In the night of Friday July 12th, 2024, a shallow and significant M5.8 earthquake hit under land 51 kilometer from Minas de Marcona in Peru. Shaking may have been felt by a total of 0.9 million people.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Peru, 51 kilometer (32 mi) south-east of Minas de Marcona in Ica. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 23 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
Date and Time: | Jul 12, 2024 04:30 (Lima Time) - Jul 12, 2024 09:30 Universal Time. |
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Location: | 51 km SE of Minas de Marcona, Ica, Peru. Coordinates 15°32'51"S 74°47'32"W. |
Map: | ![]() Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
Magnitude: | MAG 5.8 Detected by 25 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.062 . |
Depth: | 23 km (14 mi) A very shallow depth. |
Max. Intensity: | VII
Very Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake in a coastal area, it appears to have occurred under land (4 km from the sea) with a magnitude that is usually not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Minimal impact predicted
Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.
The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 99% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.
Roughly 0.9 million people exposed to shaking
This earthquake may have been felt by around 0.9 million people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.
An estimated 4,870 people were exposed to level VI. At this level, strong shaking and probably light damage can be expected. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 710 thousand). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Peru .
People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
---|---|---|---|
0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
1,980 | II |
Very weak | None |
713,600 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
155,000 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
17,100 | V |
Moderate | Very light |
4,870 | VI |
Strong | Light |
0 | VII |
Very Strong | Moderate |
0 | VIII |
Severe | Moderate to heavy |
0 | IX |
Violent | Heavy |
0 | X |
Extreme | Very heavy |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Peru . Minas de Marcona in Ica, Peru is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 51 kilometer (32 mi) south-east of Minas de Marcona. The intensity of shaking and damage in Minas de Marcona is estimated to be around level V on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (moderate shaking, very light damage).
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Arequipa is located 361 km to the east-southeast (intensity unknown, possibly low). Ica is located 193 km to the north-northwest and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage). Huancayo is located 390 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low).
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below. If places don't have intensity data available, it likely means the experienced impact in those places was fairly small.
Overview of nearby places
Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
---|---|---|
51 km (32 mi) NW from epicenter |
Minas de Marcona Ica, Peru. |
V
Moderate |
81 km (50 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Nazca Ica, Peru. |
IV
Light |
193 km (120 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Ica Ica, Peru. |
IV
Light |
253 km (157 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Camaná Arequipa, Peru. |
|
255 km (158 mi) NW from epicenter |
San Clemente Ica, Peru. |
|
255 km (158 mi) NW from epicenter |
Pisco Ica, Peru. |
|
259 km (161 mi) NE from epicenter |
Andahuaylas Apurímac, Peru. |
|
273 km (170 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Ayacucho Ayacucho, Peru. |
|
278 km (173 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Chincha Alta Ica, Peru. |
|
292 km (181 mi) ESE from epicenter |
El Pedregal Arequipa, Peru. |
|
296 km (184 mi) N from epicenter |
Huanta Ayacucho, Peru. |
|
296 km (184 mi) NE from epicenter |
Abancay Apurímac, Peru. |
|
308 km (191 mi) N from epicenter |
Huancavelica Huancavelica, Peru. |
|
320 km (199 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Nuevo Imperial Lima Region, Peru. |
|
324 km (201 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Imperial Lima Region, Peru. |
|
324 km (201 mi) NNW from epicenter |
San Vicente de Cañete Lima Region, Peru. |
|
339 km (211 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Mollendo Arequipa, Peru. |
|
354 km (220 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Cono Norte Arequipa, Peru. |
|
360 km (224 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Jacobo Hunter Arequipa, Peru. |
|
361 km (224 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Selva Alegre Arequipa, Peru. |
|
361 km (224 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Arequipa Arequipa, Peru. |
|
362 km (225 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Ciudad Satelite Arequipa, Peru. |
|
373 km (232 mi) NE from epicenter |
Santa Ana Cusco, Peru. |
|
373 km (232 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Yauri Cusco, Peru. |
|
377 km (234 mi) NE from epicenter |
Santiago Cusco, Peru. |
|
378 km (235 mi) NE from epicenter |
Wanchaq Cusco, Peru. |
|
378 km (235 mi) NE from epicenter |
Cusco Cusco, Peru. |
|
378 km (235 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Mala Lima Region, Peru. |
|
388 km (241 mi) N from epicenter |
Chilca Junin, Peru. |
|
390 km (242 mi) N from epicenter |
Huancayo Junin, Peru. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is VI. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.
![](https://www.codaso.net/earthquakes/img/shakemap/967903.png)
Shaking reported by 3 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 3 people have reported shaking in 3 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:
- Acarí, Arequipa, Peru: 1 person.
- Ica, Ica, Peru: 1 person.
- Nazca, Ica, Peru: 1 person.
4 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 4 smaller aftershocks. A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit 9 hrs later 47 km (29 mi) south of this earthquake.
In the days before this main shock, 2 smaller foreshocks were detected. A 4.3 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
---|---|---|---|
Foreshock | M 4.3 |
2 days earlier Jul 9, 2024 22:03 (Lima Time) | 58 km (36 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
Foreshock | M 4.2 |
16 hrs earlier Jul 11, 2024 12:55 (Lima Time) | 67 km (41 mi) S from Main Shock. |
Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.8 |
Jul 12, 2024 04:30 (Lima Time) | - |
Aftershock | M 4.8 |
9 hrs later Jul 12, 2024 13:55 (Lima Time) | 47 km (29 mi) S from Main Shock. |
Aftershock | M 4.6 |
18 hrs later Jul 12, 2024 22:35 (Lima Time) | 45 km (28 mi) SSE from Main Shock. |
Aftershock | M 4.1 |
1 day later Jul 13, 2024 09:02 (Lima Time) | 25 km (16 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
Aftershock | M 4.2 |
2 days later Jul 14, 2024 03:22 (Lima Time) | 61 km (38 mi) SSE 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 are common in the region
Earthquakes of this strength occur quite regularly in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since June 29th, 2024, when a 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit 61 km (38 mi) further south-southeast. An even stronger magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck on June 28th, 2024.
In total, 10 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.8 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 year.
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 | This earthquake appears to have struck on land near a coastal area (4 km from the sea). | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.8. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 23 km (14 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 25/08/24 06:48 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.