The May 2022 Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake Near Azángaro, Peru

On 26 May 2022 at 12:02 local time, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck 10 km west of Azángaro in Peru’s Puno Region. The event occurred at a depth of 236 km, classifying it as an intermediate-depth earthquake within the subducting oceanic slab. No significant surface damage or casualties were reported, consistent with the attenuating effects of great focal depth. Azángaro lies in the high Andes of southern Peru, east of Lake Titicaca and within the active margin where the Nazca Plate converges with and subducts beneath the South American Plate at roughly 6–7 cm per year. This tectonic setting produces both shallow crustal earthquakes and deeper events along the Wadati-Benioff zone. The 236 km depth places the 2022 hypocenter well within the slab, where phase changes and dehydration reactions can generate intraslab seismicity. Since 2000, the immediate Azángaro area has experienced two notable events exceeding magnitude 7.0. The 26 May 2022 earthquake was preceded by a magnitude 7.0 shock on 1 March 2019 located 22 km north-northeast of the town. Both events share similar depth ranges and reflect ongoing subduction-related strain release. The broader Peruvian Andes have a long record of destructive earthquakes driven by the same plate boundary. Historical events such as the 1868 Arica earthquake and the 2001 Arequipa earthquake (Mw 8.4) illustrate the region’s capacity for both megathrust and intraslab activity. Modern instrumentation has improved detection of deep events like the 2022 Azángaro quake, allowing better characterization of slab geometry and seismic hazard. Ongoing monitoring by Peru’s Instituto Geofísico del Perú and global networks continues to track aftershock sequences and slab dynamics in this sector of the subduction zone. The 2022 event underscores the persistent seismic potential at intermediate depths beneath the southern Peruvian Andes.

References

USGS Earthquake Catalog Instituto Geofísico del Perú seismic bulletins