What caused the Panama earthquake and why was a tsunami alert issued?

Numbers match the citations in the article. A working link isn't proof that a page supports a claim; check the quoted passage and date.

1. 1

   Seismic evidence for subduction-induced mantle flows underneath Middle America.

   Nature communications (Zhu et al.)Published Apr 29, 2020Checked Oct 10, 2026

   “Laboratory experiments and geodynamic simulations demonstrate that poloidal- and toroidal-mode mantle flows develop around subduction zones. Here, we use a new 3-D azimuthal anisotropy model constructed by full waveform inversion, to infer deep subduction-induced mantle flows underneath Middle America. At depths shallower than 150 km, poloidal-mode flow is perpendicular to the trajectory of the Middle American Trench. From 300 to 450 km depth, return flows surround the edges of the Rivera and Atlantic slabs, while escape flows are inferred through slab windows beneath Panama and central Mexico. Furthermore, at 700 km depth, the study region is dominated by the Farallon anomaly, with fast axes perpendicular to its strike, suggesting the development of lattice-preferred orientations by substantial stress. These observations provide depth-dependent seismic anisotropy for future mantle flow simulations, and call for further investigations about the deformation mechanisms and elasticity of minerals in the transition zone and uppermost lower mantle.”

2. 2

   Variation in the thermal and dehydration regime below Central America: Insights for the seismogenic plate interface.

   iScience (Qu et al.)Published Sep 17, 2023Checked Oct 10, 2026

   “Slow earthquakes predominant in Costa Rica indicate unstable faulting of segmented Central American megathrusts, but the recurrence of episodic tremors and slips reported to precede a giant earthquake remains still enigmatic. The underlying mechanism is related to the variation in the coupling along the heterogeneous subduction interface which is poorly understood. In this study, we used up-to-date 3D thermal modeling to provide insights into the along-strike variation in the thermal state and hydraulic distribution beneath the Central American subduction zone. Our results show that the subducted Cocos Plate is much warmer than previously estimated, and the slab geometry exhibits remarkable perturbations along the trench. We found that the regions of large dehydration rate along the slab are consistent with the seismicity occurrence depth beneath the Moho. Below the Nicoya Peninsula and the Guatemala-Nicaragua segment of megathrusts, fluids derived from subducted slab result in increased pore fluid pressures and subsequent recurrence of slow slip events and regular earthquakes.”

3. 3

   2026 Colombia earthquake (Wikipedia)

   WikipediaPublished Oct 10, 2026Checked Oct 10, 2026

   “On 10 August 2026, a Mw 7.4–7.5 earthquake struck the department of Chocó in Colombia, killing at least 335 people, injuring more than 4,600 others, leaving 111 confirmed missing and causing extensive damage across the country. The earthquake was felt across much of western and central Colombia and in parts of neighbouring Ecuador and Panama, and caused extensive damage in Cali, Pereira, Quibdó, Manizales, Armenia, Buenaventura, and other areas. The Colombian government declared a national emergency and launched search and rescue operations in affected areas.”

4. 4

   Scoping review of early warning systems in improving disaster risk outcomes: perspective from evolution to usage in Southeast Asian countries.

   BMC public health (Yadav et al.)Published Jan 22, 2026Checked Oct 10, 2026

   “Asia-Pacific region remains the most disaster-prone area globally, impacting 6.9 billion people and causing over 2 million deaths between 1970 and 2020. In Southeast Asia alone, the average annual economic loss due to disasters is approximately US $86.5 billion, as reported in the Asia-Pacific Disaster Report 2019. Since the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, substantial progress has been made in EWS development. The proportion of countries with multi-hazard EWS has risen from 25% in 2015 to 67% in 2023, facilitated by efforts such as the ESCAP Trust Fund and “Early Warnings for All” initiative. This review elucidates the evolution of early warning systems (EWS) in Southeast Asia since 2004, highlighting technical and institutional advances alongside persistent gaps in awareness, last-mile dissemination, and community preparedness. Key barriers—limited multi-channel alerts, weak policy integration, and exclusion of vulnerable groups—undermine effectiveness.”