M 6.2 - 4 km SE of Aserrío de Gariché, Panama

Tectonic Summary

The June 26, 2019, M 6.2 earthquake west of David, Panama, occurred as a result of strike-slip faulting in the crust at a depth of ~25 km. Focal mechanism solutions indicate that rupture occurred on either a steeply dipping left-lateral northwest-striking fault or right-lateral southwest-striking fault. The June 26th earthquake likely represents faulting within the crust of the Caribbean Plate. The region is tectonically complex. To the northwest of this event, the Cocos plate subducts beneath the Caribbean Plate. South of this event, a transform boundary marks the border between the Cocos Plate and the Nazca Plate.

Moderate to large earthquakes are relatively common in this region. In the past 100 years, 29 other earthquakes M 6.0 and larger have occurred within 100 km of this June 26th event. The largest was a M 7.5 earthquake that occurred on July 18, 1934, offshore and to the southeast of this event. A similar M 6.5 earthquake to this June 26 event occurred on December 25, 2003, and resulted in at least two fatalities. More recently, on May 12th, 2019, a M 6.0 earthquake occurred with a similar mechanism and at a similar depth to the June 26 earthquake.