Chocó earthquake: 7.4 magnitude tremor strikes near San José del Palmar

A powerful 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department of Colombia. The seismic event occurred at 7:34 a.m., originating approximately 100 kilometers deep within the lithosphere.

The earthquake was caused by the subduction of the Nazca Plate beneath the South American Plate, a geological process where the plates move at a rate of about 6.5 centimeters per year. The sudden release of accumulated tectonic stress generated energy comparable to 125 atomic bombs, manifesting as high-velocity seismic waves across the Earth's crust.