M4.8 Earthquake 21 km W of Río Grande, Panama — October 12, 2026
2026-10-12 23:36:46 UTC (1 hour ago) · approx. 6:36 PM UTC-5 local
Felt by 3 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M6.1 mainshock.
On October 12, 2026 at 23:36 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 21 km W of Río Grande, Panama, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 7.7361°, -81.5274°. This earthquake was detected by 37 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 356, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 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 6.1 mainshock that occurred 1 hour ago 18 km W of Río Grande, Panama. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 13 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for weeks to months as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 3 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
Earthquake Details
-81.5274°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Río Grande, Panama?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 21 km W of Río Grande, Panama on October 12, 2026 at 23:36 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 7.7361°, -81.5274°, which is 21 km W of Río Grande, Panama.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M6.1 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 4.8 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 6.1 mainshock that occurred earlier 18 km W of Río Grande, Panama. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000u1ww). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, October 12, 2026). M4.8 Earthquake 21 km W of Río Grande, Panama — October 12, 2026. Retrieved October 13, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000u1ww/