In the early morning of Saturday February 1st, 2025, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.1 aftershock hit under land 82 kilometer from Quito in Ecuador. Colombia is also near its epicenter.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Ecuador, 82 kilometer (51 mi) south-southeast of Quito in Pichincha. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Feb 1, 2025 06:05 (Guayaquil Time) - Feb 1, 2025 11:05 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 82 km SSE of Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador. Coordinates 0°51'1"N 78°7'34"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 115 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.053 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake struck within proximity of multiple countries. Ecuador and Colombia are both within 300km distance of its epicenter.
The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Tena in Napo, Ecuador. Tena is located 38 kilometer (24 mi) west-northwest of the epicenter.
Major cities near this earthquake: Quito is located 82 km to the north-northwest. Guayaquil is located 246 km to the southwest. Ambato is located 70 km to the southwest.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 38 km (24 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Tena Napo, Ecuador. |
| 55 km (34 mi) W from epicenter |
Latacunga Cotopaxi, Ecuador. |
| 62 km (39 mi) NW from epicenter |
Machachi Pichincha, Ecuador. |
| 65 km (40 mi) W from epicenter |
Pujilí Cotopaxi, Ecuador. |
| 70 km (43 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ambato Tungurahua, Ecuador. |
| 71 km (44 mi) SW from epicenter |
Pelileo Tungurahua, Ecuador. |
| 72 km (45 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Puyo Pastaza, Ecuador. |
| 82 km (51 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Quito Pichincha, Ecuador. |
| 99 km (62 mi) N from epicenter |
Cayambe Pichincha, Ecuador. |
| 108 km (67 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Riobamba Chimborazo, Ecuador. |
| 111 km (69 mi) E from epicenter |
Boca Suno Orellana, Ecuador. |
| 122 km (76 mi) N from epicenter |
Otavalo Imbabura, Ecuador. |
| 123 km (76 mi) W from epicenter |
La Maná Cotopaxi, Ecuador. |
| 128 km (80 mi) SW from epicenter |
Guaranda Bolívar, Ecuador. |
| 132 km (82 mi) N from epicenter |
Atuntaqui Imbabura, Ecuador. |
| 134 km (83 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Puerto Francisco de Orellana Orellana, Ecuador. |
| 134 km (83 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Santo Domingo de los Colorados Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Ecuador. |
| 134 km (83 mi) N from epicenter |
Ibarra Imbabura, Ecuador. |
| 150 km (93 mi) W from epicenter |
Quevedo Los Ríos, Ecuador. |
| 162 km (101 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Ventanas Los Ríos, Ecuador. |
| 162 km (101 mi) S from epicenter |
Macas Morona-Santiago, Ecuador. |
| 166 km (103 mi) SW from epicenter |
Montalvo Los Ríos, Ecuador. |
| 170 km (106 mi) W from epicenter |
Velasco Ibarra Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 172 km (107 mi) NE from epicenter |
Nueva Loja Sucumbios, Ecuador. |
| 189 km (117 mi) SW from epicenter |
Babahoyo Los Ríos, Ecuador. |
| 190 km (118 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Tulcán Carchi, Ecuador. |
| 194 km (121 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Ipiales Nariño, Colombia. |
| 197 km (122 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Vinces Los Ríos, Ecuador. |
| 199 km (124 mi) NW from epicenter |
Rosa Zarate Esmeraldas, Ecuador. |
| 206 km (128 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Balzar Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 209 km (130 mi) SW from epicenter |
Naranjito Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 216 km (134 mi) SW from epicenter |
Samborondón Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 217 km (135 mi) SW from epicenter |
Milagro Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 219 km (136 mi) W from epicenter |
Chone Manabí, Ecuador. |
| 221 km (137 mi) SW from epicenter |
La Troncal Cañar, Ecuador. |
| 223 km (139 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yaguachi Nuevo Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 223 km (139 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Túquerres Nariño, Colombia. |
| 225 km (140 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Azogues Cañar, Ecuador. |
| 236 km (147 mi) NE from epicenter |
Puerto Asís Putumayo, Colombia. |
| 237 km (147 mi) WSW from epicenter |
El Triunfo Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 242 km (150 mi) SW from epicenter |
Eloy Alfaro Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 246 km (153 mi) SW from epicenter |
Guayaquil Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 248 km (154 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Cuenca Azuay, Ecuador. |
| 248 km (154 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Pasto Nariño, Colombia. |
| 257 km (160 mi) W from epicenter |
Bahía de Caráquez Manabí, Ecuador. |
| 258 km (160 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Pedro Carbo Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 260 km (162 mi) W from epicenter |
Portoviejo Manabí, Ecuador. |
| 262 km (163 mi) SW from epicenter |
Naranjal Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 263 km (163 mi) NW from epicenter |
Esmeraldas Esmeraldas, Ecuador. |
| 278 km (173 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Jipijapa Manabí, Ecuador. |
| 288 km (179 mi) W from epicenter |
Manta Manabí, Ecuador. |
Shaking reported by 6 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 6 people have reported shaking in 3 places, all within Ecuador.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador: 3 people.
- Tena, Napo, Ecuador: 2 people.
- Latacunga, Cotopaxi, Ecuador: 1 person.
This is likely an aftershock
This earthquake was an aftershock. A larger mag. 5.5 earthquake struck 4 km (2.4 mi) northwest in advance of this 5.1 earthquake around 12 hrs earlier.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock | M 5.5 |
Jan 31, 2025 18:02 (Guayaquil Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
8 mins later Jan 31, 2025 18:10 (Guayaquil Time) | 8 km (5 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
10 mins later Jan 31, 2025 18:12 (Guayaquil Time) | 6 km (4 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.6 |
13 mins later Jan 31, 2025 18:15 (Guayaquil Time) | 4 km (2.5 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.9 |
3 hrs later Jan 31, 2025 20:37 (Guayaquil Time) | 7 km (4 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.7 |
3 hrs later Jan 31, 2025 20:49 (Guayaquil Time) | 13 km (8 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.0 |
3 hrs later Jan 31, 2025 20:50 (Guayaquil Time) | 8 km (5 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
12 hrs later Feb 1, 2025 06:05 (Guayaquil Time) | 4 km (2.4 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.5 |
12 hrs later Feb 1, 2025 06:27 (Guayaquil Time) | 2.9 km (1.8 mi) E from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. In total, 46 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 3 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | Not this earthquake. This earthquake appears to have struck on land far from any coast. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 01/02/25 15:58 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000palx
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250201_0000143
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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