Large magnitude earthquakes occur in association with the area around the Nazca Ridge subduction zone, known at the Peru megathrust. These include, but are not limited to, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake in 1942, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake in 1970, a magnitude 7.7 earthquake in 1996, a magnitude 8.4 earthquake in 2001, and a magnitude 8.0 earthquake in 2007. Earthquake records for this area of subduction go back to 1586. All of these ruptures were located either on the coast of Peru or within the Peru-Chile Trench between 9°S and 18°S, coincidental with the subducting Nazca Ridge, and include both intraplate and interplate rupturing. No large earthquakes have been located between 14°S and 15.5°S, where the bathymetric high of the ridge is subducting. Interplate earthquakes do not occur in direct conjunction with the Nazca Ridge.