M6.1 Earthquake 56 km SSW of La Libertad, El Salvador — August 28, 2024
2024-08-28 21:57:54 UTC (2024-08-28) · approx. 3:57 PM UTC-6 local
Felt by 105 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.9 (moderate).
On August 28, 2024 at 21:57 UTC, a magnitude 6.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 56 km SSW of La Libertad, El Salvador, at a depth of 26.4 km and coordinates 13.0471°, -89.5830°. The earthquake was reported felt by 105 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.9 (moderate). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 224 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 621, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is San Salvador (population 525,990).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 21 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 9.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 4.9 (moderate), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Mild shaking, similar to a passing truck. Hanging objects swing. Glasses and dishes may rattle. Not commonly felt outdoors.
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 105 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 | 10,115,340 |
| MMI 4 | light | 6,069,604 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 161,210 |
Earthquake Details
-89.5830°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.1 earthquake near La Libertad, El Salvador?
The magnitude 6.1 earthquake that struck 56 km SSW of La Libertad, El Salvador on August 28, 2024 at 21:57 UTC had a depth of 26.4 km. It was felt by 105 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.9 (moderate). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 13.0471°, -89.5830°, which is 56 km SSW of La Libertad, El Salvador. The nearest populated place is San Salvador (population 525,990).
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.1 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000nncs). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, August 28, 2024). M6.1 Earthquake 56 km SSW of La Libertad, El Salvador — August 28, 2024. Retrieved March 26, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000nncs/