Reviewed by USGSPanama94y ago
M6.0 earthquake 34 km W of Burica, Panama
Wednesday, November 22, 1933, 04:52:05 UTC · 8.024°N, 83.185°W
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake struck 34 km W of Burica, Panama on Wednesday, November 22, 1933, 04:52:05 UTC, at a depth of 25.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M6.2 on November 21, 1933.
- Magnitude
- 6.0
- Moderate · mw
- Depth
- 25 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
15 kilotons of TNT
That is about the energy of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 31 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
19 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Cocos 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 M6.2 on November 23, 1933. 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 26 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.353 km SSE of Quepos, Costa RicaDecember 20, 1904 · 141 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.245 km SW of Quebrada de Piedra, PanamaJanuary 20, 1904 · 135 km E of this epicenter
- 7.16 km WNW of Siquirres, Costa RicaApril 24, 1916 · 236 km N of this epicenter
- 6.8228 km WSW of Burica, PanamaMarch 3, 1906 · 200 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.711 km NE of Changuinola, PanamaApril 26, 1916 · 184 km NE of this epicenter
- 6.712 km ESE of Jacó, Costa RicaMarch 4, 1924 · 227 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.697 km SSE of Burica, PanamaAugust 10, 1927 · 117 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.313 km NNW of Puntarenas, Costa RicaMarch 11, 1924 · 296 km NW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 14 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 · 237 km away
700 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1854M7.3
Costa Rica-Panama
5 Aug 1854 · 57 km away
Severe damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1888
San Jose, Ala Juela, Heredia
30 Dec 1888 · 237 km away · intensity VIII
Severe damage ($5–24M)
- 1822M7.6
Matina
7 May 1822 · 165 km away · intensity VII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1882M5.8
Alajuela, San Jose, Heredia
3 Mar 1882 · 171 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1910M5.8
Cartago
13 Apr 1910 · 217 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.