Peru earthquakes

M5.6 earthquake 6 km ENE of Máncora, Peru

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 6 km ENE of Máncora, Peru on Thu, Dec 10, 1970, 6:37 AM GMT-5 (11:37 UTC), 36 km (22 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.7 6 km WSW of Papayal, Peru. This one was a foreshock.

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Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
5.6 (mw), moderate
Local time
UTC
1970-12-10 11:37:43 UTC
Depth
35.8 km (22.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter
4.093° S, 80.987° W
Region
Peru
Strongest shaking
V, moderate shaking
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Shaking

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

Strongest estimated
V, moderate shaking
Peak ground acceleration
7.6% of gravity
Peak ground velocity
1.0 cm/s
Map
Automatic
USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter
Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Magnitude uncertainty
±0.34
Depth from
From location

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 2.5 and up: 11 in the 60 days after this one and 4 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 5.220 km NE of Máncora, Peru · 20376 days ago · 32 km deep · 15 km away
  2. 5.76 km WSW of Papayal, Peru · 20375 days ago · 35 km deep · 22 km away
  3. 5.212 km NW of Papayal, Peru · 20374 days ago · 40 km deep · 21 km away
  4. 5.315 km WNW of Papayal, Peru · 20371 days ago · 33 km deep · 15 km away
  5. 5.219 km NW of Papayal, Peru · 20365 days ago · 33 km deep · 23 km away
  6. 5.315 km NW of Papayal, Peru · 20365 days ago · 37 km deep · 19 km away
  7. 5.614 km ENE of Máncora, Peru · 20365 days ago · 32 km deep · 8 km away
  8. 5.213 km W of Cañaveral, Peru · 20364 days ago · 37 km deep · 30 km away
  9. 5.224 km WNW of Cañaveral, Peru · 20359 days ago · 42 km deep · 28 km away
  10. 5.915 km NNE of Máncora, Peru · 20357 days ago · 35 km deep · 14 km away
  11. 5.312 km N of Máncora, Peru · 20330 days ago · 25 km deep · 14 km away

Before

  1. 5.114 km N of El Alto, Peru · 20376 days ago · 37 km deep · 28 km away
  2. 5.116 km WNW of Cañaveral, Peru · 20376 days ago · 35 km deep · 31 km away
  3. 5.412 km NW of Papayal, Peru · 20376 days ago · 38 km deep · 22 km away
  4. 7.29 km ENE of Papayal, Peru · 20376 days ago · 19 km deep · 37 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem789045. Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 2:07 PM UTC.