Magnitude
M5.0
- Depth
- 59.0 km
- Source
- USGS
Chocó · Istmina
Country overviewColombia · Chocó
M5.0 Earthquake near Istmina, Chocó (Colombia)
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published: Content updated:
Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.
Map
About this earthquake
On September 16, 2026 at 20:12 UTC, a magnitude M5.0 earthquake occurred near Istmina, Chocó (Colombia). With a focal depth of about 59 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.
The event was recorded by USGS. Colombia: 4 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M5.0.
Details
Depth profile
Shallow
59 km
59 km — shallower than the regional average (81.2 km)
Regional average: 81.2 km
Why depth matters
Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.
Depth classes per USGS
Felt reports
22felt reports at EMSC / LastQuake
Voluntary reports of feeling this earthquake. The count is not an intensity measurement and is not added to USGS DYFI reports.
Data updated: Sep 17, 2026, 1:23 AM UTC · Last checked: Sep 17, 2026, 6:52 PM UTC
Source: EMSC / LastQuake
Estimated impact
4
Felt reports · max reported intensity 2
Tectonic context
Located on the North Andes Plate.
Near the boundary Nazca ↔ North Andes · about 138 km away
Nearby population centers
Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.
PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Pizarro72.2 kmNW18'561
Buenaventura73.6 kmS240'387
Cali127.9 kmS2'392'877
GeoNames · CC BY 4.0
Volcanoes nearby
Radius · 100 km
Nearby infrastructure
Airports
- Gerardo Tobar López Airport79.3 kmStraight-line distance
Colombia · BUN · SKBU
Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-09-17
This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts. Distances use recorded site coordinates. Sources & data dates
Subsequent earthquakes nearby
Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.
First 6 hours3
First 24 hours3
First 72 hours3
Strongest subsequent eventM4.7
Comparison of seismic sources
3 sources currently report magnitudes from M4.9 to M5.0.
Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.
SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
GFZM4.910.0 km14.2 km
EMSCM5.059.0 km0.0 km
USGSM5.059.0 km0.0 km
Colombia
Context for this earthquake
17 Sep 2025 – 17 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 61 Catalogue entries
Of 60 other entries for this area and period, 10 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.
Open seismic profileHistorical context nearby
Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.
Magnitude rank#12
Earlier events M≥433
Earlier events M≥511
Compared since2025-01-04
The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.
Strongest earlier events
Historic earthquake map · Colombia
Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.
Country statistics · Colombia
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.
Stats (last 24h)
Global (24h)
537
Country (24h)
Colombia
4