Magnitude 7.4 earthquake in Colombia felt widely due to deep origin

A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake shook Colombia, originating from a depth of 90 to 120 kilometers within the Nazca tectonic plate. This deep origin, a characteristic of intraplate earthquakes where one plate descends beneath another, explains why the seismic waves propagated across a vast area of Colombia and into neighboring territories.

Rodrigo León, a geologist and professor at the Universidad de los Andes, told the newspaper Semana that the earthquake occurred within the Nazca plate as it subducts beneath the South American plate. This process is a primary driver of seismic activity in countries like Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. Unlike shallower earthquakes that occur at plate boundaries, this event originated deep within the descending plate.

León further explained that deep earthquakes can be felt over larger distances because of how seismic waves travel from the rupture point. Although the earthquake's magnitude was considerable, some of its energy dissipated as it traveled through the rock layers to reach the surface. Despite the significant damage and human losses, León described the event as a relatively less unfavorable scenario for an earthquake of this magnitude due to its depth.

Following the quake, León advised the public to remain prepared for potential aftershocks and adhere to official recommendations. He also noted that the perception and impact of an earthquake depend not only on its magnitude but also on factors such as depth, proximity to populated areas, ground conditions, and the quality of building construction.

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Although we have seen that the damage is quite extensive, that unfortunately we already have loss of human lives, well, considering the magnitude, it seems to me that it is the best of the scenarios we could have a deep earthquake of these magnitudes in Colombia.