Shallow M6.1 earthquake hits south of Panama
Image credit: TW/SAM, Google
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.1 hit south of Panama at 11:14 UTC on January 28, 2022. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.1 at a depth of 2 km (1.2 miles).
The epicenter was located about 284 km (176 miles) SW of Arenas and 312 km (194 miles) S of Puerto Armuelles, Panama.
There are no people living within 100 km (62 miles).
546 000 people are estimated to have felt weak shaking.
There is no tsunami threat from this earthquake.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake-resistant construction. The predominant vulnerable building types are mud wall and adobe block construction.
Image credit: TW/SAM, Google
Regional seismicity
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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