M6.1 Earthquake 154 km SSE of Punta de Burica, Panama — May 13, 2021
2021-05-13 09:42:12 UTC (2021-05-13) · approx. 4:42 AM UTC-5 local
Felt by 13 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 4.2 (moderate).
On May 13, 2021 at 09:42 UTC, a magnitude 6.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 154 km SSE of Punta de Burica, Panama, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 6.7137°, -82.4146°. The earthquake was reported felt by 13 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 4.2 (moderate). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Guarumal (population 1,526).
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
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 13 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 | 1,609,724 |
| MMI 4 | light | 158,955 |
Earthquake Details
-82.4146°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.1 earthquake near Punta de Burica, Panama?
The magnitude 6.1 earthquake that struck 154 km SSE of Punta de Burica, Panama on May 13, 2021 at 09:42 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. It was felt by 13 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 4.2 (moderate). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 6.7137°, -82.4146°, which is 154 km SSE of Punta de Burica, Panama. The nearest populated place is Guarumal (population 1,526).
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: us7000e2rq). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, May 13, 2021). M6.1 Earthquake 154 km SSE of Punta de Burica, Panama — May 13, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000e2rq/