A strong earthquake of magnitude 5.2 shook several regions of Colombia on Thursday. As reported by the Colombian Geological Service (SGC), the epicenter was in San Juan de Arama, Meta, and was recorded at 8:52 p.m., at a superficial depth of less than 30 kilometers.
#SismosColombiaSGC Seismic Event – Bulletin Updated 1, 2023-06-29, 20:52 local time Magnitude 5.2, Superficial Depth (Less than 30 km), San Juan de Arama – Meta, Colombia Did you feel this earthquake? report it #Shaking pic.twitter.com/yXtqXtMeuS
– Colombian Geological Service (@sgcol) June 30, 2023
The entity received reports from Bogotá, Meta, Cundinamarca, Tolima, Quindío, Boyacá, Huila, Guaviare, Risaralda, Casanare, Valle del Cauca, Santander, Caquetá, Cauca, Antioquia, Caldas, Guainía and Vaupés.
According to the SGC, Colombia is a very seismically active country due to the interaction of different tectonic plates. This causes earthquakes to be generated in a large part of the territory, especially in coastal areas and around mountain ranges.
The place with the highest seismic activity in the country is the Bucaramanga Seismic Nest, located in the department of Santander, near the municipality of Los Santos, where earthquakes occur almost daily and represents 60% of the seismicity in Colombia.
Every month, around 2,500 earthquakes are registered in the country, “But most are not of relevant magnitude or intensity. Many of them we don’t even feel them!
As for aftershocks, they are seismic movements after an earthquake, of a magnitude less than this and that occur in the same region, these “generally occur in superficial earthquakes, which are generated less than 30 kilometers from the ground.”
It is important to note that, to date, there is no scientifically proven method to predict earthquakes, so rapid preparation and response to these events continue to be essential for the safety of the population.