GRCC seismic station records 8.0 earthquake in Peru

On May 26th , a magnitude 8.0 earthquake shook Peru. The earthquake was located in the Nazca Plate at a depth of 110 km below the surface. In this region, the Nazca Plate is being stretched as it is sucked under the South American Plate. Subduction of the Nazca Plate is the source of most of the powerful earthquakes along the Pacific coast of South America, including the largest earthquake ever recorded on Earth. This 1960 earthquake had a magnitude of 9.5 and generated Pacific-wide tsunami. The earthquake and ensuing tsunami killed thousands. In contrast, this most recent earthquake occurred entirely within the Nazca Plate at an intermediate depth with the epicenter in a remote location of Peru. There were dozens of injuries and two fatalities reported as well as significant damage to structures in the area. The images below are of the earthquakes seismogram, recorded 9 minutes after the earthquake on GRCC’s seismic station located over 5000 kilometers away!