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Very strong mag. 6.1 earthquake - South of Panama on Saturday, 17 July 2021 at 20:56 (GMT) - information

Very strong mag. 6.1 Earthquake - North Pacific Ocean, 172 km south of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, Panama, on Saturday, Jul 17, 2021 02:56 pm (GMT -6)

Very strong mag. 6.1 Earthquake - North Pacific Ocean, 172 km south of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, Panama, on Saturday, Jul 17, 2021 02:56 pm (GMT -6) Very strong mag. 6.1 Earthquake - North Pacific Ocean, 172 km south of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, Panama, on Saturday, Jul 17, 2021 02:56 pm (GMT -6)

Very strong magnitude 6.1 earthquake at 10 km depth

17 Jul 20:59 UTC: First to report: VolcanoDiscovery after 3 minutes.
17 Jul 21:03: Now using data updates from GFZ
17 Jul 21:04: Magnitude recalculated from 6.3 to 6.0. Epicenter location corrected by 3.3 km (2.1 mi) towards S.
17 Jul 21:31: Magnitude recalculated from 6.0 to 6.1.
Update Sat, 17 Jul 2021, 21:09

Significant earthquake of magnitude 6.0 just reported 131 km south of Canegua, Panama

6.0 quake 17 Jul 2:56 pm (GMT -6)
6.0 quake 17 Jul 2:56 pm (GMT -6)
A shallow magnitude 6.0 earthquake was reported early afternoon near Canegua, Provincia de Chiriqui, Panama.
According to the German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), the quake hit on Saturday 17 July 2021 at 2:56 pm local time at a shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes are felt more strongly than deeper ones as they are closer to the surface. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.
A second report was later issued by France's Réseau National de Surveillance Sismique (RéNaSS), which listed it as a magnitude 6.2 earthquake. A third agency, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), reported the same quake at magnitude 6.2.
Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake was probably felt by many people in the area of the epicenter. It should not have caused significant damage, other than objects falling from shelves, broken windows, etc.
In Canegua (pop. 14) located 131 km from the epicenter, the quake should have been felt as light shaking.
VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update magnitude and depth if these change and follow up if other significant news about the quake become available. If you're in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.
Download the Volcanoes & Earthquakes app and get one of the fastest seismic alerts online: Android | iOS

Earthquake details

Date & timeJul 17, 2021 20:56:12 UTC
Local time at epicenterSaturday, Jul 17, 2021 02:56 pm (GMT -6)
StatusConfirmed
Magnitude6.1
Depth10.0 km
Epicenter latitude / longitude6.9°N / 82.7°W North Pacific Ocean, Panama
Antipode6.9°S / 97.3°E
Shaking intensityLight shaking
Felt249 reports
Primary data sourceGFZ (German Research Centre for Geosciences)
Nearest volcanoBaru (40 km / 25 mi)
Weather at epicenter at time of quakeOvercast Clouds 27.3°C (81 F), humidity: 76%, wind: 6 m/s (11 kts) from WSW
Estimated seismic energy released8.9 x 1013 joules (24.8 gigawatt hours, equivalent to 21301 tons of TNT or 1.3 atomic bombs!) | about seismic energy
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Nearby places

Distance Place Max. shaking intensity(*) Region Country
128 km (79 mi)
N of epicenter
Punta de Burica
(pop: 1,360)
IV
Light
Provincia de Chiriqui
154 km (96 mi)
N of epicenter
Puerto Armuelles
(pop: 11,700)
IV
Light
Baru District, Provincia de Chiriqui
167 km (104 mi)
N of epicenter
Pedregal
(pop: 17,400)
IV
Light
David District, Provincia de Chiriqui
172 km (107 mi)
N of epicenter
David
(pop: 82,000)
IV
Light
Provincia de Chiriqui
173 km (108 mi)
N of epicenter
Las Lomas
(pop: 11,700)
IV
Light
David District, Provincia de Chiriqui
180 km (112 mi)
N of epicenter
Concepcion
(pop: 17,700)
IV
Light
Bugaba District, Provincia de Chiriqui
187 km (116 mi)
NNE of epicenter
Gualaca
(pop: 3,450)
IV
Light
Provincia de Chiriqui
196 km (122 mi)
NE of epicenter
Sona
(pop: 7,670)
IV
Light
Distrito de Sona, Provincia de Veraguas
232 km (144 mi)
NE of epicenter
Santiago
(pop: 45,400)
IV
Light
Provincia de Veraguas
421 km (261 mi)
NE of epicenter
Panama
(pop: 408,200)
III
Weak
Panama District, Panama
Notes:
(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.

Compare Quake Data

Data for the same earthquake as reported by different agencies

The more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.
Mag Depth Time GMT Epicenter Agency
6.1 10 km (6.2 mi) (*) 2021-07-17 20:56:12 South of Panama GFZ (German Research Centre for Geosciences)
6.1 10 km (6.2 mi) (*) 2021-07-17 20:56:11 SOUTH OF PANAMA
8.4 km (5.2 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)
6.4 10 km (6.2 mi) (*) 2021-07-17 20:56:12 Panama: 03 Km Al Oeste De Isla Jicarón, Distrito Montijo,
13 km (7.9 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
INETER
5.6 10 km (6.2 mi) (*) 2021-07-17 20:56:12 Panama: Near David
14 km (8.5 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
RENASS (Réseau National de Surveillance Sismique (RéNaSS))
6.1 9.1 km (5.7 mi) 2021-07-17 20:56:11 130 Km S of Punta De Burica, Panama
6.8 km (4.2 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
USGS (United States Geological Survey)
6.0 16 km (10.2 mi) 2021-07-17 20:56:13 South of Panama [Sea: Panama]
10.5 km (6.5 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
INGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia)
6.2 10 km (6.2 mi) (*) 2021-07-17 20:56:11 South of Panama
10 km (6.2 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
GeoAu (Geoscience Australia )
6.1 3 km (1.9 mi) 2021-07-17 20:56:00 118 Km Al Oeste De Isla De Coiba, Panama.
5.3 km (3.3 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
RSN
6.4 10 km (6.2 mi) (*) 2021-07-17 20:56:13 Panama: Off Coast of Central America
38 km (24 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
BMKG (Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency of Indonesia)
Notes:
(*) A depth given as 10 km often means that the the depth of the quake could not determined with sufficient accuracy.

Seismograms

Seismic station: Las Juntas de Abangares, Costa Rica (JTS/II network) | Distance from quake: 451 km / 280 mi | Show on map | Station Info
Seismic station Las Juntas de Abangares, Costa Rica: vertical movement plot around time of quake (source: IRIS/BUD)
Seismogram (vertical component) around time of quake. Thin dotted red line indicates time of quake. Seismic waves arrive some time later, depending on distance. Bandpass filter applied: 0.1-10.0 Hz. Source: IRIS Buffer of Uniform Data (BUD) webtool
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User-reports for this quake (276)

User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale.
Contribute:
Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it.
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Mark as helpful or interesting.
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Paso Ancho, Tierras Altas, Chiriqui Province, Pana (213.2 km N of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : I felt the whole house shake, but nothing fell over or broke. Our dogs seemed to be aware of it. It woke my husband from his nap. It lasted for about 15 seconds. It was felt by friends in Cerro Punta and Boquete. | 6 users found this interesting.  
  • Is anyone concerned about a tsunami since it was off shore and fairly strong at 6.2?
39 km of Rio de Jesus, Veraguas (183.4 km ENE of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s : I was laying down in a Cabana, felt obvious shaking movement. Gentle. Other people by the pool felt it, too. | One user found this interesting.  
A28D5BDE-F... .jpg (public domain)
A28D5BDE-F... .jpg (public domain)
David, Chiriquí (169.9 km N of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 30-60 s : Like when somebody push you | 4 users found this interesting.  
Perez Zeledon Costa Rica (290.7 km NNW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : My homemade alarm went off as I swayed in my recliner. Short moment thankfully.Of course waitng to feel if short or long duration. Same time Nicaraugua got rocked 4.2 at the time Panama was hit. Pure bookends. | 2 users found this interesting. (reported through our app)  
Ulloa, Heredia (377.3 km NNW of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Felt like I was on a boat! I was sitting and on the 11tj floor then everything started swaying back and forth | 2 users found this interesting.  
Montijo District / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : Little no none shaking against the wall, then after 20-30 seconds, it shook the whole house. It was a vibrating sensation. | 2 users found this interesting.  
Atenas, Provincia de Alajuela (388.9 km NNW of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : I was putting make up on My face. I was standing up un front of a room. All what I felt was that I was being moved from left to right, once!! | One user found this interesting.  
  • Was it mascara?
Cahuita (315.8 km N of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : I was in my hammock and there was a short shaking. My husband was inside on the couch and was also shaking | One user found this interesting.  
Panama City panama (416.6 km NE of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Shook our home I was napping, it woke me | 2 users found this interesting.  
Ulloa, Heredia (377.3 km NNW of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Felt like I was on a boat! I was sitting and on the 11tj floor then everything started swaying back and forth  
El Valle de Anton, Panamá (341.3 km NE of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s : I was in my car in a parking lot. I felt the car shaking a little, I thought that someone was trying to   
Janna Kulisz 141 Golf West Vista Mar San Carlos Pa (361.4 km NE of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 1-2 s : Was lying on bed. Felt like my dog was trying to jump on the bed by jumping against the side of the bed 4 or 5 lunges.  
Río Hato (347.7 km ENE of epicenter) [Map] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Muy fuerte aquí en la playa sentí 2 temblores simultáneamente y se movía el piso hacia varios lados y las lámparas se movían Subscríbete a Monitoreo Sísmico JP para ver cómo se vivió.  
Nueva gorgona, Panama in chame district, province (361.7 km ENE of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s : Light lateral shaking for 10-15 seconds, no apartment or house shaking, but mild definite floor shaking movement.  
Santo Domingo de Heredia, costa rico (375.6 km NNW of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : I felt a small shaking near my house, then i noticed it was strong in panama, and im even in Costa Rica oh my god  
Santiago, Veraguas, Panama (232.4 km NE of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s : Was sitting down on a cement driveway. 4 people all noticed a sudden bouncing-like shaking, like the passing of a very large, very heavy truck nearby on a bumpy road. Lasted 2 to 3 seconds. We all immediately recognized it as an earthquake  
Home in David Cheriqiu Panama (171.4 km N of epicenter) [Map] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 1-2 minutes : Taking a nap and woke me up! My earthquake monitor went off why I was feeling shaking while napping in bed! (reported through our app)  
Panama West by Punta Parco playa Teta (484.4 km NE of epicenter) [Map] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Side to side shake. I’m highly sensitive to these phenomenon. Lasted about 5 seconds. Was laying in my sofa with my dog and stood up alerting others. But no one else felted   
Caldera / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s : Even my cat got scared. | 2 users found this interesting.  
Isla colon / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : Shakira,ceiling lamps moving | 2 users found this interesting.  
Rio Hato (326.9 km ENE of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Movement of objects | One user found this interesting.  
Santa Ana Costa Rica (373.3 km NNW of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Mild tremors that lasted several seconds | One user found this interesting.  
Puerto Viejo de Talamanca (304.2 km N of epicenter) [Map] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single vertical bump / 5-10 s : Bumps through the floor. Slight swaying | One user found this interesting.  
near San Isidro, Pérez Zeledón (296.2 km NNW of epicenter) [Map] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 20-30 s : windows rattling, but objects on table did not move. | One user found this interesting.  
Panama City Panama (419.7 km NE of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Slight movement of building | One user found this interesting.  
David (175.1 km N of epicenter) [Map] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / very short : Weak | One user found this interesting.  
North Hollywood, CA / not felt : I didn’t feel it. I’m a psychic and I do earthquake predictions. My readings predict earthquakes in Lancaster by red rock this summer or fall or three short earthquakes within a couple of days September 10th,  
Uvita, Costa Rica / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s : Vacationing in Uvita, thought I was losing my mind since the couch seemed to vibrate next to me. Good to know I’m not going crazy.  
Chuita Costa Rica / not felt : We wouldn’t have known about one but a tourist informed us about her resort and the shaking that went on.  
Ciudad de Panama - Av. Italia- Punta Paitilla / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Estava deitada no momento e a cama tremeu, olhei para o espelho da penteadeira e estava balançando, balançou por pelo menos uns 10 segundos  
Concepcion / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / several minutes
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Aftershocks

[More info]

Recorded aftershocks, latest first (33 quakes)

Date and Time GMTMag
Depth
RegionDetails
Jan 2, 2022 07:24
1 year 47 weeks ago
3.5

16 km
North Pacific Ocean, PanamaMore
Dec 29, 2021 05:22
1 year 48 weeks ago
3.6

1 km
North Pacific Ocean, 132 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Dec 24, 2021 21:58
1 year 48 weeks ago
3.9

20 km
North Pacific Ocean, 132 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Dec 16, 2021 16:01
1 year 50 weeks ago
3.8

3 km
North Pacific Ocean, 137 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Dec 12, 2021 12:12
1 year 50 weeks ago
4.1

12 km
North Pacific Ocean, 134 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Dec 10, 2021 06:33
1 year 51 weeks ago
4.4

15 km
North Pacific Ocean, 139 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Dec 9, 2021 18:33
1 year 51 weeks ago
4.4

15 km
North Pacific Ocean, 139 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Nov 19, 2021 03:20
2 years ago
3.9

36 km
North Pacific Ocean, 152 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Oct 30, 2021 07:26
2 years ago
4.7

1 km
North Pacific Ocean, 178 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Oct 23, 2021 15:57
2 years ago
4.0

2 km
North Pacific Ocean, 163 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Oct 18, 2021 01:04
2 years ago
3.9

10 km
North Pacific Ocean, PanamaMore
Oct 17, 2021 05:52
2 years ago
4.2

10 km
North Pacific Ocean, PanamaMore
Sep 22, 2021 01:25
2 years ago - felt
5.1

10 km
North Pacific Ocean, 131 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Sep 21, 2021 04:50
2 years ago
3.9

10 km
North Pacific Ocean, 163 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Sep 11, 2021 02:36
2 years ago
4.3

10 km
North Pacific Ocean, 118 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Sep 6, 2021 15:50
2 years ago
4.2

7 km
North Pacific Ocean, 131 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Aug 26, 2021 17:40
2 years ago
3.4

10 km
North Pacific Ocean, 114 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Aug 26, 2021 00:05
2 years ago
4.1

5 km
North Pacific Ocean, 179 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Aug 19, 2021 10:06
2 years ago - felt
4.4

3 km
North Pacific Ocean, 142 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Aug 13, 2021 16:45
2 years ago
4.2

18 km
North Pacific Ocean, PanamaMore
Aug 4, 2021 11:26
2 years ago
3.8

2 km
North Pacific Ocean, 146 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Aug 2, 2021 11:35
2 years ago
4.5

21 km
North Pacific Ocean, 113 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Jul 31, 2021 08:47
2 years ago
4.3

25 km
North Pacific Ocean, 167 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Jul 26, 2021 03:48
2 years ago - felt
4.6

53 km
North Pacific Ocean, 94 km S of Puerto Armuelles, PanamaMore
Jul 22, 2021 13:25
2 years ago - felt
4.4

61 km
North Pacific Ocean, 158 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Jul 22, 2021 04:51
2 years ago
4.0

17 km
North Pacific Ocean, 111 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Jul 22, 2021 02:51
2 years ago
4.6

10 km
North Pacific Ocean, 147 km SW of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Jul 22, 2021 01:09
2 years ago
3.8

16 km
North Pacific Ocean, 155 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Jul 21, 2021 22:26
2 years ago - felt
5.0

10 km
North Pacific Ocean, 127 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Jul 21, 2021 21:15
2 years ago - felt
6.7

10 km
North Pacific Ocean, 126 km SW of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Jul 19, 2021 17:08
2 years ago
4.7

10 km
North Pacific Ocean, 149 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Jul 18, 2021 19:59
2 years ago
3.8

10 km
North Pacific Ocean, 163 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore
Jul 18, 2021 01:21
2 years ago - felt
3.9

3 km
North Pacific Ocean, 174 km S of David, Provincia de Chiriqui, PanamaMore

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