2001 southern Peru earthquake

2001 southern Peru earthquake
	Arica Coquimbo
UTC time	2001-06-23 20:33:14
ISC event	1893467
USGS-ANSS	ComCat
Local date	June 23, 2001
Local time	15:33
Magnitude	8.4 Mw
Depth	32 km (20 mi)
Epicenter	16°22′S 73°29′W / 16.36°S 73.48°WCoordinates: 16°22′S 73°29′W / 16.36°S 73.48°W
Type	Megathrust
Areas affected	Peru
Max. intensity	VIII (Severe)
Tsunami	7 m (23 ft)
Casualties	74–145 dead ; 2,687–2,713 injured

The 2001 southern Peru earthquake occurred at 20:33:15 UTC (15:33:15 local time) on June 23 with a moment magnitude of 8.4 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). The quake affected the Peruvian regions of Arequipa, Moquegua and Tacna. It was the most devastating earthquake in Peru since the catastrophic 1970 Ancash earthquake and globally the largest earthquake since the 1965 Rat Islands earthquake.

Tectonic setting[]

Peru lies above the destructive boundary where the Nazca Plate is being subducted beneath the South American Plate. The two plates are converging towards each other at a rate of about 78mm or 3 inches per year.^[4] Southwestern Peru has a history of very large earthquakes. The June 23 shock originated just southeast of the source of a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that occurred in 1996, and it appears to have involved rupture of part of the plate boundary segment that produced an earthquake of magnitude approximately 9.0 in 1868. The 1868 earthquake was destructive in towns that were heavily damaged in the June 23 earthquake. The 1868 earthquake produced a tsunami that killed thousands of people along the South American coast and also caused damage in Hawaii and the only recorded tsunami deaths in New Zealand.^[2]^[5]

Earthquake[]

The earthquake occurred as a result of thrust faulting along the plate boundary interface. The initial onset consisted of two events separated by about 6 seconds. It was followed by at least one larger complex event occurring about 40 seconds later.^[2] The rupture area as determined from the distribution of aftershocks was 320 km x 100 km. The rupture propagated unilaterally from the hypocenter towards the southeast.^[6]

Damage and casualties[]

At least 74 people were killed, including 26 killed by a tsunami. At least 2,687 were injured, 17,510 homes were destroyed and 35,549 homes damaged in the Arequipa-Camana-Tacna area. An additional 64 people were missing due to the tsunami in the Camana-Chala area. Landslides blocked highways in the epicentral area. Many of the historic buildings in Arequipa were damaged or destroyed, including the left tower of the Basilica Cathedral of Arequipa.

Some people were injured and damage was reported in the Arica, Chile area. It was felt in Arica, Iquique, Calama and Tocopilla, Chile. The quake was also felt strongly in much of southern Peru and northern Chile and also in Bolivia. Tsunami runup heights near Camana were estimated from field evidence to have reached approximately 7m at some locations; at other locations, the tsunami inundation distance extended more than 1 km inland from the coast. Tsunami wave heights (peak-to-trough) recorded from selected tide stations: 2.5m at Arica; 1.5m at Iquique; 1.0m at Coquimbo, Chile.^[2]

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ISC (2016), ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2012), Version 3.0, International Seismological Centre
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e USGS. "M8.4 - near the coast of southern Peru". United States Geological Survey.
^ USGS (September 4, 2009), PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog, Version 2008_06.1, United States Geological Survey
^ Curtis L. Edwards, ed. (2002). Atico, Peru Mw8.4 Earthquake of June 23, 2001. Reston, VA: ASCE, TCLEE. ISBN 9780784406618. Archived from the original on 2013-04-14.
^ Morton, Jamie (13 August 2018). "NZ's only killer tsunami: What it means today". NZ Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2018-08-13.
^ Giovanni, M.K.; Beck, S.L.; Wagner, L. (2002). "The June 23, 2001 Peru earthquake and the southern Peru subduction zone". Geophysical Research Letters. 29 (21). doi:10.1029/2002GL015774.

External links[]

(in Spanish) Análisis del Terremoto del Sur del Perú, 23 de Junio 2001, Mw= 8.4 Utilizando Datos Locales
The International Seismological Centre has a bibliography and/or authoritative data for this event.
ReliefWeb's main page for this event.

[ISC-GEM-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ISC (2016), ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2012), Version 3.0, International Seismological Centre

[USGS-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e USGS. "M8.4 - near the coast of southern Peru". United States Geological Survey.

[PAGER-CAT-3] USGS (September 4, 2009), PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog, Version 2008_06.1, United States Geological Survey

[4] Curtis L. Edwards, ed. (2002). Atico, Peru Mw8.4 Earthquake of June 23, 2001. Reston, VA: ASCE, TCLEE. ISBN 9780784406618. Archived from the original on 2013-04-14.

[5] Morton, Jamie (13 August 2018). "NZ's only killer tsunami: What it means today". NZ Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved 2018-08-13.

[Giovanni_etal_2002-6] Giovanni, M.K.; Beck, S.L.; Wagner, L. (2002). "The June 23, 2001 Peru earthquake and the southern Peru subduction zone". Geophysical Research Letters. 29 (21). doi:10.1029/2002GL015774.

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