The 2007 Pisco, Peru, earthquake (M8.0): seismology and geodesy

We investigate the 2007 Pisco, Peru, earthquake (M8.0) using seismological and geodetic data. Analysis of teleseismic records indicates that the earthquake is characterized by a steadily increasing moment rate, with the maximum occurring between about 55 and 70 s and the associated slip occurring about 40 km south of the epicentre. We combine InSAR data from L-band (ALOS) and C-band (Envisat) satellites to produce a 3-D image of the ground displacements caused by the earthquake. Distributed slip inversions of the interferograms identify a single large patch of slip in the location of the maximum moment rate identified by seismology. Despite a clear spatial coincidence between the location of the coseismic slip and the anomalously high topography of the Paracas Peninsula, we find no evidence that the earthquake was directly responsible for motion on any upper plate faults.