Colombia earthquakes

M4.8 earthquake 69 km WNW of Tumaco, Colombia

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck 69 km WNW of Tumaco, Colombia on Wed, Dec 12, 1979, 1:36 PM GMT-5 (18:36 UTC), 77 km (48 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.9 south of Panama. This one was a foreshock.

Tumaco forecastMore in Colombia

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Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
4.8 (mb), light
Local time
UTC
1979-12-12 18:36:30 UTC
Depth
77.0 km (47.8 mi), intermediate-depth
Epicenter
2.122° N, 79.329° W
Region
Colombia
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Stations used
13

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.8 and up: 54 in the 60 days after this one and 7 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00014fc. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 9:14 AM UTC.