By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - An earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale occurred at 8:55 am local this morning. The epicenter of the quake was located at coordinates 6.908N 82.658W and at a depth of 10 km. Distances: 171 km (106 miles) S (188 degrees) of David, Panama, 229 km (143 miles) SW (234 degrees) of Santiago, Panama, 273 km (170 miles) S (189 degrees) of Bocas del Toro, Panama, 375 km (233 miles) SSE (156 degrees) of SAN JOSE, Costa Rica. USGS Event ID - US 2012wea3.

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has issued a warning on the possibility of a localized tsunami threat for the areas close to Sumantra as a result of this afternoon's earthquake, however there is no threat to Panama as a result of this earthquake. 000
WEIO23 PHEB 101845
TIBIOX

TSUNAMI BULLETIN NUMBER 001
PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER/NOAA/NWS
ISSUED AT 1845Z 10 JAN 2012

THIS BULLETIN IS FOR ALL AREAS OF THE INDIAN OCEAN.

... TSUNAMI INFORMATION BULLETIN ...

THIS MESSAGE IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY.

THIS BULLETIN IS ISSUED AS ADVICE TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES. ONLY NATIONAL AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE DECISIONS REGARDING THE OFFICIAL STATE OF ALERT IN THEIR AREA AND ANY ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN IN RESPONSE.

AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS
ORIGIN TIME - 1837Z 10 JAN 2012
COORDINATES - 2.3 NORTH 93.1 EAST
LOCATION - OFF W COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA
MAGNITUDE - 7.3

EVALUATION

A DESTRUCTIVE WIDESPREAD TSUNAMI THREAT DOES NOT EXIST BASED ON HISTORICAL EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI DATA.

HOWEVER - THERE IS A VERY SMALL POSSIBILITY OF A LOCAL TSUNAMI THAT COULD AFFECT COASTS LOCATED USUALLY NO MORE THAN A HUNDRED KILOMETERS FROM THE EARTHQUAKE EPICENTER. AUTHORITIES IN THE REGION NEAR THE EPICENTER SHOULD BE MADE AWARE OF THIS POSSIBILITY.

THIS WILL BE THE ONLY BULLETIN ISSUED BY THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER FOR THIS EVENT UNLESS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.

THE JAPAN METEOROLOGICAL AGENCY MAY ISSUE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THIS EVENT. IN THE CASE OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION...THE MORE CONSERVATIVE INFORMATION SHOULD BE USED FOR SAFETY.

(End of Message)

Editor's Comment: This will be a "non event" for Panama.

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck of the Western coast of Northern Sumatra this afternoon at 12:37 pm local Panama time. The epicenter of the earthquake was located at 2.396N 93.175E at at depth of 29 km. Distances: 420 km (261 miles) SW (215 degrees) of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia; 950 km (591 miles) W (265 degrees) of KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia. USGS Event ID: US c0007ir5

Tsumani Warnings: The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has NOT issued a warning as of this moment (2:23 pm local Panama time) related to this earthquake. However the local "Twitter Sphere" in Panama is screaming about a Tsunami Warning along the Pacific coast of Panama. At this time I urge caution, but don't panic. I expect the local media might be overreacting somewhat, and in any case if there is a risk of a tsunami that might strike Panama, it would literally take hours to get here. So, there's time for the details to sort themselves out. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available, and please spread the word, just in case.

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - An earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale struck South of Panama at 7:41 am local time this morning. The epicenter was located at 4.213N 82.622W and a depth of 10 km. Distances: 470 km (292 miles) S (183 degrees) of David, Panama; 472 km (293 miles) SSW (203 degrees) of Santiago, Panama; 478 km (297 miles) SSW (213 degrees) of Las Tablas, Panama; 491 km (305 miles) NW (318 degrees) of Esmeraldas, Ecuador; 630 km (391 miles) SSW (213 degrees) of PANAMA CITY, Panama. USGS Event ID - US 2012vpaz.

Copyright 2012 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.    

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - An earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale struck South of Panama at 11:36 this morning local Panama time. The epicenter was located at 7.553N 82.016W and a depth of 10 km. Distances: 108 km (67 miles) SSE (155 degrees) of David, Panama, 131 km (81 miles) WSW (241 degrees) of Santiago, Panama, 195 km (121 miles) W (261 degrees) of Las Tablas, Panama, 317 km (197 miles) WSW (241 degrees) of PANAMA CITY, Panama. USGS Event ID US 2011utav.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.    

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - At earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale shook Panama at 2:33 am this morning. The epicenter was located at 7.337N 78.604W and at a depth of 36 km. Distances: 128 km (80 miles) SSW (203 degrees) of La Palma, Panama, 191 km (119 miles) ESE (106 degrees) of Las Tablas, Panama, 205 km (127 miles) SSE (151 degrees) of PANAMA CITY, Panama. USGS Event ID: US c00078yc.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.    

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - An earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale hit Panama at 1:28 am local time during the early morning hours of Tuesday, 13 December 2011. The epicenter was located at 4.768°N, 82.570°W at a depth of 10.1 km (6.3 miles), South of Panama. Distances: 407 km (252 miles) S of David, Panama, 411 km (255 miles) SSW of Santiago, Panama, 420 km (260 miles) SW of Las Tablas, Panama, 576 km (357 miles) SW of Panama City, Panama. USGS Event ID: usc00075up.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - An earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale struck Panama at 1:57 am in the early morning hours, rousting local residents out of bed. The epicenter of the earthquake was located at 8.463N 82.777W and a depth of 10 km. Distances: 38 km (24 miles) W (275 degrees) of David, Panama, 113 km (70 miles) SSW (211 degrees) of Bocas del Toro, Panama, 173 km (108 miles) S (171 degrees) of Limon, Costa Rica, 220 km (137 miles) SE (140 degrees) of SAN JOSE, Costa Rica. Event ID - US c00070vn. And, here's a link to the event page at the US Geological Survey.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.    

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - As reported by the Institute of Geosciences of the University of Panama - A shallow seismic event, number 493, occurred on 29 November 2011 at 15:46 local time (20:46 GMT). The earthquake measured 4.1 on the Richter scale with a depth of 8 km. The epicenter was located 4 km SSE of Volcan, Chiriqui, located at coordinates: Latitude: 8.74 N​​, Longitude: 82.62 W. SINAPROC has reported the earthquake was felt strongly in the areas of Volcan and Cerro Punta.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Local residents are reporting a small earthquake in the area of Boquete, in the province of Chiriqui, near the border with Costa Rica. According to the live plot of the monitoring station in Heredia, Costa Rica the earthquake did in fact occur at 3:47 local time - it's clearly visible on their plot. I checked with both the US Geological Services and the IGC here in Panama, and neither of them are reporting on this relatively small earthquake. Anyway, I filled out the USGS form so maybe now they will go back and check their logs to put this one on the books. These small earthquakes happen all the time up in that area - and they sort of become part of the background noise.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

#Panama - The Director of Operations of the National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc), Javier Castillo, said they have acquired four floating buoys, apparatus used as part of the Tsunami warning protocol. He said two of these devices will be placed in the Atlantic and two in the Pacific. He added that although Panama has a favorable geographical position, it is advisable to carry out monitoring for the possibility of a tsunami warning. The gauges are instruments used to measure or record sea level fluctuations such as tides. They are usually placed at the entrances to ports and are part of measurement networks in oceanography. (Critica)

   

Editor's Comment: This message appears on the Wikileaks page, and was sent by the then-Ambassador Eaton from the US Embassy in Panama to the US Department of the Interior and the US State Department on 20 December 2007. The cable highlights reporting about the potential for greater than previously expected seismic activity in central Panama - meaning Panama City and the Panama Canal. At the time this cable was written there were still US companies bidding on the contracts to build the expansion of the Panama Canal. Since then the contracts have been let, and the US companies did not win. Now, it remains to be seen if this increased threat of seismic activity were calculated into the plans for the expansion of the Panama Canal - as indicated in this cable. Anyway, I've long said the only thing that can "knock the wheels off of the train" of the recent Panamanian economic expansion would be some sort of a devastating earthquake or other type of natural disaster. Consider this - a few days of rain in December 2010 knocked out the water supply system for millions of people living in Panama City for months. What kinds of damage would a catastrophic 7.0 or greater earthquake create? And without a doubt, the Panamanian government has neither the resources or training to handle or respond to such a catastrophe without significant outside assistance. A portent of things to come?

VZCZCXYZ0009
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHZP #1898/01 3542300
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 202300Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY PANAMA
TO RUEHC/DEPT OF INTERIOR WASHDC
RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 1579
INFO RUEHZA/WHA CENTRAL AMERICAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHSJ/AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE 1922
RUEHC/USAID WASHDC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC
RHEFHLC/HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHINGTON DC
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUENAAA/SECNAV WASHDC
C O N F I D E N T I A L PANAMA 001898

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

FOR STATE WHA/CEN - TELLO
FOR EMB SAN JOSE: OFDA - T. CALLAGHAN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/21/2017
TAGS: SENV AMER EWWT ELTN TPHY PM
SUBJECT: POTENTIAL SEISMIC RISKS MAY THREATEN PANAMA CANAL
AND CENTRAL PANAMA

Classified By: Ambassador William A. Eaton by reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d)

1. (C) SUMMARY. The historical view that Panama does not experience earthquakes was wrong, geological experts employed by the Panama Canal Authority (ACP) told EmbOffs. These experts said emerging geologic research suggests that Central Panama -- including the Panama Canal and Panama City area -- may face much greater seismic risks than previously believed. They believed a major earthquake (magnitude 7.0 or greater) could hit the Panama Canal and Panama City area at any time. They fear this could cause a failure of the existing canal and significant destruction in Panama City. They said the ACP worked to address the findings responsibly. The information could be made public in January 2008 to bidders on the design/build contract for the canal's new set of locks and water recycling basins. This new information could significantly increase the project's costs. If true, the new seismic findings could affect U.S. interests regarding safety of American citizens in Panama, disaster relief planning, and our economic and security interests in the canal. Disclosure of significant seismic risks in Central Panama could deal a huge blow to the two main motors of Panama's economy: the Panama Canal and the country's boming real estate/construction sector. This disclosure could also undermine the ACP's and GOP's credibility and vindicate those who feared cost overruns on the canal expansion project. Post requests that the U.S. Geological Survey engage with these experts to assess the findings and advise Post along with other USG agencies as to the risks involved. END SUMMARY. (more)    Click Here To Read The Full Article (1,800 words)

It was 4:30 pm on Sunday afternoon when the inhabitants of the community of Don Bosco Adentro, in Chilibre, noticed that a garden that was once green, now looked burned. According to Isidra Gonzalez, a resident of this community for 52 years, "my son was fixing something on the light pole, but he noted the land was burned. He began to dig and every time he removed dirt, a gas emanated with the smell of burned stone." "The electrical company came immediately but they found nothing. The recommended that we should call Civil Protection," she said. "The Sinaproc staff arrived with special suits and gas masks. Next came some experts, who took some samples, but they found everything to be rare," said Mrs. González. According to the inhabitant, "This area has a volcanic fault and for days in this sector, which is very cool, the temperature of the well water has changed."

Explosions - Mrs. Gonzalez also reported frequent explosions from the quarry near her residence. She says last week there was a large explosion at about 6 pm and the remains arrived at her residence, causing cracks.

About the gas, the authorities allegedly informed her they are not toxic, but they are expecting the results of tests tomorrow to determine the origin of these strange emanations. (Critica)

   

The Director General of Civil Protection National System (SINAPROC), Arturo Alvarado, communicated through a press release that the earthquake measuring 6.6 on the Richter scale that occurred at 2:27 pm local time on Friday afternoon in Japan will not affect the coast of Panama. The press release notes that Alvarado promptly consulted with Eduardo Camacho, the Director of the Institute of Geosciences of the University of Panama to assess the possible consequences of this earthquake in our country. Alvarado asked the public to keep calm, and said they should only receive warnings or alerts about any affect that might be felt in the country as a result of this earthquake from SINAPROC. (TVN)

Editor's Comment: That's funny. A while back there was a big earthquake somewhere, forget where, and there was a Tsunami warning issued for the entire Pacific, including Panama. SINAPROC Director Arturo Alvarado unilaterally declared that there was no threat to Panama, and he was wrong. I called him on it and blasted out a series of articles citing the source - NOAA's Pacific Tsunami Warning Center - and simply said he was wrong. That caused a bit of a stir, and now apparently he's still feeling it, to the point he felt the need to mention it again today. And since I don't trust anybody, he's right, there currently is no watch or warning in place as a result of the earthquake in Japan. So now, you can relax... (grin)    

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale struck the area of Panama at 6:21 am this morning, local time. The epicenter was located at 6.532°N, 82.388°W, and a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). This puts the center of the earthquake South of Panama in the Pacific Ocean, distances 210 km (130 miles) S of David, Panama; 232 km (144 miles) SW of Santiago, Panama; 249 km (154 miles) SSE of Golfito, Costa Rica; and 414 km (257 miles) SW of PANAMA CITY, Panama. Event ID -usc0005paq. Another, smaller quake struck the same location later in the day. There were no reports of damage, injuries, or deaths associated with this event.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - An earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale shook Panama near the border with Costa Rica late last night at 11:12 pm local time. The epicenter of the earthquake was located at 8.437N 82.887W and a depth of 18 km. Distances: 50 km (31 miles) W (271 degrees) of David, Panama; 122 km (76 miles) SW (215 degrees) of Bocas del Toro, Panama; 174 km (108 miles) S (175 degrees) of Limon, Costa Rica; 215 km (134 miles) SE (143 degrees) of SAN JOSE, Costa Rica. Event ID: US c00058u4.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.    

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - An earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale occurred at 10:51 am this morning near Panama. The epicenter was located 94 miles to the south of David, Panama. The details as reported by the USGS: 5.4 Mb - SOUTH OF PANAMA - Preliminary Earthquake Report. Magnitude 5.4 Mb Date-Time 20 Jul 2011 10:51:30 near epicenter. Location 7.079N 82.292W, Depth 17 km, Distances 151 km (94 miles) S (174 degrees) of David, Panama, 186 km (116 miles) SW (231 degrees) of Santiago, Panama, 238 km (148 miles) WSW (250 degrees) of Las Tablas, Panama, 371 km (231 miles) SW (236 degrees) of PANAMA CITY, Panama. Event ID US b0004ysu.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - And earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter Scale struck South of Panama this afternoon. The earthquake occurred at 1:38 pm local with the epicenter located at 6.300°N, 82.136°W and a depth of 10.1 km (6.3 miles). Distances - 239 km (149 miles) S (172°) from David, Panama, 240 km (149 miles) SSW (212°) from Santiago, Panama, 266 km (166 miles) SW (231°) from Las Tablas, Panama, 414 km (257 miles) SW (225°) from PANAMA CITY, Panama. USGS NEIC (WDCS-D) Event ID usc0004qbb.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - An earthquake measuring 5.0 on the Richter scale occurred in Panama at 11:34 am local time this morning, Sunday, 19 June 2011. The epicenter was located at 7.207°N, 82.307°W at a depth of 18 km (11.2 miles), at a distance of 135 km (83 miles) South of David, Panama and 176 km (109 miles) Southwest of Santiago, Panama. Source - USGS NEIC (WDCS-D), Event ID usc0004bfu.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

Two aftershocks were felt after the earthquake of 4.1 degrees on the Richter scale that occurred at 11:56 am this Friday morning, 27 May 2011, with an epicenter located 14 kilometers from the city of Las Tablas in the province of Los Santos. The director of the National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc), Arturo Alvarado, said the first aftershock occurred at 12:30 pm and had a magnitude of 3.5 degrees. The second aftershock occurred five minutes later at 12:35 pm and was 3.4 degrees, the official said. The Sinaproc director told La Prensa there were no damage or injuries. He said the seismic activity caused fear among residents in the area of Vallerriquito. But he warned in such cases people must remain calm and quiet. He said people should wait until the earthquake is finished before moving to safety. (La Prensa)   Click Here To Read The Full Article (1 words)

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Received this afternoon via email: "Good day Don, Just wondering if you heard anything on an Earthquake today (may 27, 2011) somewhere in Panama. We live in Tonosi, Los Santos and at 11:50 am had a big tremor. The house and walls moved and the couch I was sitting on. I can't seem to find anything online yet as to where it was. Thanks. also thanks for all the info you take the time to put out there on Panama Guide. I check it everyday for updates as to what is happening. It is appreciated by me and by many others out there. Susan"

Ask, And You Shall Receive: Recent earthquakes recorded by the Seismological Network of the Institute of Geosciences, University of Panama. Event near Las Tablas, preliminary location: (See Map: Static - Dynamic) No: 467 - Date: 27/05/2011 - Time (UTC): 16:56:00 - Local Time (Panama): 05/27/2011 11:56:00. Magnitude: 4.1 - Depth: 10.00 km Place near the epicenter, 14 km, Las Tablas, Panama. The automatic system registered an earthquake today, Friday, 27 May 2011, at 11:56 am local time. The event has a magnitude of 4.1 on the Richter scale and the epicenter is located at coordinates: Latitude 7.64 N, 80.33 W longitude at a depth of 10 km. The nearest populated place to the event is located 8 km North of the Valle Riquito in the province of Las Tablas, Panama.

Editor's Comment: This earthquake is not being reported by the US Geological Survey yet. It was relatively small, however you were able to feel it because it basically occurred right under your couch. In fact, the preliminary epicenter was just 18 miles to the Northeast of your location (see below). If you want to see what's going on with seismic activity in Panama, and if something is not being reflected in the United States by the US Geological Survey, you can always hit the local source of information (in Spanish) - the Instituto de Geociencias (Institute of Geosciences) of the University of Panama. Anyway, thanks for reading Panama Guide. Hope this helps, and have a great day.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

(CNN) A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck southern Panama on Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. The quake hit 384 kilometers (238 miles) southwest of the capital, Panama City. There were no immediate reports of damage. Vanessa del Leon, who works at a hotel in David, said she felt the quake, whose epicenter was 110 miles south of the city. "Everyone started screaming. We heard a lot of things breaking and computer keyboards smashing on the floor," she said. "This hotel has eight floors and it swayed like a palm tree." The USGS had said the quake was a magnitude 6.1, but later revised it to 6.0. It hit at 3:19 a.m. local time, according to the USGS.

From USGS: 6.1 Mw - SOUTH OF PANAMA, Preliminary Earthquake Report. Magnitude 6.1 Mw. Date-Time 03:19:16 near epicenter. Location 6.828N 82.281W. Depth 10 km. Distances 179 km (111 miles) S (175 degrees) of David, Panama, 204 km (127 miles) SW (225 degrees) of Santiago, Panama, 248 km (154 miles) WSW (244 degrees) of Las Tablas, Panama, 387 km (240 miles) SW (233 degrees) of PANAMA CITY, Panama Event ID US c00032mv.

Editor's Comment: I slept through it, didn't feel a thing. Some people in Boquete, David, and Bocas del Toro did report having felt the earthquake when it hit.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - An earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale occurred at 5:03 am this morning. This is the second in the same general region in two days, after this 4.8 earthquake early yesterday morning. Here are the details from the 4.7 from this morning: Location 4.894N 82.547W, Depth 10 km, Distances - 394 km (245 miles) S (182 degrees) of David, Panama, 400 km (248 miles) SSW (206 degrees) of Santiago, Panama, 411 km (256 miles) SW (218 degrees) of Las Tablas, Panama, 541 km (336 miles) NW (309 degrees) of Tumaco, Colombia, 563 km (350 miles) SW (217 degrees) of PANAMA CITY, Panama. Source: USGS, Event ID US c0002prh. On the map below, the yellow square is the location of yesterday's quake, and the blue one is from this morning.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - Early this morning at 1:44 am an earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale struck South of Panama in the Pacific ocean. The epicenter was located at 5.308°N, 82.619°W and a relatively shallow depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). The epicenter is located 345 km (214 miles) S of David, Panama, 357 km (221 miles) SSW of Santiago, Panama, 373 km (231 miles) S of Golfito, Costa Rica, and 528 km (328 miles) SW of PANAMA CITY, Panama. Source - USGS NEIC (WDCS-D), Event ID usc0002p5a.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

A POWERFUL 7.4-magnitude earthquake has hit northeastern Japan, prompting authorities to issue a tsunami warning. The quake, which hit at 11:32 pm local time, had a magnitude of 7.4, according to the US Geological Survey, which said it struck 66km east of Sendai. Sendai was devastated by the March 11 quake and tsunami. Japan's weather bureau issued a tsunami alert for the Pacific coast, saying that waves of up to two metres could hit the shoreline. In a statement on its website the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it did not expect a Pacific-wide tsunami. The quake had a depth of 25.6km, the USGS said. Although the epicentre was at a distance of 333km from Tokyo, it caused buildings to shake in the Japanese capital. "Please do not hesitate to leave for higher ground, nor try to return to the coast line. Please do not try to check the status of the coastline," broadcaster NHK said repeatedly.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - An earthquake measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale occurred yesterday afternoon at 5:18 pm local time. The epicenter was located at in the Western Azuero peninsula near the town of Mariato, at coordinates 7.61 N, 80.89 W, at a depth of 10 km. This earthquake was felt in Santiago, Chitre, Las Tablas, Aguadulce, Penonomé and Arenosa. According to a report on this event issued by the Institute of Geosciences of the University of Panama, the earthquake "originated in the Torio-Guanico fault, with left-lateral type of focal mechanism."

Not Being Reported By The USGS: This earthquake is currently not being reported by the US Geological Survey. Right when it happened several members of the community of English speaking expatriates reported having felt the earthquake on the Yahoo Email groups in real time. I did a quick check of the USGS and they were not reporting anything. I started to look at the line-charts from the monitoring stations in Puerto Rico and Colombia but got sidetracked by something else. And the reporting on this earthquake by the Institute of Geosciences of the University of Panama was delayed. They eventually got a report on their website, but it went up considerably after the event. When I checked the USGS website again this morning they still are not reporting on this earthquake, and it's not in their database as of yet. I sent them a "WTF" email, so let's see if I get a response.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - There was a small earthquake last night measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale that occurred in the border region between Panama and Colombia. It happened at 7:27 pm local Panama time with the epicenter located at 7.043N 77.877W and a depth of 24 km. The epicenter is located 154 km (96 miles) S (169 degrees) of La Palma, Panama, 203 km (126 miles) NW (317 degrees) of Quibdo, Colombia, 266 km (166 miles) WNW (289 degrees) of Medellin, Colombia, and 277 km (172 miles) SE (140 degrees) of PANAMA CITY, Panama. Event ID - US c0002g8x. Thankfully, in Panama we frequently have these smaller earthquakes which seem to allow the fault zones in the area to "let off steam" so we tend to avoid the really big shakers.

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

Panama will conduct a tsunami drill in unspecified areas of Panama City on 23 March 2011 in order to establish the strengths and weaknesses of the security sectors against this phenomenon of nature, an official source said today. "We want to establish the level of preparation of the Emergency Operations Center (COE) and we've been preparing for this drill for a couple of months," said the Director of the National Civil Protection System (Sinaproc) Arturo Alvarado. The official said the operation will involve 41 entities within the EOC, including the Sinaproc, which coordinates the response by the National Police, Fire Department, Ministry of Security and National Red Cross. "Today we just had a tabletop exercise with the participation of all agencies, which drew attention to aspects such as early warning, evacuation, shelter, trauma care and rescue in confined spaces and collapsed areas," he said. He said the scenarios of the exercises will not be announced because they want to be able to gauge in the field the ability to react to the population.

On the other hand, the director of Sinaproc said Panama will acquire six buoys with gauges that can measure the size, characteristics and evolution of the tides in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans that wash its shores. Panama will invest $120,000 in the acquisition of these modern buoys, the source said. According to Alvarado, the single buoy of this nature that exists in Latin America is in Mexico, which is used by countries in the region to declare their orientation and alerts, among other measures. The simulation and the acquisition of the buoys was confirmed last Friday after an earthquake measuring 9 on the Richter scale and a tsunami hit Japan, leaving thousands dead, millions homeless and extensive damage, including a nuclear power plant.

The Sinaproc maintains a preventive surveillance of its territorial sea and today warned the public that next weekend there will be a high tide with waves up to 5.45 meters, and recommended that coastal populations and fishermen should take security measures. (Telemetro)

   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - I keep getting these kinds of reports, all about smaller earthquakes, all occurring in about the same place: "5.5 Mw - GULF OF CALIFORNIA Preliminary Earthquake Report Magnitude 5.5 Mw Date-Time 12 Mar 2011 13:26:02 UTC, 12 Mar 2011 06:26:02 near epicenter, 12 Mar 2011 07:26:02 standard time in your timezone, Location 25.350N 109.930W Depth 17 km" There have been a total of nine similar reports with this one - 5.5 on the Richter scale - the strongest of the bunch so far. Obviously, there's a history of strong and fatal earthquakes in Mexico:

• "The 1985 Mexico City earthquake, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake that struck Mexico on 19 September 1985 in the morning at 7:19 local time, caused the deaths of about 10,000 people and serious damage in the nation's capital. The complete seismic event consisted of four quakes. A pre-event quake of magnitude 5.2 occurred on 28 May 1985. The main and most powerful shock occurred 19 September, followed by two aftershocks: one on 20 September 1985 of magnitude 7.5 and the fourth occurring seven months later on 30 April 1986 of magnitude 7.0. The quakes were located off the Mexican Pacific coast, more than 350 km away, but due to strength of the quake and the fact that Mexico City sits on an old lakebed, Mexico City suffered major damage. The event caused between three and four billion USD in damage as 412 buildings collapsed and another 3,124 were seriously damaged in the city. While the number is in dispute, the most-often cited number of deaths is an estimated 10,000 people.[1]"

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.   

By DON WINNER for Panama-Guide.com - I subscribe to a notification service provided by the National Earthquake Information Center of the U.S. Geological Survey. I have it set to receive messages about smaller and less intense earthquakes in the US or the Central America region (anything 4.5 or above) and the system also sends me notifications about anything measuring 6.0 or above that occurs anywhere in the world. There were obviously dozens of smaller earthquakes before the massive 8.9 temblor in Japan, and four of those were greater than 6.0 in intensity on the Richter scale. Well, in the last couple of days there has been a significant increase in the number of smaller earthquakes in the "Gulf of California" which is actually in Mexico. I mean, these things have been hitting my cell phone rapid-fire, one after the other - with intensities of 4.7, 5.1, 4.3, 4.5 - and it just "feels" like it did right before the very large earthquake struck Japan.

Earthquakes And Comet C/2010 X1: Comet C/2010 X1 (Elenin) is a long-period comet discovered by Russian astronomer Leonid Elenin on December 10, 2010 at International Scientific Optical Network's robotic observatory near Mayhill, New Mexico, U.S.A. Someone sent me this video, which was posted three days before the massive 8.9 earthquake in Japan - which seems to have actually warned of an increase in seismic activity. Now, in the middle of the video the person who made it gets more than just a little flaky, however you have to wonder if there's anything to it. Like, exactly how much gravitational influence does Comet C/2010 X1 (Elenin) have on a planet such as the earth? Anyway, parts of this video are interesting, and parts make it perfectly clear the person who made it lives in a fantasy world of conspiracy theories. But this kind of looks like a "made for Hollywood" case of some lone nut-job accurately predicting the "big one." Hey, watch the video and decide for yourself. At the very least, it's entertaining...

Copyright 2011 by Don Winner for Panama-Guide.com. Go ahead and use whatever you like as long as you credit the source. Salud.