Earthquake.now

M7.4 Earthquake near San José del Palmar, Colombia — 10 August 2026

A major earthquake of magnitude 7.4 was recorded near San José del Palmar, Colombia on , with an epicentre 5 km south of San José del Palmar, at a focal depth of 110.3 km. It ranked as the 2nd strongest of 9 earthquakes recorded in Colombia in the preceding 30 days.

7.4 Major

Time (UTC): 2026-08-10 12:34:28

Time (your timezone): —

Magnitude: 7.4 (major)

Focal depth: 110.3 km (intermediate)

Epicentre: 4.8436, -76.2422

Location: 5 km S of San José del Palmar, Colombia

Country: Colombia

USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked

Review status: Reviewed

Source: USGS event page

How strong was this earthquake?

Major earthquakes cause serious damage across wide regions and are capable of destroying buildings that were not designed for seismic loading. Events at this size frequently trigger long aftershock sequences lasting months.

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake radiates roughly 1.9 million tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 1502, which meets the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.

What the magnitude scale actually measures →

When it happened locally

That is about 07:29 local solar time at the epicentre, around dawn.

This event was deeper than 55% of the 87 earthquakes recorded in Colombia in our catalogue and stronger than 99% of them.

Where was the epicentre?

The epicentre was located at 4.8436, -76.2422 — 5 km south of San José del Palmar. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.3 earthquake 13 km west-northwest of here on 13 August 2026.

The nearest other settlements in our records are El Cairo (21 km west-southwest), Argelia (22 km south-southeast), Pueblo Rico (36 km north) and Bolívar (53 km south).

Why the 110 km depth matters

At 110 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.

This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can produce strong, widely felt shaking. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.

Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →

What does the tsunami information flag mean?

The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because its 110 km focal depth is too great to deform the sea floor significantly; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.

How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →

Aftershocks and local seismic history

3 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 5.0.

24 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.6 event near Bahía Solano on 10 January 2025. This M7.4 event released about 501 times more energy than that event.

5 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 0 of them in the past 30 days.

How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →

Where this event sits in the record

This earthquake is part of the August 2026 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Colombia during August 2026. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.

Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre

Other recent earthquakes in Colombia

All recorded earthquakes in Colombia →

Other magnitude 7 earthquakes worldwide

All magnitude 7 earthquakes →

Questions about this earthquake

How strong was the earthquake near San José del Palmar?

It measured magnitude 7.4 — a major earthquake. A magnitude 7.4 earthquake radiates roughly 1.9 million tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

How deep was the earthquake near San José del Palmar?

The focus was 110 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.

Was the San José del Palmar earthquake felt at the surface?

At magnitude 7.4 and a focal depth of 110 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.

When did the earthquake near San José del Palmar happen?

10 August 2026 at 12:34 UTC.

Was there a tsunami?

No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.

Have there been aftershocks?

3 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 5.0.

How often do earthquakes happen near San José del Palmar?

24 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 5.6 event near Bahía Solano on 10 January 2025. This M7.4 event released about 501 times more energy than that event.