March 17, 1584 Earthquake: Peru
A magnitude 8.4 earthquake struck Peru on March 17, 1584, 30 km below the surface. It caused a tsunami.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- March 17, 1584
- Place
- Peru
- Magnitude
- 8.4 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 30 km (19 mi)
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 11.800° S, 77.800° W
- Country
- Peru
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses damaged
- Few (about 1 to 50)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
March 17, 1584. Strong earthquake in Lima, which damaged buildings. The Municipal Council agreed that Don Francisco de Morales, architect of the city, together with the official public inspectors, should examine the buildings, repair those which needed it and shore up those which were in danger of collapsing. Cornices of high buildings were ordered removed because of the danger they represented. In el Callao, the building of the Royal Houses was damaged. The ground shook for two days. 8 to 9 movements being counted. In many places on the coast the sea inundated the land, particularly at Chincha, where it came very close to the quicksilver deposit. (reference #1111)
March 17, 1584, 11.8 S, 77.8 W, depth 30 km, magnitude 8.4 MS, intensity VII. (reference #1221)
March 17, 1584, 11.8 S, 77.8 W, depth 30 km, intensity VII. (reference #1208)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- 1657, Lima,callao, Peru
- 1654, Lima, Chile, Peru
- October 29, 1746, Lima, Callao, Peru
- May 24, 1940, Peru
- October 17, 1966, Lima,huacho,huaura, Chancay,supe,san Nicolas, Peru
- October 3, 1974, Lima, Callao, Peru
- March 30, 1828, Lima, Callao, Peru
- July 10, 1586, Lima, Peru
- December 24, 1937, Huancabamba,oxapampa,el Progreso,san David, Peru
- January 5, 1974, Lima, Yauyos, Peru
- April 18, 1993, Lima, Peru
- January 8, 1865, Peru
- May 28, 1948, Canete, Peru
- May 12, 2022, Lima, Callao, Chilca, Peru
- June 15, 2025, Lima, Callao, Peru
More
Significant earthquakes of 1584The 1500sRecent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 782.