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M6.0 Earthquake near Picota, Peru — 01 April 2026

A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.0 was recorded near Picota, Peru on , with an epicentre 27 km east-southeast of Picota, at a focal depth of 108.8 km. It was the strongest of the 15 earthquakes recorded in Peru in the preceding 30 days.

6.0 Strong

Time (UTC): 2026-04-01 11:20:25

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 6.0 (strong)

Focal depth: 108.8 km (intermediate)

Epicentre: -7.0558, -76.1241

Location: 27 km ESE of Picota, Peru

Country: Peru

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Strong earthquakes can cause significant damage in populated areas within roughly 100 km of the epicentre, particularly to older masonry buildings. Landslides and liquefaction become a real risk in susceptible ground.

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake radiates roughly 15,080 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 558, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

When it happened locally

That is about 06:15 local solar time at the epicentre, around dawn.

This event was deeper than 64% of the 277 earthquakes recorded in Peru in our catalogue and stronger than 99% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at -7.0558, -76.1241 — 27 km east-southeast of Picota. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.1 earthquake 100 km west-northwest of here on 05 August 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are San Jose De Sisa (100 km west-northwest), Tabalosos (114 km northwest), Navarro (117 km north-northeast) and Tocache (126 km south-southeast).

Why the 109 km depth matters

At 109 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can produce strong, widely felt shaking. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M6.0 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 109 km focal depth is too great to deform the sea floor significantly; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.

30 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.6 event near San Fernando on 31 July 2026. This M6.0 event released about 4.0 times more energy than that event.

No other earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, which makes this a genuinely isolated event.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the April 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Peru during April 2026. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in Peru

All recorded earthquakes in Peru →

Other magnitude 6 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 6 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near Picota?

It measured magnitude 6.0 — a strong earthquake. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake radiates roughly 15,080 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near Picota?

The focus was 109 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.

Was the Picota earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 6.0 and a focal depth of 109 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.

When did the earthquake near Picota happen?

01 April 2026 at 11:20 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.

Have there been aftershocks?

No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.

How often do earthquakes happen near Picota?

30 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.6 event near San Fernando on 31 July 2026. This M6.0 event released about 4.0 times more energy than that event.