Under land 161 kilometer from Quito in Ecuador, a significant M5.3 earthquake occurred in the night of Saturday March 8th, 2025. Another country near the epicenter is Colombia.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Ecuador, 161 kilometer (100 mi) south-east of Quito in Pichincha. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 185 km.
| Date and Time: | Mar 8, 2025 00:37 (Guayaquil Time) - Mar 8, 2025 05:37 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 161 km SE of Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador. Coordinates 1°14'53"S 77°29'51"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 27 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.06 . |
| Depth: | 185 km (115 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely Tsunami's are usually caused by MAG-6.5+ earthquakes, less than 100km shallow, and with an epicenter under sea. Neither of this seems to be the case. 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 45 kilometer (28 mi) south-east of the epicenter.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Quito is located 161 km to the northwest. Guayaquil is located 286 km to the west-southwest. Pasto is located 275 km to the north.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 45 km (28 mi) NW from epicenter |
Tena Napo, Ecuador. |
| 62 km (39 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Puyo Pastaza, Ecuador. |
| 73 km (45 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Boca Suno Orellana, Ecuador. |
| 104 km (65 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Puerto Francisco de Orellana Orellana, Ecuador. |
| 117 km (73 mi) W from epicenter |
Pelileo Tungurahua, Ecuador. |
| 124 km (77 mi) W from epicenter |
Ambato Tungurahua, Ecuador. |
| 129 km (80 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Latacunga Cotopaxi, Ecuador. |
| 136 km (85 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Macas Morona-Santiago, Ecuador. |
| 136 km (85 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Riobamba Chimborazo, Ecuador. |
| 137 km (85 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Pujilí Cotopaxi, Ecuador. |
| 144 km (89 mi) NW from epicenter |
Machachi Pichincha, Ecuador. |
| 160 km (99 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Cayambe Pichincha, Ecuador. |
| 161 km (100 mi) NW from epicenter |
Quito Pichincha, Ecuador. |
| 163 km (101 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Nueva Loja Sucumbios, Ecuador. |
| 171 km (106 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Guaranda Bolívar, Ecuador. |
| 186 km (116 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Otavalo Imbabura, Ecuador. |
| 191 km (119 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Ibarra Imbabura, Ecuador. |
| 193 km (120 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Atuntaqui Imbabura, Ecuador. |
| 195 km (121 mi) W from epicenter |
La Maná Cotopaxi, Ecuador. |
| 208 km (129 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Montalvo Los Ríos, Ecuador. |
| 217 km (135 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Santo Domingo de los Colorados Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Ecuador. |
| 219 km (136 mi) W from epicenter |
Ventanas Los Ríos, Ecuador. |
| 220 km (137 mi) W from epicenter |
Quevedo Los Ríos, Ecuador. |
| 224 km (139 mi) SW from epicenter |
Azogues Cañar, Ecuador. |
| 225 km (140 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Puerto Asís Putumayo, Colombia. |
| 230 km (143 mi) N from epicenter |
Tulcán Carchi, Ecuador. |
| 231 km (144 mi) N from epicenter |
Ipiales Nariño, Colombia. |
| 232 km (144 mi) SW from epicenter |
Gualaceo Azuay, Ecuador. |
| 235 km (146 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Babahoyo Los Ríos, Ecuador. |
| 239 km (149 mi) W from epicenter |
Velasco Ibarra Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 241 km (150 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Naranjito Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 243 km (151 mi) WSW from epicenter |
La Troncal Cañar, Ecuador. |
| 249 km (155 mi) SW from epicenter |
Cuenca Azuay, Ecuador. |
| 253 km (157 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Milagro Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 253 km (157 mi) W from epicenter |
Vinces Los Ríos, Ecuador. |
| 260 km (162 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Samborondón Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 260 km (162 mi) N from epicenter |
Túquerres Nariño, Colombia. |
| 262 km (163 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Yaguachi Nuevo Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 268 km (167 mi) W from epicenter |
Balzar Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 275 km (171 mi) N from epicenter |
Pasto Nariño, Colombia. |
| 281 km (175 mi) NW from epicenter |
Rosa Zarate Esmeraldas, Ecuador. |
| 282 km (175 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Eloy Alfaro Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 283 km (176 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Mocoa Putumayo, Colombia. |
| 284 km (176 mi) SW from epicenter |
Naranjal Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 285 km (177 mi) WSW from epicenter |
El Triunfo Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 286 km (178 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Guayaquil Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 295 km (183 mi) W from epicenter |
Chone Manabí, Ecuador. |
| 300 km (186 mi) W from epicenter |
Calceta Manabí, Ecuador. |
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
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.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.
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. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since January 31st, 2025, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 78 km (49 mi) further west-northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck on February 22nd, 2019.
In total, 15 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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 8 months.
Tsunami very unlikely
It is very unlikely that this eartquake will cause any tsunami's. The reported magnitude is lower than the MAG-6.5 strength required to cause any earthquakes. In addition, this earthquake was not very shallow and appears to have occurred under land. 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 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 185 km (115 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 11/03/25 04:48 (). 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 us6000pxlb
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250308_0000054
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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