This is a list of earthquakes in Colombia. Colombia is a seismically active country and has a large seismic risk in many areas of its territory due to its location at the boundaries of the Malpelo, Panama, Caribbean, North Andes (where most earthquakes occurred) and South American plates along the Pacific Ring of Fire. The southeastern and extreme eastern portions of Colombia are not as seismically active as the rest of the country.
The first historically registered earthquake felt in Colombia occurred on September 11, 1530, around 10:00 AM, probably with the epicentre near Cumaná, Venezuela. The earthquake was documented by Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés in his work La Historia general de las Indias and by friar Bartolomé de las Casas in his book Historia de Las Indias.[1] The first documented earthquake with its epicentre in present-day Colombia territory took place in 1566,[2] with the epicentre estimated around Santander in the department of Cauca.[3] Other important historical earthquakes have been documented by Luis Vargas Jurado, from 1703 until 1764 and Santiago Pérez Valencia between 1785 and 1843.[4]
The most devastating earthquake for Colombia happened on August 15 and 16, 1868 off the coast of Ecuador, leading to approximately 70,000 fatalities. The strongest earthquake, with an estimated moment magnitude of 8.8 also happened offshore Ecuador in 1906. Other major earthquakes were the 1875 Cúcuta earthquake with around 10,000 deaths and the 1999 Armenia earthquake with an intensity of X. The deepest registered earthquake happened in the department of Amazonas in 1970 at an estimated depth of almost 645 kilometres (2,116,000 ft). The 1785 Viceroyalty of New Granada earthquake sparked the birth of journalism in Colombia, initiated by Manuel del Socorro Rodríguez, six years after the publication of the Aviso del Terremoto about the earthquake with its epicentre in La Calera, Cundinamarca.
The main seismically active zone is the subduction zone of the Malpelo, formerly Nazca, Plate with strong earthquakes in 1906, 1947, 1958 and 1979. The most active onshore fault systems are the 674 kilometres (419 mi) Bucaramanga-Santa Marta Fault with earthquakes frequently occurring at the Bucaramanga Nest around Aratoca, Santander, the 697.4 kilometres (433.3 mi) Romeral Fault System in the Central Ranges (Popayán 1983 and Armenia 1999) and the 921.4 kilometres (572.5 mi) long Eastern Frontal Fault System in the Eastern Ranges. Other strong earthquakes are associated with the Murindó (Mw 7.2, 1992), Irlanda (Mw 6.8, 1994), Tucurá (Mw 6.7, 1952), Bahía Solano (Mw 6.5, 1970), and Mutatá Faults (Mw 6.0, 2016).
Major historical earthquakes
editNote: out of many,[3] only earthquakes of Mw 6.0 and higher, deadly, important historical,[5] and unusual earthquakes are included in this list
Magnitudes - Mw Moment magnitude scale, ML Richter scale, Ms Surface-wave magnitude, ? Unknown scale
| Year | Date | Time UTC−05 |
Place bold is fault |
Name | Plate | Depth (km) |
Fatalities | Mag. | MMI | Tsunami | Map | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1646 | April 3 | 02:00-03:00 | Muzo-La Palma Boyacá Cundinamarca |
1646 Muzo | North Andes | "dozens" | IX | No |   |
[6][7] | ||
| 1743 | October 18 | Chingaza Páramo, Cundinamarca | 1743 Chingaza | North Andes | 20 | "several" | 6.30 ± 0.35 B&W97 | IX | No | |
[6][8] [note 1] | |
| 1785 | July 12 | 07:45 | La Calera, Cundinamarca | 1785 Viceroyalty of New Granada | North Andes | 20–30 | 9 | 6.9 Ms | VIII | No | |
[10][11] |
| 1827 | November 16 | 22:45 | Timaná, Huila | 1827 Timaná | North Andes | 10 | 250 | 7.7 Ms | X | No | |
[12][13] |
| 1834 | January 20 | 12:00 | Sibundoy, Sibundoy, Putumayo | 1834 Sibundoy | North Andes | 5 | 80 | 7.0 ? | IX | No | |
[6][14] [15] |
| 1868 | August 15 August 16 |
14:30 01:30 |
Ecuador, Colombia | 1868 Ecuador | North Andes | 20 | 70,000 | 6.3 and 6.7 Ms | X | No | |
[16] |
| 1875 | May 18 | 16:25 | Cúcuta | 1875 Cúcuta | North Andes | 20 | 10,000 | 7.5 ? | IX | No | |
[17] |
| 1906 | January 31 | 15:36 | Esmeraldas (Ecuador) | 1906 Ecuador–Colombia | Malpelo | 20.0 | 1,000~ | 8.8 Mw 8.6 ML | VIII | Yes 5 m (16 ft) |
|
[18][19] |
| 1917 | August 31 | 11:36 | Acacías, Meta | 1917 Sumapaz | North Andes | 40 | 6 | 7.3 Ms | VII | No | |
[6][20] [21] |
| 1936 | January 9 | 09:23 | Túquerres | 1936 Túquerres | North Andes | <30 | 250 | 7.0 ? | VIII | No | |
[22][23] |
| 1952 | February 14 | 16:02 | Tucurá, Pavarandocito, Antioquia | 1952 Pavarandocito | North Andes | 44 | 6.75 Mw | No | |
[24][25] | ||
| 1958 | January 19 | 14:07 | Ecuador, Colombia | 1958 Ecuador–Colombia | North Andes | 40–60 | 111 | 7.8 Mw 7.6 ML | VIII | Yes 1.5 m (4.9 ft) |
|
[26] |
| 1962 | July 30 | 15:18 | Aranzazu, Caldas | 1962 Aranzazu | North Andes | 69 | 50~ | 6.8 Mw | VIII | No | |
[27][28] |
| 1967 | February 9 | 15:24 | Algeciras, Algeciras, Huila | 1967 Neiva | North Andes | 55.0 | 98 | 7.2 Mw 6.8 ML | VIII | No |  |
[29][30] [31] |
| 1967 | July 29 | 05:24 | Bucaramanga, Aratoca, Santander | 1967 Aratoca | North Andes | 161.2 | 6.8 Mw | IV | No |  |
[32] | |
| 1970 | July 31 | 17:08 | Amazonas | 1970 Colombia | South American | 644.8 | 1 | 8.0 Mw 7.7 ML | IV | No |  |
[33] |
| 1970 | September 26 | 22:38 | Bahía Solano, Bahía Solano, Chocó | 1970 Bahía Solano | North Andes | 15.0 | 6.5 Mw | VII |  |
[34][35] | ||
| 1975 | January 24 | 21:08 | Chocó | 1975 Chocó | Panama | 36.0 | 6.5 Ms | VII |  |
[36] | ||
| 1979 | November 23 | 18:40 | El Cairo | 1979 El Cairo | North Andes | 108.0 | 44 | 7.2 Mw 6.7 ML | VII | No |  |
[37] |
| 1979 | December 12 | 07:59 | Tumaco | 1979 Tumaco | North Andes | 33 | 600 | 8.1 Ms | IX | Yes 5 m (16 ft) |
 |
[38] |
| 1983 | March 31 | 08:15 | Rosas-Julumito, Popayán | 1983 Popayán | North Andes | 12.0 | 300 | 5.5 ML | VIII | No | |
[39][40] |
| 1987 | March 5 March 6 |
20:54, 23:10 03:14 |
Ecuador, Colombia | 1987 Ecuador-Colombia | North Andes | 8.5 14.1 |
1,000 4,000+ missing |
6.0-7.2 Mw | VII | No |  |
[41][42] [43] |
| 1991 | November 19 | 17:28 | Chocó | 1991 Chocó | North Andes | 21.3 | 7.2 Mw | IX |  |
[44] | ||
| 1992 | October 18 | 10:11 | Murindó, Murindó, Antioquia | 1992 Murindó | North Andes | 10.0 | 7.2 Mw | VIII | No |  |
[45][46] | |
| 1994 | June 6 | 20:47 | Irlanda, Páez | 1994 Páez River | North Andes | 12 | 1,100 | 6.8 Mw | VII | No |  |
[47][48] |
| 1995 | January 19 | 10:05 | Guaicáramo, Tauramena | 1995 Tauramena | North Andes | 17.3 | 6 | 6.0 ML 6.5 Mw | VII | No |  |
[49][50] |
| 1995 | February 8 | 13:40 | Cali | 1995 Cali | North Andes | 73.5 | 35 | 6.4 Mw | V | No |  |
[51] |
| 1996 | November 4 | 12:24 | Chocó | 1996 Colombia-Panama | Panama | 14.0 | 6.3 Mw | VIII | No |  |
[52] | |
| 1999 | January 25 | 18:19 | Córdoba-Navarco, Armenia | 1999 Armenia | North Andes | 17.0 | 1,900 | 6.1 Mw | X | No |  |
[53][54] |
| 2004 | November 15 | 04:06 | Bajo Baudó, Pacific Ocean, Chocó | 2004 Bajo Baudó | North Andes | 15.0 | 0 | 6.7 ML 7.2 Mw | VIII |  |
[55] | |
| 2007 | September 9 | 20:49 | Gorgona Island | 2007 Gorgona Island | North Andes | 15.0 | 5 injured / 34 homes damaged | 6.8 Mw | VII |  |
[56] | |
| 2008 | May 24 | 19:20 | El Calvario | 2008 El Calvario | North Andes | 35 | 11 | 5.9 Mw | VII | No |  |
[57] |
| 2012 | September 30 | 11:31 | La Vega | 2012 La Vega | North Andes | 170 | 0 | 7.3 Mw | VII | No |  |
[58] |
| 2013 | February 9 | 09:16 | Yacuanquer, Nariño | 2013 Nariño | North Andes | 145 | 0 | 6.9 Mw | VI | No |  |
[59][60] |
| 2013 | August 13 | 10:43 | Chocó | 2013 Chocó | Coiba | 12.0 | 0 | 6.7 Mw | V |  |
[61] | |
| 2015 | March 10 | 15:55 | Bucaramanga, Aratoca, Santander | 2015 Santander | North Andes | 155 | 0 | 6.2 Mw | VI | No |  |
[62][63] |
| 2016 | April 16 | 18:58 | Ecuador, Colombia | 2016 Ecuador-Colombia | North Andes | 20.6 | 676 | 7.8 Mw | IX | No |  |
[64] |
| 2016 | September 13 | 20:58 | Mutatá, Mutatá, Antioquia | 2016 Mutatá | North Andes | 18.0 | 0 | 6.0 Mw | VI | No |  |
[65] |
| 2018 | June 12 | 04:35 | Pasto, Nariño | 2018 Pasto | North Andes | 10.0 | 2 | 4.9 Mw | VI | No | [66][67] | |
| 2021 | March 1 | 17:57 | Antioquia Department | 2021 Antioquia | North Andes | 10.0 | 3 | 5.1 Mw | VI | No | [68] | |
| 2023 | August 17 | 12:04 | Meta Department | 2023 Central Colombia | North Andes | 10.0 | 2 | 6.1 Mw | VII | No |
See also
edit
Notes and references
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ Ramírez, 1975, p.63
- ^ Ramírez, 1975, p.65
- ^ a b Ramírez, 1975, p.217
- ^ Espinosa Baquero, 2001, p.273
- ^ Various Authors, 2014, p.7
- ^ a b c d Various Authors, 2014, p.8
- ^ Espinosa Baquero, 1999, p.211
- ^ Salcedo & Gómez, 2013
- ^ Bakun & Wentworth, 1997
- ^ Gómez Capera et al., 2014, p.214
- ^ Sarabia Gómez et al., 2010a, p.154
- ^ Various Authors, 2008a, p.30
- ^ NGDC. "Comments for the 1827 Earthquake". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ Paris et al., 2000, p.46
- ^ NGDC. "Comments for the 1834 Earthquake". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ Giesecke et al., 2004
- ^ NGDC. "Comments for the 1875 Earthquake". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ Mendoza & Dewey, 1984
- ^ "M 8.8 - near the coast of Ecuador". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ Sarabia Gómez et al., 2010a, p.160
- ^ NGDC. "Comments for the 1917 Earthquake". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ Sarabia Gómez et al., 2010b
- ^ NGDC. "Comments for the 1936 Earthquake". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ Ramírez, 1975, p.223
- ^ Paris et al., 2000, p.13
- ^ NGDC. "Comments for the 1958 Earthquake". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ Various Authors, 2014, p.9
- ^ Various Authors, 2008b, pp.83–94
- ^ NGDC. "Comments for the 1967 Earthquake". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "M 7.0 - Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ Paris et al., 2000, p.43
- ^ "M 6.8 - northern Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "M 8.0 - Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ Paris et al., 2000, p.16
- ^ "M 6.5 - near the west coast of Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "M 6.5 - Panama-Colombia border region". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "M 6.4 - Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ NGDC. "Comments for the 1979 Earthquake". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ Marín Arias et al., 2006, p.94
- ^ Paris et al., 2000, p.24
- ^ "M 6.4 - Colombia-Ecuador border region". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "M 7.2 - Colombia-Ecuador border region". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "M 6.0 - Colombia-Ecuador border region". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "M 7.2 - near the west coast of Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ Paris et al., 2000, p.15
- ^ "M 7.2 - northern Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ Paris et al., 2000, p.58
- ^ NGDC. "Comments for the 1994 Earthquake". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "M 6.5 - Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ Paris et al., 2000, p.38
- ^ "M 6.4 - Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "M 6.3 - Panama-Colombia border region". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "M 6.1 - Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ Paris et al., 2000, p.25
- ^ "M 7.2 - near the west coast of Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "M 6.8 - near the west coast of Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ NGDC. "Comments for the 2008 Earthquake". National Centers for Environmental Information. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "M 7.3 - Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ EMSC. "M 7.0 - Colombia - 2013-02-09 14:16:07 UTC". EMSC. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "M 6.9 - 2 km N of Yacuanquer, Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "M 6.7 - 101 km WSW of Mutis, Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ EMSC. "M 6.2 - Northern Colombia - 2015-03-10 20:55:46 UTC". EMSC. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "M 6.2 - 9 km NNE of Aratoca, Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "M 7.8 - 27 km SSE of Muisne, Ecuador". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "M 6.0 - 32 km ENE of Mutata, Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
- ^ "M 4.9 - 16 km ESE of Tangua, Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 2018-06-12.
- ^ "Tres sismos en Pasto deja dos muertos y varios heridos". 90minutos.co (in Spanish). 2018-06-12. Retrieved 2018-06-12.
- ^ "M 5.1 - 20 km SW of Urrao, Colombia". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
Bibliography
edit- Bakun, W.H.; Wentworth, C.M. (1997), "Estimating Earthquake Location and Magnitude from Seismic Intensity Data" (PDF), Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 87 (6): 1502–1521, Bibcode:1997BuSSA..87.1502B, doi:10.1785/BSSA0870061502, retrieved 2017-09-18
- Espinosa Baquero, Armando (1999), "El terremoto de los Muzos (1646, abril 3) a la luz de un excepcional documento colonial, la relación de Don Bartolomé de Mázmela y Poveda" (PDF), Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, 31: 205–212, retrieved 2017-09-18
- Espinosa Baquero, Armando (2001), "La sismicidad histórica en Colombia - Historical seismicity in Colombia" (PDF), Revista Geográfica Venezolana, 44: 271–283, retrieved 2017-09-18
- Giesecke, A.; Capera, A.A.G.; Leschiutta, I.; Migliorini, E.; Valverde, L.R. (2004), "The CERESIS earthquake catalogue and database of the Andean Region: background, characteristics and examples of use" (PDF), Annals of Geophysics, 47 (2/3): 421–435, retrieved 2017-09-18
- Gómez Capera, Augusto Antonio; Salcedo Hurtado, Elkin de Jesús; Bindi, Dino; Choy, José Enrique; García Peláez, Julio Antonio (2014), "Localización y magnitud del terremoto de 1785 en Colombia calculadas a partir de intensidades macrosísmicas" (PDF), Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, 38 (147): 206–217, doi:10.18257/raccefyn.63, retrieved 2017-09-18
- Marín Arias, J.P.; Castillo González, H.; Salcedo Hurtado, E. de J. (2006), "Modelo geométrico del foco del terremoto de Popayán (Colombia) a partir de datos macrosísmicos", Boletín de Geología, Universidad Industrial de Santander, 28: 93–109, retrieved 2017-09-18
- Mendoza, C.; Dewey, J.W. (1984), "Seismicity associated with the great Colombia-Ecuador earthquakes of 1942, 1958, and 1979: Implications for barrier models of earthquake rupture", Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, 74 (2): 577–593, retrieved 2017-09-18
- Paris, Gabriel; Machette, Michael N.; Dart, Richard L.; Haller, Kathleen M. (2000), Map and Database of Quaternary Faults and Folds in Colombia and its Offshore Regions (PDF), United States Geological Survey, pp. 1–66, retrieved 2017-09-18
- Ramírez, Jesús Emilio (1975), Historia de los terremotos en Colombia, Instituto Geográfico Agustín Codazzi, pp. 1–250
- Salcedo Hurtado, Elkin de Jesús; Gómez Capera, Augusto Antonio (2013), "Estudio macrosísmico del terremoto del 18 de octubre de 1743 en la región central de Colombia" (PDF), Boletín de Geología, Universidad Industrial de Santander, 35: 109–128, retrieved 2017-09-18
- Sarabia Gómez, Ana Milena; Cifuentes Avendaño, Hernán Guillermo; Robertson, Kim (2010a), "Análisis histórico de los sismos ocurridos en 1785 y en 1917 en el centro de Colombia" (PDF), Revista Colombiana de Geografía, 19 (19): 153–162, doi:10.15446/rcdg.n19.16863, retrieved 2017-09-18
- Sarabia, Ana Milena; Cifuentes Avendaño, Hernán Guillermo; Dimaté, Cristina (2010b), Sismos históricos en el Departamento de Nariño, INGEOMINAS, p. 1, retrieved 2017-09-18
- Various, Authors (2014), Enciclopedia de desastres naturales históricos de Colombia (PDF), Universidad del Quindío, pp. 1–21, retrieved 2017-09-18
- Various, Authors (2008a), Ficha Resumen de Efectos: Terremoto del 16 de Noviembre de 1827 (PDF), Universidad del Valle, pp. 30–39, retrieved 2017-09-18
- Various, Authors (2008b), Ficha Resumen de Efectos: Terremoto del 30 de Julio de 1962 (PDF), Universidad del Valle, pp. 83–95, retrieved 2017-09-18
Further reading
edit- Espinosa Baquero, Armando (2004), Historia Sísmica de Bogotá (PDF), Sociedad Geográfica de Colombia, pp. 1–10, retrieved 2017-09-18
- Herrera Suárez, Paula Margarita; Alfaro Castillo, Andrés José (2014), "Caracterización sísmica de fallas colombianas por analogía con fallas conocidas geológica y sismológicamente", Revista Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería, 95: 37–46, retrieved 2017-09-18
External links
edit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Earthquakes in Colombia.
- (in Spanish) Red Sismológica Nacional de Colombia