M5.1 earthquake 35 km S of Paita, Peru
A magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck 35 km S of Paita, Peru on Sat, May 20, 1978, 6:58 PM GMT-5 (23:58 UTC), 29 km (18 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.1 (mb), moderate
- Local time
- UTC
- 1978-05-20 23:58:01 UTC
- Depth
- 29.0 km (18.0 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 5.406° S, 81.149° W
- Region
- Peru
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
How well it is located
Reviewed by a seismologist.
- Stations used
- 45
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.1 and up: 1 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
Earthquakes todayPeru earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0000un0. Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 4:24 AM UTC.