M5.6 Earthquake 7 km E of Cartago, Colombia — January 19, 2024
2024-01-19 11:26:03 UTC (2024-01-19) · approx. 6:26 AM UTC-5 local
Felt by 124 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.6 (very strong). Aftershock of the M7.4 mainshock.
On January 19, 2024 at 11:26 UTC, a magnitude 5.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 7 km E of Cartago, Colombia, at a depth of 65.1 km and coordinates 4.7429°, -75.8481°. The earthquake was reported felt by 124 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.6 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a yellow alert level for this event, indicating local impact possible. This earthquake was detected by 196 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 747, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Cartago (population 134,827).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 4 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 4.4 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 7.4 mainshock that occurred 8 days ago 5 km S of San José del Palmar, Colombia. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 3 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for months to years as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 6.6 (very strong), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Strong shaking felt by everyone. Heavy furniture may move. Books fall from shelves. Plaster and chimneys may crack. Damage is generally slight in well-built structures.
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 124 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 | 17,955,732 |
| MMI 4 | light | 7,687,542 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 373,175 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 142,796 |
| MMI 7 | very strong | 3,653 |
Earthquake Details
-75.8481°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.6 earthquake near Cartago, Colombia?
The magnitude 5.6 earthquake that struck 7 km E of Cartago, Colombia on January 19, 2024 at 11:26 UTC had a depth of 65.1 km. It was felt by 124 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.6 (very strong). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 4.7429°, -75.8481°, which is 7 km E of Cartago, Colombia. The nearest populated place is Cartago (population 134,827).
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.6 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M7.4 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 5.6 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 7.4 mainshock that occurred earlier 5 km S of San José del Palmar, Colombia. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000m4n2). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, January 19, 2024). M5.6 Earthquake 7 km E of Cartago, Colombia — January 19, 2024. Retrieved March 29, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000m4n2/