October 2, 1913 Earthquake: Azuero Peninsula, Panama

This strong earthquake occurred in the Pacific off the coast of Los Santos in Panama. The earthquake was preceded by a strong foreshock at 18 h 48 m (UT) on 1 October. Owing to the fact that very few masonry buildings exist in the province the damage was not as great as it otherwise would have been and there was no loss of life. Much of the more serious damage was done in the south of the Azuero Peninsula. Many of the houses at Tonosi and in the valley were damaged and a few collapsed, without causing casualties. In the villages and farms of Arenas, Bebedero, Cacao, Canajagua, Flores, Joaquin, Mogolon, Olivita and others in the Rio Viejo and Rio Joaquin valleys, all houses with tile roofs were damaged. Extensive cracking and liquefaction of the ground was observed along the banks of the river at Pajanosa, as well as on the main road to Tonosi. At Cacao and along the bank of Rio Viejo at Las Huertas the shock caused widespread liquefaction. Near Cerro Bonita it was found that the Rio Joaquin had cut a new channel, caused by the opening of fissures at a bend in its channel. The shock caused many landslides in this area, mostly of surface material from steep slopes.

Further to the north native ranches with grass roofs were nowhere seriously affected. At Guarare a few houses lost their tiles and at Macaracas the church was badly damaged and its tower, 25 m high, collapsed. At Los Santos a few houses were cracked but the Government building was totally ruined. The police barracks were also badly damaged, as well as the 35 m high church tower. At Pese there was no damage and at Tablas the walls of th] church and its tower were cracked but were little damaged. Sporadic but minor damage extended to Santiago and to the provinces of Veraguas and Cocle. The shock was very strong at Anton and Penonome. In the Panama isthmus a few houses suffered some minor damage and church bells were set ringing. The earthquake causing considerable panic but no damage to the lock structures of the canal. The earthquake was felt in the districts of David .and Bocas del Toro but not in Costa Rica. A few hours. after the earthquake a submarine slide ruptured the Central & South American cable near the islet of Frailes del Norte, about 25 km off the south coast of Los Santos province. It has been reported that the broken end of the cable was found at a depth of 1463 m, whereas when the cable was first laid, the depth was only about 305.m. Here the shock caused an abrupt change in the bathymetry, which suggests that submarine sliding occurred. The tide gauge at Balboa showed no abnormal fluctuations of the.sea level, and, except in the Gulf of San Miguel on the east coast of the Gulf of Panama, from where it was reported that the sea behaved abnormally on the day of the earthquake, there is no evidence of aseismic sea wave. The earthquake was followed by a long sequence of strong aftershocks until mid-November. The earthquake was well recorded and instrumental readings confirm a position at the southeast extremity of the peninsula of Azuero (Fig. A5). Macroseismic effects suggest a focus in the upper crust. [MacDonald & Johnston 1913; P; DJ]

(All above from reference #8015)

Date: 1913.10.02, Time (GMT): 04.23.28, Lat=7.5 Long=-79, M=7.5. (reference #11949)

7°20'N-80°19'W, Ms= 6.5 (Viquez & Camacho, 1993). (reference #273)