This undersea earthquake generated recorded tsunami waves across coastal and trans-oceanic sectors. Preserved in seismic archive for scientific reference — no active hazard exists.
A magnitude 7.9 (MW) earthquake occurred on 1970-05-31, 15:23 local time (20:23 UTC) (20597d ago), centered 32 km W of Chimbote (Peru). The hypocenter was located at a intermediate depth of 45 km. Primary telemetry verified by USGS/ISC-GEM alongside 1 regional seismic monitoring networks.
Curated Global Seismic Archive (1700–Present)
10.68 Mt TNT
intermediate (35–70 km (Intermediate))
Injuries: > 5,000 · ~16.2M felt
Timeline of foreshocks, main rupture, aftershocks and machine learning risk probability evolution.
Shaking intensity is modelled from magnitude, depth and distance (GMPE attenuation), not reported by residents.
| Town | Distance | Intensity |
|---|---|---|
| Chimbote · Ancash | 32 km | MMI IX |
| Casma · Ancash | 75 km | MMI VIII |
| Trujillo · La Libertad | 120 km | MMI VII |
| Huaraz · Ancash | 149 km | MMI VII |
| Huamachuco · La Libertad | 175 km | MMI VII |
| Pativilca · Lima | 204 km | MMI VII |
Independent solutions for the same rupture. Differences of 0.1–0.3 in magnitude are normal and reflect method and station coverage.
| Agency | Source ID | Magnitude | Depth | Epicenter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
USGS Primary | official19700531202327_30 | M 7.9 | 45 km | -9.18, -78.84 |
Nearest mapped active fault: Peru-Chile Subduction Zone, 5 km away, slip rate ~15.0 mm/yr (GEM Global Active Faults).