Large and small earthquakes occur frequently in Peru. Official institutions in charge of the study of seismological and geophysical aspects of such large natural events have a responsibility to provide engineers, planners, and government officials with basic data to implement safety measures to minimize the destructive impact of great earthquakes. The Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) is one such institution.
The interest of the scientific community in earthquake studies has been high in Peru for a long period of time. In contrast, the negineering and social aspects of earthquakes have been studied only for the past decade.
In retrospect, the Peruvian national long-range earthquake-study program began after the catastrophic earthquake of May 31, 1970. This earthquake triggered a large snow avalanche from Huascaran mountain, killing over 60,000 people, and covering with mud small cities and tens of villages in the Andean valley of Callejon de Huaylas, Huaraz. Since then, great efforts have been made to learn about the natural seismic environment and its engineering and social aspects. The Organization of American States (OAS)has been one of the most important agencies in the development of the program.
