M7.8 earthquake near Rosa Zarate, Esmeraldas

What happened

A magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck 12 km SE of Pedernales, Ecuador on 14 May 1942, 02:13 UTC at a depth of 20 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Major. Can cause serious damage over large areas. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Rosa Zarate, about 68 km away in Esmeraldas, Ecuador.