The 2007 Peru earthquake, which measured 8.0 on the
moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale (MMS; denoted explicitly with or Mw, and generally implied with use of a single M for magnitude) is a measure of an earthquake's magnitude ("size" or strength) based on its seismic moment. It was defined in a 1979 pape ...
,
hit the central coast of
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
on August 15 at 23:40:57
UTC (18:40:57 local time) and lasted two minutes.
The
epicenter
The epicenter, epicentre () or epicentrum in seismology is the point on the Earth's surface directly above a hypocenter or focus, the point where an earthquake or an underground explosion originates.
Surface damage
Before the instrumental pe ...
was located south-southeast of
Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of ...
at a depth of .
The
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...
National Earthquake Information Center The National Earthquake Information Center (abbreviated NEIC) is part of the United States Geological Survey (USGS) located on the campus of the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. The NEIC has three main missions:
* First, the NEIC determ ...
reported that it was a
''Very strong'' earthquake. The Peruvian government stated that 519 people were killed by the quake.
Earthquake
This earthquake occurred at the boundary between the
Nazca
Nazca (; sometimes spelled Nasca; qu, Naska) is a city and system of valleys on the southern coast of Peru. It is also the name of the largest existing town in the Nazca Province. The name is derived from the Nazca culture, which flourished in ...
and
South American
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
tectonic plate
Plate tectonics (from the la, label=Late Latin, tectonicus, from the grc, τεκτονικός, lit=pertaining to building) is the generally accepted scientific theory that considers the Earth's lithosphere to comprise a number of large te ...
s, which are converging at a rate of per year. The earthquake occurred as
thrust fault
A thrust fault is a break in the Earth's crust, across which older rocks are pushed above younger rocks.
Thrust geometry and nomenclature
Reverse faults
A thrust fault is a type of reverse fault that has a dip of 45 degrees or less.
If ...
ing on the interface between the two plates, with the South American Plate moving up and seaward over the Nazca Plate. Experts say this kind of earthquake is produced about once every 100 years.
Coastal Peru has a history of very large earthquakes. The August 15th shock originated near the source of two previous earthquakes, both in the magnitude 8 range, which occurred in 1908 and
1974. This earthquake is south of the source of
a magnitude 8.2 earthquake that occurred in northern Peru on October 17, 1966, and north of a
magnitude 8.4 earthquake that occurred in 2001 near
Arequipa in southern Peru. The largest earthquake along the coast of Peru was a magnitude 9
that occurred in 1868 in Arica. It produced a
tsunami
A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater exp ...
that killed several thousand people along the Peruvian coast and also caused damage in Hawaii.
Damage
The cities of
Pisco
Pisco is a colorless or yellowish-to-amber colored brandy produced in winemaking regions of Peru and Chile. Made by distilling fermented grape juice into a high-proof spirit, it was developed by 16th-century Spanish settlers as an alternative ...
,
Ica and
Chincha Alta
Chincha Alta is a Peruvian city located in the Ica Region. A major port at the mouth of the Chincha River, it is the capital of Chincha Province.
Location
The City of Chincha Alta is located 200 kilometers south of Lima, in the Chincha Provin ...
in the
Ica Region
Ica (; qu, Ika) is a department and region of Peru. It borders the Pacific Ocean on the west; the Lima Region on the north; the Huancavelica and Ayacucho regions on the east; and the Arequipa Region on the south. Its capital is the city of Ic ...
, and
San Vicente de Cañete
San Vicente de Cañete, commonly known as San Vicente or Cañete, is a city and capital of the Cañete Province, in southern Lima Region. With a population of 85,533 (2015 estimate).
The warm and peaceful town of Cañete is located just one and a ...
in the
Lima Region
The Department of Lima () is a department and region located in the central coast of Peru, the ''seat of the Regional Government'' is Huacho.
Lima Province, which contains the city of Lima, the country's capital, is located west of the Departm ...
were most affected. The earthquake was also felt in the capital
Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of ...
, where the quake broke windows in downtown sectors of the city, as well as various other Peruvian cities, including
Pucallpa
Pucallpa (, qu, puka allpa, lit=red dirt; Shipibo: ''May Ushin'') is a city in eastern Peru located on the banks of the Ucayali River, a major tributary of the Amazon River. It is the capital of the Ucayali region, the Coronel Portillo Pro ...
,
Iquitos,
Contamana
Contamana is a town in the Loreto Region in northeastern Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type ...
,
Trujillo and
Cajamarca
Cajamarca (), also known by the Quechua name, ''Kashamarka'', is the capital and largest city of the Cajamarca Region as well as an important cultural and commercial center in the northern Andes. It is located in the northern highlands of Peru ...
. They were attending mass at the time the earthquake started. The city of Pisco, which is southeast of Lima, suffered the most damage, with its buildings about 85% destroyed, and as many as 430 residents died; 148 of those deaths occurred when the cathedral collapsed in the city's main square.
On August 16, the government reported 510 deaths.
As of August 28, losses were the following in total:
* 519 people dead;
* 1,366 injured;
* 58,581 houses destroyed according to Peruvian Government preliminary assessments;
* 13,585 houses affected;
* 103 hospitals affected; and
* 14 hospitals destroyed according to Peruvian Government preliminary assessments.
Aftershocks
A
magnitude
Magnitude may refer to:
Mathematics
*Euclidean vector, a quantity defined by both its magnitude and its direction
*Magnitude (mathematics), the relative size of an object
*Norm (mathematics), a term for the size or length of a vector
*Order of ...
5.8
aftershock occurred at 19:02 local time, centered northeast of Chincha Alta.
At 19:19 local time, another 5.9 magnitude aftershock occurred, centered south-southwest of Ica.
At least a dozen aftershocks of magnitude 5.0 or greater have been recorded.
[ ]
The day after, survivors who could not be accommodated in local hospitals in Pisco were taken to Lima by
airplane
An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, Propeller (aircraft), propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurat ...
, arriving there later that night. On Sunday, August 19, the President of Colombia,
Álvaro Uribe
Álvaro Uribe Vélez (born 4 July 1952) is a Colombian politician who served as the 31st President of Colombia from 7 August 2002 to 7 August 2010.
Uribe started his political career in his home department of Antioquia. He held offices in t ...
, arrived in Ica.
Tsunami warnings
![2007年ペルー地震の津波伝播の様子](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/2007%E5%B9%B4%E3%83%9A%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BC%E5%9C%B0%E9%9C%87%E3%81%AE%E6%B4%A5%E6%B3%A2%E4%BC%9D%E6%92%AD%E3%81%AE%E6%A7%98%E5%AD%90.gif)
A
tsunami warning was issued for
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
,
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...
,
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
,
Colombia and even as far as Hawaii following the earthquakes, but was later cancelled. Some areas of the port city of
Callao were evacuated. Tsunami warnings were also made for
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
and
Costa Rica, and a tsunami watch was posted for
Nicaragua
Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the countr ...
,
Guatemala,
El Salvador, Mexico and
Honduras. All alerts were cancelled after a wave came ashore. A tsunami did occur on the Peruvian coast. It flooded part of Lima's Costa Verde highway, and much of Pisco's shore. It has been reported that the tsunami reached as high as in the zone of Lagunillas in Pisco neighbourhood's town Paracas, with a maximum height of in
Yumaque. The fishing village of Lagunilla completely destroyed by the tsunami resulting in 3 deaths out of 7 inhabitants, while survivors reported no significant earthquake damage.
The
Japan Meteorological Agency
The , abbreviated JMA, is an agency of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It is charged with gathering and providing results for the public in Japan that are obtained from data based on daily scientific observation an ...
issued a tsunami warning, projecting that waves higher than could reach Japan's northern island,
Hokkaidō, on Thursday, August 16, around 19:00 UTC (Friday, 04:00
JST).
Response
The
Government of Peru
, border = Central
, image =
, caption = Logo of the Government of Peru
, date = 1990
, state = Peru
, address = Government Palace
, leader_title = President of PeruWhile there i ...
led the response to the earthquake through the National Civil Defence System ( – INDECI). It was supported by the military, the private sector (local, national and international) and by contributions from civil society and the international community, including governments, international
NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
s and UN agencies. The initial response entailed searching for survivors, evacuating the injured, removing rubble, ensuring security and meeting the needs of affected people. Shelter was provided for those that had lost their homes,
latrine
A latrine is a toilet or an even simpler facility that is used as a toilet within a sanitation system. For example, it can be a communal trench in the earth in a camp to be used as emergency sanitation, a hole in the ground ( pit latrine), or ...
s were installed, clean water and medical services were established, food aid was distributed and education and psychosocial support was offered, especially to children. A
Consolidated Appeals Process (CAP) in the wake of the earthquake raised approximately $37 million, $9.5m of which was provided by the
Central Emergency Response Fund
The Central Emergency Response Fund (, CERF/FCIU) is a humanitarian fund established by the United Nations General Assembly on December 15, 2005 and launched in March 2006. With CERF’s objectives to 1) promote early action and response to reduc ...
(CERF).
Despite the considerable relief effort, the initial response was chaotic, marked by a lack of coordination and inadequate information on the needs of people on the ground. It was hindered by a lack of capacity at the regional level and consequent political wrangling (particularly between the local, regional and national governments). Many local authorities were personally attacked for the earthquake, as survivors tried to find close relatives or overcome the traumatic shock of losing so many family members. As time passed the response became better organised, particularly once an
OCHA
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is a United Nations (UN) body established in December 1991 by the General Assembly to strengthen the international response to complex emergencies and natural disaster ...
coordination office was established in Pisco and a
UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination
The United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) is part of the international emergency response system for sudden-onset emergencies. It is designed to help the United Nations and governments of disaster-affected countries during t ...
(UNDAC) team arrived to support coordination and provide technical advice.
Aftermath
Several years on, Pisco is still feeling the effects of the earthquake and is struggling to recover. Many families who lost their homes are still living in temporary housing or tents. The social/economic impacts of the quake may take many years to heal.
"Report"
, ''Pisco Sin Fronteras'' Website
See also
* List of earthquakes in 2007
Earthquakes in 2007 resulted in many fatalities. The 2007 Peru earthquake was the deadliest with 595 fatalities. The September 2007 Sumatra earthquake was the largest in 2007 with an 8.4 on the moment magnitude scale. The 2007 Solomon Islands e ...
* List of earthquakes in Peru
Earthquakes in Peru are common occurrences as the country is located in a seismic zone. The interface between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates is located near the Peruvian coast. The South American Plate is moving over the Nazca Plate ...
References
External links
Perú earthquake: Videos
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:2007 Peru Earthquake
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
Earthquake
An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...
Megathrust earthquakes in Peru
2007 tsunamis
August 2007 events in South America
Earthquakes in Peru
Tsunamis in Peru
2007 disasters in Peru