In the late afternoon of Friday December 19th, 2025, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit under land 78 kilometer from Quito in Ecuador. Colombia is also near its epicenter.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Ecuador, 78 kilometer (48 mi) south-east 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: | Dec 19, 2025 16:59 (Guayaquil Time) - Dec 19, 2025 21:59 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 78 km SE of Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador. Coordinates 0°41'6"N 77°59'19"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 351 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.03 . |
| 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 40 kilometer (25 mi) north-northwest of the epicenter.
Major cities near this earthquake: Quito is located 78 km to the northwest. Guayaquil is located 270 km to the southwest. Pasto is located 225 km to the north-northeast.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 40 km (25 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Tena Napo, Ecuador. |
| 67 km (42 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Machachi Pichincha, Ecuador. |
| 75 km (47 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Latacunga Cotopaxi, Ecuador. |
| 78 km (48 mi) NW from epicenter |
Quito Pichincha, Ecuador. |
| 83 km (52 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Cayambe Pichincha, Ecuador. |
| 84 km (52 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Pujilí Cotopaxi, Ecuador. |
| 89 km (55 mi) S from epicenter |
Puyo Pastaza, Ecuador. |
| 94 km (58 mi) E from epicenter |
Boca Suno Orellana, Ecuador. |
| 94 km (58 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ambato Tungurahua, Ecuador. |
| 95 km (59 mi) SW from epicenter |
Pelileo Tungurahua, Ecuador. |
| 107 km (66 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Otavalo Imbabura, Ecuador. |
| 114 km (71 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Puerto Francisco de Orellana Orellana, Ecuador. |
| 116 km (72 mi) N from epicenter |
Ibarra Imbabura, Ecuador. |
| 116 km (72 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Atuntaqui Imbabura, Ecuador. |
| 132 km (82 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Riobamba Chimborazo, Ecuador. |
| 140 km (87 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Santo Domingo de los Colorados Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Ecuador. |
| 140 km (87 mi) WSW from epicenter |
La Maná Cotopaxi, Ecuador. |
| 149 km (93 mi) NE from epicenter |
Nueva Loja Sucumbios, Ecuador. |
| 151 km (94 mi) SW from epicenter |
Guaranda Bolívar, Ecuador. |
| 168 km (104 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Quevedo Los Ríos, Ecuador. |
| 169 km (105 mi) N from epicenter |
Tulcán Carchi, Ecuador. |
| 172 km (107 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Ipiales Nariño, Colombia. |
| 181 km (112 mi) S from epicenter |
Macas Morona-Santiago, Ecuador. |
| 184 km (114 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Ventanas Los Ríos, Ecuador. |
| 188 km (117 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Velasco Ibarra Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 190 km (118 mi) SW from epicenter |
Montalvo Los Ríos, Ecuador. |
| 200 km (124 mi) NW from epicenter |
Rosa Zarate Esmeraldas, Ecuador. |
| 201 km (125 mi) N from epicenter |
Túquerres Nariño, Colombia. |
| 212 km (132 mi) NE from epicenter |
Puerto Asís Putumayo, Colombia. |
| 212 km (132 mi) SW from epicenter |
Babahoyo Los Ríos, Ecuador. |
| 219 km (136 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Vinces Los Ríos, Ecuador. |
| 225 km (140 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Pasto Nariño, Colombia. |
| 226 km (140 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Balzar Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 233 km (145 mi) SW from epicenter |
Naranjito Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 234 km (145 mi) W from epicenter |
Chone Manabí, Ecuador. |
| 239 km (149 mi) NNW from epicenter |
San Lorenzo de Esmeraldas Esmeraldas, Ecuador. |
| 240 km (149 mi) SW from epicenter |
Milagro Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 240 km (149 mi) SW from epicenter |
Samborondón Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 245 km (152 mi) SW from epicenter |
La Troncal Cañar, Ecuador. |
| 246 km (153 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yaguachi Nuevo Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 248 km (154 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Azogues Cañar, Ecuador. |
| 260 km (162 mi) WSW from epicenter |
El Triunfo Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 260 km (162 mi) NW from epicenter |
Esmeraldas Esmeraldas, Ecuador. |
| 266 km (165 mi) SW from epicenter |
Eloy Alfaro Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 270 km (168 mi) SW from epicenter |
Guayaquil Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 271 km (168 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Cuenca Azuay, Ecuador. |
| 271 km (168 mi) W from epicenter |
Bahía de Caráquez Manabí, Ecuador. |
| 277 km (172 mi) W from epicenter |
Portoviejo Manabí, Ecuador. |
| 286 km (178 mi) SW from epicenter |
Naranjal Guayas, Ecuador. |
| 289 km (180 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Tumaco Nariño, Colombia. |
| 297 km (185 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Jipijapa Manabí, Ecuador. |
Shaking reported by 9 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 9 people have reported shaking in 4 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: 6 people.
- Latacunga, Cotopaxi, Ecuador: 1 person.
- Archidona, Napo, Ecuador: 1 person.
- Sangolquí, Pichincha, Ecuador: 1 person.
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
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. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since September 3rd, 2025, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 92 km (57 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck on April 16th, 2016.
In total, 40 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 07/01/26 23:48 (). 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 us6000rw3h
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20251219_0000286
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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