M6.8 Earthquake 14 km NNW of Baláo, Ecuador — March 18, 2023
2023-03-18 17:12:52 UTC (2023-03-18) · approx. 12:12 PM UTC-5 local
Felt by 253 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 7.0 (very strong).
On March 18, 2023 at 17:12 UTC, a magnitude 6.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 14 km NNW of Baláo, Ecuador, at a depth of 68.0 km and coordinates -2.7834°, -79.8518°. The earthquake was reported felt by 253 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 7.0 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a orange alert level for this event, indicating regional impact possible. This earthquake was detected by 308 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 1213, making it one of the most significant global earthquakes in recent days. The nearest populated place is Balao (population 12,205).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 30 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 7.0 (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 253 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 | 47 |
| MMI 4 | light | 3,208,596 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 2,325,220 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 5,096,910 |
| MMI 7 | very strong | 1,047,244 |
Earthquake Details
-79.8518°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.8 earthquake near Baláo, Ecuador?
The magnitude 6.8 earthquake that struck 14 km NNW of Baláo, Ecuador on March 18, 2023 at 17:12 UTC had a depth of 68.0 km. It was felt by 253 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 7.0 (very strong). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at -2.7834°, -79.8518°, which is 14 km NNW of Baláo, Ecuador. The nearest populated place is Balao (population 12,205).
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.8 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months and gradually diminish over time.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000jl3s). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, March 18, 2023). M6.8 Earthquake 14 km NNW of Baláo, Ecuador — March 18, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000jl3s/