A report on the 24 August 2011 Mw 7.0 Contamana, Peru, intermediate-depth earthquake

Abstract

The seismic activity in Peru has its origin in the convergence process between the Nazca and the South American plates. Such convergence takes place at an average velocity on the order of 7–8 cm/yr (DeMets et al., 1980; Norabuena et al., 1999). This process is responsible for the largest damaging shallow interplate underthrusting earthquakes, the intraplate plate events in the downgoing Nazca slab, and the shallow intraplate crustal events in the overriding South American plate. The interplate events, representing slip between the plates, are the largest earthquakes and can cause considerable damage along the coast.