Panama City [Panama], March 22 (ANI): A tremor measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale struck Panama late Friday, according to a statement released by the National Center for Seismology.
According to the statement, the earthquake happened at a relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometers, which makes it prone to aftershocks.
"An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 was recorded on March 21, 2025, at 20:20:50 IST. The epicenter was located at coordinates 7.17°N latitude and 82.20°W longitude, with a depth of 10 kilometers. It occurred south of Panama," according to a tweet from the NCS.
Shallow earthquakes pose higher risks than deep ones because they unleash their energy nearer to the Earth’s surface, leading to intensified ground motion and heightened destruction of buildings along with greater loss of life. In contrast, deep earthquakes tend to dissipate much of their force before reaching the surface.
According to the Global Earth Model, Panama stands as an autonomous nation situated in the southern section of Central America. Its development of the trans-oceanic canal has established it as a key economic nexus within the area. Panama City, which boasts the highest concentration of inhabitants among urban areas, showcases skyscrapers blending both living spaces and business premises. A minimal segment of the populace lives in regions with significant seismic risk.
The Pedro Miguel Fault is a seismic fault located underneath the Panama Canal and close to Panama City, which houses roughly 1.2 million out of Panama’s total population of about 3.3 million people.
Both these faults are active, generating earthquakes approximately every 600 to 900 years, potentially leading to ground displacement of up to 9.8 feet (3 meters). The seismic event in 1882 triggered a local tsunami. Seismologist Tom Rockwell from San Diego State University headed a research group which discovered indications pointing towards simultaneous movement along both fault lines around 700 CE.
The Pedro Miguel and Limon fault systems worry geologists because an intense earthquake occurring at either location might jeopardize the canal, potentially emptying Lake Gatún which provides crucial water for operating its locks, leading to significant destruction in the capital city. (ANI)
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