Reviewed by USGSPanama93y ago
M5.8 earthquake 48 km SE of Burica, Panama
Wednesday, July 18, 1934, 16:09:54 UTC · 7.772°N, 82.521°W
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck 48 km SE of Burica, Panama on Wednesday, July 18, 1934, 16:09:54 UTC, at a depth of 25.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M6.6 on July 18, 1934.
- Magnitude
- 5.8
- Moderate · mw
- Depth
- 25 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- VI
- Strong (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
8 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/2 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 18 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
52 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Nazca and Panama plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
25 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
No “Did You Feel It?” reports have been published for this event yet. If you felt it, you can add your report on the USGS website.
I felt it — report to USGS ↗USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No PAGER estimate is available for this event.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 75 km
USGS lists 2 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M6.8 on July 18, 1934. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 32 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.544 km ESE of Burica, PanamaJuly 18, 1934 · 9 km N of this epicenter
- 7.353 km SSE of Quepos, Costa RicaDecember 20, 1904 · 213 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.245 km SW of Quebrada de Piedra, PanamaJanuary 20, 1904 · 60 km E of this epicenter
- 7.16 km WNW of Siquirres, Costa RicaApril 24, 1916 · 284 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.8228 km WSW of Burica, PanamaMarch 3, 1906 · 250 km W of this epicenter
- 6.711 km NE of Changuinola, PanamaApril 26, 1916 · 193 km N of this epicenter
- 6.7260 km SSW of Arenas, PanamaAugust 20, 1927 · 284 km S of this epicenter
- 6.712 km ESE of Jacó, Costa RicaMarch 4, 1924 · 298 km NW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 15 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 700 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1910M6.4
Cartago, San Jose
4 May 1910 · 296 km away
700 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1854M7.3
Costa Rica-Panama
5 Aug 1854 · 97 km away
Severe damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1888
San Jose, Ala Juela, Heredia
30 Dec 1888 · 298 km away · intensity VIII
Severe damage ($5–24M)
- 1822M7.6
Matina
7 May 1822 · 199 km away · intensity VII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1882M5.8
Alajuela, San Jose, Heredia
3 Mar 1882 · 243 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1910M5.8
Cartago
13 Apr 1910 · 278 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.