M5.0 Earthquake 249 km SSW of Río Grande, Panama — October 24, 2023
2023-10-24 10:10:07 UTC (2023-10-24) · approx. 5:10 AM UTC-5 local
Felt by 2 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.1 mainshock.
On October 24, 2023 at 10:10 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 249 km SSW of Río Grande, Panama, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 5.7628°, -82.4617°. This earthquake was detected by 120 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 385, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 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 5.1 mainshock that occurred 18 days ago 240 km S of Burica, Panama. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 0 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 2 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
-82.4617°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Río Grande, Panama?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 249 km SSW of Río Grande, Panama on October 24, 2023 at 10:10 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 5.7628°, -82.4617°, which is 249 km SSW of Río Grande, Panama.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.1 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 5.0 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.1 mainshock that occurred earlier 240 km S of Burica, Panama. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000l5yb). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, October 24, 2023). M5.0 Earthquake 249 km SSW of Río Grande, Panama — October 24, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000l5yb/