M6.7 Earthquake 71 km S of Burica, Panama — July 21, 2021
2021-07-21 21:15:12 UTC (2021-07-21) · approx. 3:15 PM UTC-6 local
Felt by 235 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 5.9 (strong).
On July 21, 2021 at 21:15 UTC, a magnitude 6.7 shallow crustal earthquake struck 71 km S of Burica, Panama, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 7.3926°, -82.7790°. The earthquake was reported felt by 235 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 5.9 (strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Punta de Burica (population 1,360).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 169 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 25 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 5.9 (strong), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Moderate shaking that everyone in the area would feel. Sleeping people are awakened. Dishes and windows may break. Unstable objects may be knocked over.
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 235 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 6,851,492 |
| MMI 4 | light | 4,838,246 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 243,356 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 1,087 |
Earthquake Details
-82.7790°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.7 earthquake near Burica, Panama?
The magnitude 6.7 earthquake that struck 71 km S of Burica, Panama on July 21, 2021 at 21:15 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. It was felt by 235 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 5.9 (strong). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 7.3926°, -82.7790°, which is 71 km S of Burica, Panama. The nearest populated place is Punta de Burica (population 1,360).
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.7 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000exs5). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, July 21, 2021). M6.7 Earthquake 71 km S of Burica, Panama — July 21, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000exs5/