US
Key Points (updated Oct 9, 18:43 UTC)
- A magnitude 7.7 earthquake occurred near Pitaloza Arriba, Panama on Oct 9 at 12:56 PM local time.
- The USGS assesses that extensive shaking impacts are probable, and the disaster is likely widespread. Approximately 4.6 million people experienced Moderate (MMI V) to Severe (VIII) shaking.
- Aftershocks, some potentially with strong shaking, may follow this earthquake.
- For information on tsunami alerts, please visit www.tsunami.gov.
- If you experienced this earthquake, please tell us about it with the Did You Feel It? survey.
Tectonic Summary
Panama is located near the junction of several major tectonic plates, including the oceanic Cocos and Nazca plates to the west and south, and the Caribbean and South America plates to the north and east, respectively. These larger plates surround the Panama microplate. Along the southern boundary, the Cocos and plate subducts and beneath the Panama microplate and the Nazca plate obliquely converges with the microplate, while along its northern boundary, the Caribbean Plate subducts beneath it. The earthquake's focal mechanism indicates left-lateral strike-slip faulting, consistent with the style of deformation commonly observed along this complex plate boundary.
Earthquakes are frequent in this region, although most historical seismicity has been concentrated west of today's event along the Panama Fracture Zone, a north-south-trending plate boundary that separates the Cocos and Nazca plates. Notable historical earthquakes in the broader area include a magnitude 7.5 event in July 1934 and a magnitude 7.2 event in July 1962.
