What’s Shaken?
Jan 19th, 2007 by Don Ray
Yesterday I had a Chiriquí Chatter reader write and ask about tremors from the Baru. I replied that I wasn’t aware of anything going on and referenced one of the seismic sites that is in the Chiriquí Chatter link area. The site, http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/last_event/world_panama.html , showed the last seismic event in this area as being December 19th.
After responding yesterday it was only a few hours and indeed I did feel a tremor. Wherever it was, it has not been posted on either of the sites. The local Panama Seismic site doesn’t seem to be currently active and it usually a more reliable site for Panama.
After being here for four years I guess I have become a little complacent about the tremors that occur in this area. Many really occur in Costa Rica and we still feel the shock. However this area is close to a fault area so there is continual shifting of the plates. Shifting of the plates is really a good thing because it releases the pressure in a gentler manner.
Since I am not in the Boquete area, I thought I would put in a post and any of the Boqueteans can feel free to add a comment as to what they are feeling there if anything.
Hi Don:
La Prensa newspaper announced that a strong tremor with an intensity of 5.1 in the Richter Scale was registered last night in Chiriqui around 8:00 p.m.
The Geoscience Institute of the Universidad de Panama informs that it was 29 kilometers south of Cerro Punta with a depth of 1 kilometer. It was felt in Bugaba, Boquete and David.
When it happened, I was looking up my e-mails at home (in David) and felt a strong movement, but after about 5-10 seconds, it was over.
I live near downtown David. I felt it at 8:07 PM. My Quake website does not list it.
Lilia and John. Your times are consistent with mine. Thanks for the La Prensa update Lilia.
Hi Don,
Thanks for the posting. On january 17th there was an article on La Prensa about the new tremors and that there are differences among the opinions of the experts. Some experts say that the tremors are of volcanic origin whle others say that has to do with the local faults.
What is going on it is not known yet. But yesterday i was listening to the local news via de webcam conference with my parents. And the panamanian goverment is investing a lot of money on new sismographs and other type of instruments to start closely monitoring both the active volcanoes in Panama, the Volcan Baru and the Volcan La Yeguada in Veraguas.
They said clearly that they do NOT want to cause panic on the population but they DO want to make sure people are ready if something should occur.
If anyone is interested in the article I can either email it, or post it here (possible Don?). The article at this moment is still in Spanish so I would have to translate it. I dont mind at all.
And just to make sure there had been more tremors in the last days. For sure 2 on january 16th, and 2 on january 17th (magnitude of about 4+).
Please I dont want to scare anyone. I live myself in Holland but all my family is in Boquete and that is the reason why i keep monitoring these type of things.
Thanks for listening ..
Mirethy
Happy New Year Don, 84 degrees - How nice that would be. Even with a little shaking a 30 degrees with the wind blowing I don’t think I would mind. I have been under the weather. My get up and go has got up and went. Next week maybe it will be better. My best to you and yours in the year called 2007. Dick
Hi Merette,
Thanks for the post. I guess we will sit and watch. I still personally think to the casual observer that everything is as it has always been since I have been here, But it never hurts to be on the alert.
Hi Dick, sorry to hear your are not up to your normal self. Take care of yourself and get better soon.
Guess I better reconnect the Jaramillo Siesmograph, the switch burned out.
Could be a good idea.
Hi Mirette,
Would you please email me the article from La Prensa? Have you already translated it into English? I know very little Spanish. email: harborbreeze@ij.net
Thank you very much!
I am having a house built in Boquete which will be ready by May/June. I am hoping to retire here in the next few years. I have been reading a lot over the last 12 months about these tremors. Is there really any need for concern.
My husband and I chose Boquete because of it’s beauty and friendly warm people.
Susan - You might check this article from the Panama Guide. I have a hunch it is the La Prensa article http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/2007012014031745
Pearl - I have lived here for 4 years and there has always been tremors. I have talked with residents of Boquete that have lived here all their life and most say they have seen the same thing for years.
While I would never say never, I think this is just one of those things you have to expect when you live in a fault area of the world. Plan on enjoying your house and don’t worry about things you can control.
I would rather live here and put up with tremors than to live in tornado ally in the US and go through the annual tornadoes.
Thank you for your response. I am not so worried it is my husband that mind so much. However we live in England at the moment and I although we don’t have to worry so much about tremors we do have cold, sometimes extreme bad weather and that alone is making me glad that I chose Boquete.
I can handle the occasional tremors much better than the extreme heat of Dallas in the summer, tornadoes in Oklahoma in the summer and the ice storms in Texas and Oklahoma in the winter.