Ana Cusco, Peru. |
| 99 km (62 mi) W from epicenter |
Andahuaylas Apurímac, Peru. |
| 157 km (98 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Sicuani Cusco, Peru. |
| 180 km (112 mi) SE from epicenter |
Yauri Cusco, Peru. |
| 194 km (121 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Ayacucho Ayacucho, Peru. |
| 204 km (127 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Huanta Ayacucho, Peru. |
| 252 km (157 mi) SE from epicenter |
Ayaviri Puno, Peru. |
| 283 km (176 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Huancavelica Huancavelica, Peru. |
Shaking reported by 16 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 16 people have reported shaking in 5 places, all within Peru.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Cusco, Cusco, Peru: 10 people.
- Urubamba, Cusco, Peru: 3 people.
- Anta, Cusco, Peru: 1 person.
- Calca, Cusco, Peru: 1 person.
- Santa Ana, Cusco, Peru: 1 person.
Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 1 smaller aftershock was detected. At a distance of 18 km (11 mi) west-southwest of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 51 mins later. It measured a magnitude of 3.5
In the days before this main shock, 2 smaller foreshocks were detected. Roughly 2 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-4.8 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.8 |
2 days earlier Apr 30, 2024 05:09 (Lima Time) | 86 km (54 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.5 |
1 day earlier Apr 30, 2024 16:30 (Lima Time) | 85 km (53 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
May 1, 2024 21:16 (Lima Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
51 mins later May 1, 2024 22:06 (Lima Time) | 18 km (11 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since December 20th, 2023, when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit 257 km (160 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck on May 26th, 2022.
In total, 29 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 4 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 19/05/24 02:18 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000mvky
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240502_0000023
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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