Paleoseismic evidence of the 1715 C.E earthquake on the Purgatorio Fault in Southern Peru: Implications for seismic hazard in subduction zones

Abstract

Active faults in the forearc of southern Peru pose a poorly understood hazard to the region. The Purgatorio Fault is a 60 km-long fault that extends between Moquegua and Tacna that has hosted several scarp-forming earthquakes over the last 6 ka. We present new measurements of the fault scarp geomorphology along the Purgatorio Fault, and use dating of the stratigraphy within a new paleoseismic trench excavated across the fault to establish the chronology of scarp formation. We find that the most recent surface-rupturing earthquake on the Purgatorio Fault occurred sometime between 1630C.E and 1790C.E and had a moment magnitude (Mw) of ~7. We propose that this most recent surface-rupturing earthquake on the Purgatorio Fault was the 1715C.E earthquake recorded in the historical catalogue of the region, which was previously attributed to the megathrust offshore. Our results highlight the importance of establishing a paleoseismic record of onshore faults to differentiate between major megathrust and forearc earthquakes. Given the proximity of these shallow, onshore faults to coastal communities in Peru, the shallow earthquakes they generate may pose a severe, yet often overlooked, seismic hazard.