4.7 magnitude earthquake is felt in Sechura, Piura

Peru is one of the Latin American countries where earthquakes are constantly recorded. (Infobae/Jovani Pérez)

The National Seismological Center (Censis) of the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) registered an earthquake of magnitude 4.7 this Sunday, February 26, with an epicenter in the city of Sechura, in the province of Sechura in the department of Piura.

Tacna registers an earthquake of magnitude 4.5

Throughout its history, the country has faced various earthquakes that have left thousands dead, injured and innumerable material damages.

According to a report from the National Seismic Network, the movement began at 10:01 p.m. (local time) and originated at a distance of 59 kilometers southwest of Sechura, with a depth of 32 kilometers, an intensity of IV, and a latitude and longitude of -5.9, -81.22 degrees.

Due to the magnitude of the telluric movement, the alert range issued was yellow.

Tremor in Peru: magnitude 4.1 earthquake with epicenter in Ancash

The Latin American country has a long history of devastating earthquakes that have left hundreds dead, injured and countless material damages.

The green color range is used for earthquakes of magnitudes less than 4.4; yellow is assigned to movements whose magnitude ranges from 4.5 to 6.0; while the red color designates earthquakes greater than 6.1.

In terms of intensity, the scales indicate the following:

Cajamarca, Jaen, registers an earthquake of magnitude 3.8

Peru is located on the South American tectonic plate that collides head-on with the Nazca plate

I: it is a “no felt” movement that does not represent “any damage”.

II-III: This is a “weak” move that does “no damage”.

IV: This is a “light” movement that does “no damage”.

V: This is a “moderate” move that deals “very little damage”.

VI: This is a “strong” move that does “low damage”.

VII: it is a “very strong” movement that implies “moderate damage”.

VIII: it is a “severe” movement that involves “moderate or a lot of damage”.

IX: it is a “violent” movement that implies “a lot of damage”.

X+: This is an “extreme” movement that causes “heavy damage”.

Peru is located in the area known as the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region that concentrates 75% of the world’s volcanoes and where approximately 80% of the world’s strongest telluric movements occur.

The so-called Pacific Ring of Fire is made up of the mountainous area to the west of Argentina, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, the United States and Canada, to later turn around the Aleutian Islands and down the coasts and islands of Russia, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Timor-Leste, Brunei, Singapore, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and New Zealand.

In the case of Peru, the country is located on the South American tectonic plate that collides head-on with the Nazca plate, being in friction they generate tension, which is discharged in the form of earthquakes; In addition, the region presents constant volcanic activity.

Earthquake in Peru in 2016 (AP)

The Latin American nation has had to face various seismic events that have left hundreds dead, injured and innumerable material damages. Here is a list of the most relevant ones.

May 31, 1970

The magnitude 7.9 earthquake originated in the department of Áncash, followed by a flood that buried the city of Santo Domingo de Yungay at 3:23 p.m.

This event is considered the most destructive earthquake in the country’s history, not only because of its magnitude but also because of the number of fatalities it caused, estimated at 67,000, according to the document “The Ancash earthquake and the avalanche of the Nevado Huascaran”, written by the geophysicist and scientific adviser of the National Institute of Civil Defense (Indeci), Mateo Casaverde while there were also 150,000 injuries, equally affecting the departments of Huácamo, Lima and La Libertad.

Due to this catastrophe, in 1972 the Peruvian government founded the National Institute of Civil Defense, in charge of devising plans to deal with this type of accident and preparing national drills every May 31st.

October 3, 1974

An earthquake of magnitude 8.0 occurred in the capital, Lima, at 09:21, a movement that was also felt on the Peruvian coast to the south. The movement lasted around 90 seconds and left 252 dead and 3,600 injured.

May 29, 1990

Another earthquake of 6.4 caused the death of 77 people, left 1,680 injured, 58,835 homeless and 11,000 homes destroyed. The movement, which began at 9:34 a.m., left damage in the cities of San Martín, Amazonas, Cajamarca, Rioja, Moyobamba, Chachapoyas, Jaén, and Bagua.

June 23, 2001

A 6.9 magnitude earthquake affected the southern part of Peru in the regions of Moquegua, Tacna and Arequipa, leaving 74 people dead, 2,689 injured, more than 21,000 homeless, 64 people missing, 35,601 homes affected, of which 17,584 were destroyed.

The earthquake had several aftershocks and had an intensity of VIII, which generated a tsunami that also caused 26 other deaths. It was the most devastating tremor after the 1970 Ancash tremor and the largest worldwide after the Rat Islands.

August 15, 2007

Peru was heavily damaged by one of the most violent earthquakes in its modern history. Occurred at 6:40 p.m., the Pisco earthquake of magnitude 8 lasted 3 minutes 50 seconds. It was one of the most violent earthquakes to occur in Peru in recent years, being surpassed by the Arequipa earthquake of 2001. This event left 596 people dead.

May 26, 2019

One of the last tremors registered in Peru was the one known as the “Loreto earthquake”, which had a magnitude of 8 and originated at 02:41 local time and consequently left one person dead and more than 2,500 people affected.

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