Geographer Marcelo Lagos shared his analysis after the strong earthquake in magnitude 7.0 that shook the region of Arequipa, in southern Peru, this morning.
According to the report of the Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP)the earthquake occurred at a depth of 42 kilometers and with an epicenter 54 kilometers southwest of the coastal district of Yauca.
As a result of this situation, Hydrography of Peru activated a tsunami warning.
What did Marcelo Lagos say?
To learn more details about this earthquake and the possible consequences on the Chilean coast, the morning With you in the morning He contacted the expert from the Catholic University.
From the outset, Marcelo Lagos clarified that “Peru has always shared the seismic threat with the entire north of Chile and we have clearly always been on the lookout for a major event to occur in those territories. And this is no exception.”.
By the way, he explained that the earthquake this morning “It was not felt intensely in Arica, but it shows us that the threat is latent. It is connected to the 2007 earthquake in Peru and is gradually breaking up segments of an area that has a history of major events.”.
“This is a shallow, coastal event, but Peru is incubating a great event, the entire Peruvian coast, particularly off Lima. And that scenario is going to be very different”advancement.
“A big event in front of Lima?” Julio César Rodríguez asked him, somewhat surprised.
“Yes, just like the central area of Chile. Remember that the central area of Chile is waiting for a great event like the one that occurred in 1730 (in Valparaiso)but Peru is no exception”Lagos said.
He then confirmed that if a mega-earthquake were to occur in Peru, it would reach a magnitude of around 9 degrees.
Finally, in relation to the tsunami, he called for calm: “Peru faces south-west, so any earthquake that occurs, the wave train goes towards New Zealand, not Chile. We are more exposed to what happens in Japan.”.
