A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia on Aug. 10, 2024, causing extensive damage across hundreds of kilometers [1], [3].
The event highlights the extreme vulnerability of Colombia's central region to deep-seated seismic activity. Because the tremor lasted for several minutes, the prolonged shaking amplified the destruction in areas far from the epicenter [1], [2].
El Servicio Geológico Colombiano (SGC) said the earthquake occurred at a depth of approximately 103 km [1]. This depth played a critical role in how the energy traveled through the earth. While shallower quakes often cause intense localized damage, this specific depth allowed the seismic waves to spread across a wider geographic area [1], [2].
Geologists said the disaster was due to the interaction of tectonic plates. The Nazca Plate is currently subducting, or sliding beneath, the South American Plate [1], [2]. This movement generated a massive release of energy that resulted in the prolonged shaking felt across the country [1].
The SGC said the interaction at a depth of 103 km [1] explained why the earthquake was felt so strongly in the central zone. The combination of the magnitude and the duration of the event led to widespread structural failures [2].
Emergency responses focused on the central region, where the effects were most perceived [1], [2]. Authorities continue to assess the full scale of the devastation as the region recovers from the impact of the Nazca Plate's movement [1].
“A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Colombia on Aug. 10, 2024, causing extensive damage across hundreds of kilometers.”
The scale of this event demonstrates that deep-focus earthquakes can be as destructive as shallow ones if the duration of shaking is prolonged. The subduction of the Nazca Plate creates a permanent seismic risk for Colombia, meaning urban planning and building codes in the central region must account for long-period ground motion to prevent similar wide-scale devastation in future events.
