M7.7 earthquake · Panama (Azuero Peninsula)
On 9 October 2026 an M7.7 earthquake at about 10 km depth struck the Azuero Peninsula in southern Panama – one of the strongest ever recorded in the country. It was followed by an unusually vigorous aftershock sequence with more than a dozen events above M5, including M6.6 and M6.0. The USGS rated the event as high-impact (PAGER red, mainly economic); a tsunami threat was temporarily issued for stretches of the Pacific coast. The area lies along Central America's active Pacific margin.
Map of the series
The animation shows the 800 strongest quakes — all 809 are counted.
Distribution by magnitude
Timeline
Magnitude over time
Impact
We have no confirmed reports of casualties or damage for this event. Any information on consequences is added solely from named official sources.
The strongest earthquakes of the series
| Time | Mag. | Depth | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30. Oct, 02:43 | M3.5 | 5 km | PANAMA |
| 30. Oct, 01:23 | M3.8 | 10 km | PANAMA |
| 30. Oct, 00:26 | M4.1 | 18 km | PANAMA |
| 29. Oct, 20:19 | M3.4 | 10 km | PANAMA |
| 29. Oct, 20:12 | M3.3 | 10 km | PANAMA |
| 29. Oct, 19:54 | M3.5 | 4 km | PANAMA |
| 29. Oct, 16:44 | M3.3 | 10 km | PANAMA |
| 29. Oct, 15:23 | M3.5 | 25 km | PANAMA |
| 29. Oct, 15:21 | M3.6 | 26 km | PANAMA |
| 29. Oct, 14:42 | M4.7 | 12 km | PANAMA |
| 29. Oct, 14:32 | M3.6 | 12 km | PANAMA |
| 29. Oct, 13:38 | M3.8 | 8 km | PANAMA |
| 29. Oct, 12:36 | M3.2 | 13 km | PANAMA |
| 29. Oct, 11:27 | M3.8 | 5 km | PANAMA |
| 29. Oct, 11:17 | M4.2 | 10 km | PANAMA |
| 29. Oct, 09:45 | M3.5 | 5 km | PANAMA |
| 29. Oct, 09:26 | M3.5 | 5 km | PANAMA |
| 29. Oct, 07:10 | M3.8 | 10 km | PANAMA |
| 29. Oct, 04:29 | M3.4 | 5 km | PANAMA |
| 29. Oct, 01:55 | M3.5 | 10 km | PANAMA |
| 28. Oct, 22:05 | M3.5 | 10 km | PANAMA |
| 28. Oct, 21:36 | M3.8 | 10 km | PANAMA |
| 28. Oct, 20:04 | M4.0 | 7 km | PANAMA |
| 28. Oct, 16:58 | M3.5 | 10 km | PANAMA |
| 28. Oct, 14:01 | M3.9 | 16 km | PANAMA |
Background
What is an earthquake series?
An earthquake series – also called a swarm – is a cluster of many quakes in one region over hours to weeks. After a strong quake, numerous aftershocks typically follow, decreasing in number and strength over time.
How should the magnitude be read?
The magnitude scale is logarithmic: a magnitude 6 quake releases around 32 times the energy of a magnitude 5. Whether a quake is felt depends not only on its strength but strongly on focal depth and distance to populated areas.
Where does the data come from?
All figures, the timeline and the map are merged continuously from ten seismological services (including USGS, EMSC, GEOFON, GEONET and Spain’s IGN). Information on human consequences is in no earthquake database – we add it solely from named official sources.
Frequently asked questions
How many quakes does this series include?
So far 809 quakes have been counted in this series (all magnitudes in the area).
How strong was the biggest quake?
The strongest quake reached M7.7 on 9. Oct (Azuero Peninsula, Panama).
Is the series still active?
Yes, the series is still being extended with new quakes – the figures update continuously.
Are casualties or damage known?
We have no confirmed reports of casualties or damage for this event. Any information on consequences is added solely from named official sources.
All figures and the map are computed live from ten seismological data sources on every visit — nothing is hard-coded. Individual earthquakes are on the map and in the full list.