The 1970 Peru-Ecuador earthquake occurred on December 9, 1970 at 23:34 local time (December 10, 1970 at 04:34 UTC). The epicenter was located in northwestern Peru

Peru

Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....

, between Piura

Piura

Piura is a city in northwestern Peru. It is the capital of the Piura Region and the Piura Province. The population is 377,496.It was here that Spanish Conqueror Francisco Pizarro founded the third Spanish city in South America and first in Peru, San Miguel de Piura, in July 1532...

 and Tumbes

Tumbes

Tumbes is a city in northwestern Peru, on the banks of the Tumbes River. It is the capital of the Tumbes Region, as well as of Tumbes Province and Tumbes District. Located near the border with Ecuador, Tumbes has 94,702 inhabitants. It is served by the Cap...

, near the Peru-Ecuador border. This earthquake had a magnitude of M_w 7.1, or M_s 7.1. About 81 people were reported dead in Peru and in Ecuador

Ecuador

Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...

 together. Liquefaction was observed. The maximal intensity reached MM IX. Fractures in constructions were reported in the urban area of Talara

Talara

Talara is a city in the Talara Province of the Piura Region, in northwestern Peru. It is a port city on the Pacific Ocean with a population of 103,200 as of 2005. Its climate is hot and dry. Due to its oil reserves, and ability to produce aviation fuel, Talara hosted a United States air base during...

. This was a shallow earthquake, and it was thought to occur in the plate above the plate boundary.