Earthquakes in Ecuador
In Ecuador there are partly large earthquakes with strengths of more than 7.0, which cause damages within a radius of over 100 kilometers. Measured by the size of the country, earthquakes do not occur very frequently.Since 1950 more than 5700 people died by direct consequences of earthquakes. 1 earthquakes also caused a subsequent tsunami, which claimed further lifes and damages.
Other natural hazards in Ecuador:
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› Tsunamis
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Earthquakes in Ecuador since 1950
The strongest earthquake in Ecuador happened on 04/16/2016 in the region Near West Coast (Manabi, Esmeraldas) with a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter scale. The shifting of tectonic plates in a depth of 36 km resulted in 663 deaths. The earthquake also triggered a tsunami with further victims and destructions.| Date | Region | Tiefe | Magnitude | Deaths | Total damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01/31/2018 | Pastaza | 21 km | 5.2 | 1 | |
| 12/19/2016 | Esmeraldas | 39 km | 5.4 | 3 | |
| 05/18/2016 | Manabi Province | 11 km | 6.8 | 1 | |
| 04/16/2016 | Near West Coast (Manabi, Esmeraldas) | 36 km | 7.8 | 663 | |
| 08/12/2014 | Quito | 58 km | 5.1 | 2 | |
| 10/29/2011 | Pomasqui | 49 km | 4.0 | 0 | |
| 08/12/2010 | Manta, Guayaquil, Loja | 15 km | 7.1 | 0 | |
| 10/09/2009 | Tena | 39 km | 5.4 | 0 | |
| 11/16/2007 | Guayaquil | 6.8 | 0 | ||
| 07/13/2007 | Zaruma | 25 km | 4.5 | 0 | |
| 10/24/2005 | Baeza | 33 km | 4.8 | 0 | |
| 01/24/2005 | Near West Coast (Puerto Lopez, Salango) | 26 km | 6.1 | 0 | |
| 08/04/1998 | Bahia De Caraquez, Canoa | 20 km | 7.2 | 3 | |
| 03/28/1996 | Cotopaxi, Pastaza, Tungurahua, Ambato | 49 km | 5.9 | 27 | |
| 10/03/1995 | Quito | 23 km | 7.0 | 2 | |
| 08/11/1990 | Pamasqui, Quito | 54 km | 4.4 | 4 | |
| 06/25/1989 | Esmeraldas, Guayaquil | 32 km | 6.1 | 0 | |
| 09/22/1987 | Ambato, Latacunga, Riobamba | 37 km | 6.2 | 2 | |
| 03/06/1987 | Napo Province, Quito, Tulcan | 44 km | 7.2 | 5000 | |
| 08/18/1980 | W, Guayaquil | 52 km | 5.6 | 8 | |
| 04/09/1976 | Esmeraldos | 47 km | 6.7 | 10 | |
| 12/17/1969 | Sasquisili, Pujili, Latacunga | 4.2 | 0 | ||
| 07/30/1960 | Ecuador | 0.0 | 11 | ||
| 01/16/1956 | Ecuador | 7.3 | 0 | ||
| 08/05/1950 | Ecuador | 6.8 | 0 |
These statistics are based on datas from the National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K. Several data have been summarized and translated. Foto taken from National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC, public domain).