A shallow and significant Magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck in the South Pacific Ocean 197 kilometer from Trujillo, Peru in the morning of Tuesday July 28th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South Pacific Ocean, 149 kilometers (93 mi) off the coast of Peru, 197 kilometer southwest of Trujillo in La Libertad. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 14 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jul 28, 2026 08:24 (Lima Time) - Jul 28, 2026 13:24 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 197 km SW of Trujillo, La Libertad, Peru. Coordinates 9°42'19"S 79°49'18"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 20 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.069 . |
| Depth: | 14 km (9 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Peru . Chimbote in Ancash, Peru is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 153 kilometer (95 mi) southwest of Chimbote.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 153 km (95 mi) NE from epicenter |
Coishco Ancash, Peru. |
| 153 km (95 mi) NE from epicenter |
Chimbote Ancash, Peru. |
| 185 km (115 mi) NE from epicenter |
Virú La Libertad, Peru. |
| 187 km (116 mi) E from epicenter |
Huarmey Ancash, Peru. |
| 193 km (120 mi) NE from epicenter |
Moche La Libertad, Peru. |
| 197 km (122 mi) NE from epicenter |
Trujillo La Libertad, Peru. |
| 203 km (126 mi) NE from epicenter |
Laredo La Libertad, Peru. |
| 204 km (127 mi) N from epicenter |
Santiago de Cao La Libertad, Peru. |
| 223 km (139 mi) N from epicenter |
Chocope La Libertad, Peru. |
| 227 km (141 mi) N from epicenter |
Paiján La Libertad, Peru. |
| 242 km (150 mi) SE from epicenter |
Paramonga Lima Region, Peru. |
| 252 km (157 mi) E from epicenter |
Centenario Ancash, Peru. |
| 252 km (157 mi) E from epicenter |
Huaraz Ancash, Peru. |
| 253 km (157 mi) SE from epicenter |
Barranca Lima Region, Peru. |
| 256 km (159 mi) N from epicenter |
San Pedro de Lloc La Libertad, Peru. |
| 258 km (160 mi) N from epicenter |
Pacasmayo La Libertad, Peru. |
| 276 km (171 mi) N from epicenter |
Guadalupe La Libertad, Peru. |
| 279 km (173 mi) N from epicenter |
Chepén La Libertad, Peru. |
| 286 km (178 mi) NE from epicenter |
Huamachuco La Libertad, Peru. |
| 287 km (178 mi) SE from epicenter |
Hualmay Lima Region, Peru. |
| 287 km (178 mi) SE from epicenter |
Huaura Lima Region, Peru. |
| 288 km (179 mi) SE from epicenter |
Huacho Lima Region, Peru. |
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
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 December 28th, 2025, when a 6.2 magnitude earthquake hit 118 km (73 mi) further north-east. That was also the heaviest earthquake to hit the region in the past 10 years.
In total, 7 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so 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 under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 14 km (9 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 19/08/26 16:08 (). 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 us6000tgcx
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260728_0000270
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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