August 13, 1987 Earthquake: Arequipa, Tacna, Arica, Peru, Chile
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Arequipa, Tacna, Arica, Peru, Chile on August 13, 1987 at 15:23:06 UTC, 37 km below the surface. It killed 1 person.
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
- August 13, 1987
- Time
- 15:23:06 UTC
- Place
- Arequipa, Tacna, Arica, Peru, Chile
- Magnitude
- 6.4 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 37 km (23 mi)
- Intensity
- 5 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 17.897° S, 70.931° W
- Country
- Peru
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 1
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
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.
One killed, one injured and additional damage (V) at Arica, Chile. Felt (IV) at Areuipa and Tacna, Peru. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- August 13, 1868, Arica, Chile
- February 19, 1600, Volcan Huaynaputina, Peru
- September 18, 1833, Arica, Tacna, Chile, Peru, Peru-Chile
- May 13, 1784, Arequipa,camana,moquegua,tambo, Peru
- November 24, 1604, Arica, Arequipa, Chile, Peru
- January 22, 1582, Socabaya,arequipa, Peru
- April 1, 2014, Iquique, Alto Hospicio, Northern, Chile
- August 8, 1987, Arica, Iquique, Chile
- May 11, 1948, Arequipa,moquegua,tacna,torata,quellaveco, Peru
- July 7, 2001, Arequipa, Arica, Peru
- October 9, 1955, Mungui,la Union Prov,arequipa,toro,cotahuasi, Peru
- May 31, 1895, Northern, Chile
- December 26, 1906, Off South Coast, Peru
- May 6, 2010, Tacna, Peru
- October 9, 1831, Tacna, Arequipa, Arica, Peru, Chile
More
Significant earthquakes of 1987The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1987Recent 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 5139.