Moderate magnitude 4.3 earthquake at 21 km depth17 Mar 17:35 UTC: First to report: INETER after 5 minutes.17 Mar 17:36: Now using data updates from EMSCI didn't feel itI felt this quakeEarthquake detailsDate & timeMar 17, 2026 17:29:38 UTC - Local time at epicenterTuesday, Mar 17, 2026, at 05:29 pm (Universal Time GMT +0)StatusconfirmedMagnitude4.3Depth21 kmEpicenter latitude / longitude13.63°N / 90.81°WGuatemalaAlso near: El Salvador 78 km (48 mi) awaySeismic antipode13.63°S / 89.19°EShaking intensityIV Light shaking near epicenterFelt0 reportsPrimary data sourceEMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)Nearest volcanoPueblo Nuevo Viñas (71 km / 44 mi)Weather at epicenter at time of quakeFew Clouds 26.6°C (80 F), humidity: 82%, wind: 3 m/s (5 kts) from SSWEstimated seismic energy released1.8 x 1011 joules (49.4 megawatt hours, equivalent to 42.5 tons of TNT) | equivalent to ONE quake of magnitude 4.3 | about seismic energy7 minutes agoMar 17, 2026 17:29 GMT / Mar 17, 2026 05:29 pm (Universal Time)Lat / Lng: 13.63 / -90.81: Offshore GuatemalaSource: EMSCOther sources: INETER: 4.3 / 21 kmDetail info | You felt it? - Report it!';storedMarkers.push(['quake-22817741',13.63000,-90.81000,'7 minutes ago: Mag. 4.3, Offshore Guatemala',html,'quakes-6-24.png',25,25,12,12,125]); function mkRep(id,notFelt){var nFelt=notFelt||false;var src="https://www.volcanoesandearthquakes.com/app/earthquake-report.php?quakeId="+id;if(nFelt==true){src+="¬Felt=true";}window.open(src,"","status=0,toolbar=0,location=0,directories=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,height=400,width=350");} function locationHashChanged(e){-1!=e.oldURL.indexOf("#popupMap")&&closePopup()} window.onhashchange = locationHashChanged; function comment(e){var t=e.parentNode,a=(t.dataset.id,document.getElementById("commentForm"));"none"==a.style.display?(t.appendChild(a),a.style.display="block"):a.style.display="none"}function sendComment(e){var t=e.parentNode,a=t.parentNode.dataset.id,n=document.getElementById("commentContent"),p=n.value.trim();if(p){var o="id="+a+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId;o+="&comment="+decodeURIComponent(p),mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",o,function(e){e.responseText;alert("Thank you for submitting your comment!"),t.style.display="none",n.value=""})}}function flagReport(e){var t=e.parentNode.dataset.id;if(confirm("Report this as inappropriate?")){var a="id="+t+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId+"&flagAsInappropriate=1";mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",a,function(t){var a=t.responseText;alert(a),e.style.display="none"})}}function likeReport(e){var t="id="+e.parentNode.dataset.id+"&quakeId="+thisQuakeId+"&like=1";mkRequest("//reports.volcanodiscovery.com/app/eqReportComment.php","post",t,function(t){t.responseText;e.style.opacity=.5})}]]>[smaller] [bigger]Most recent quakes Top 20 past 24 hrs Quakes in GuatemalaNearby placesThe closest larger town where the quake might have been felt is Escuintla, a city with more than 160,000 inhabitants in Guatemala, in 75 km (46 mi) distance north of the epicenter. People likely experienced weak shaking there. Many smaller towns and villages are located closer to the epicenter and might have experienced stronger shaking. In the capital of Guatemala, Guatemala City, 117 km (73 mi) away from the epicenter, the earthquake was probably felt as very weak shaking.The following table shows some of the places that might have been affected (or not) by the shaking.DistancePlaceMax. shaking intensity(*)RegionCountry32 km (20 mi)N of epicenterPuerto San Jose(pop: 18,700)III: WeakMunicipio de San Jose, Departamento de EscuintlaGuatemala35 km (22 mi)N of epicenterIztapa(pop: 4,020)III: WeakDepartamento de EscuintlaGuatemala57 km (35 mi)NW of epicenterLa Gomera(pop: 24,000)III: WeakDepartamento de EscuintlaGuatemala64 km (40 mi)N of epicenterMasagua(pop: 45,300)III: WeakDepartamento de EscuintlaGuatemala65 km (40 mi)NE of epicenterGuazacapan(pop: 18,900)III: WeakDepartamento de Santa RosaGuatemala68 km (42 mi)NE of epicenterChiquimulilla(pop: 12,800)III: WeakDepartamento de Santa RosaGuatemala68 km (42 mi)N of epicenterLa Democracia(pop: 13,400)III: WeakDepartamento de EscuintlaGuatemala69 km (43 mi)N of epicenterGuanagazapa(pop: 2,840)III: WeakDepartamento de EscuintlaGuatemala75 km (46 mi)N of epicenterEscuintla(pop: 156,300)III: WeakDepartamento de EscuintlaGuatemala75 km (47 mi)NE of epicenterPueblo Nuevo Vinas(pop: 4,210)III: WeakDepartamento de Santa RosaGuatemala77 km (48 mi)NE of epicenterSan Juan Tecuaco(pop: 2,210)III: WeakDepartamento de Santa RosaGuatemala82 km (51 mi)N of epicenterSanta Lucia Cotzumalguapa(pop: 112,800)III: WeakMunicipio de Santa Lucia Cotzumalguapa, Departamento de EscuintlaGuatemala87 km (54 mi)N of epicenterPalin(pop: 65,900)II: Very weakMunicipio de Palin, Departamento de EscuintlaGuatemala89 km (56 mi)NE of epicenterBarberena(pop: 47,100)II: Very weakDepartamento de Santa RosaGuatemala90 km (56 mi)NE of epicenterCuilapa(pop: 41,400)II: Very weakDepartamento de Santa RosaGuatemala94 km (58 mi)NW of epicenterTiquisate(pop: 18,200)II: Very weakDepartamento de EscuintlaGuatemala95 km (59 mi)N of epicenterAlotenango(pop: 24,000)II: Very weakDepartamento de SacatepequezGuatemala96 km (60 mi)NW of epicenterPatulul(pop: 40,700)II: Very weakDepartamento de SuchitepequezGuatemala96 km (60 mi)N of epicenterAmatitlan(pop: 71,800)II: Very weakMunicipio de Amatitlan, Departamento de GuatemalaGuatemala97 km (60 mi)N of epicenterSanta Maria de Jesus(pop: 21,800)II: Very weakMunicipio de Santa Maria de Jesus, Departamento de SacatepequezGuatemala98 km (61 mi)N of epicenterYepocapa(pop: 34,900)II: Very weakDepartamento de ChimaltenangoGuatemala99 km (62 mi)N of epicenterVilla Canales(pop: 155,400)II: Very weakDepartamento de GuatemalaGuatemala100 km (62 mi)N of epicenterCiudad Vieja(pop: 33,400)II: Very weakDepartamento de SacatepequezGuatemala101 km (63 mi)N of epicenterPetapa(pop: 135,400)II: Very weakDepartamento de GuatemalaGuatemala101 km (63 mi)NE of epicenterFraijanes(pop: 58,900)II: Very weakDepartamento de GuatemalaGuatemala102 km (64 mi)N of epicenterVilla Nueva(pop: 618,400)II: Very weakDepartamento de GuatemalaGuatemala103 km (64 mi)N of epicenterAntigua Guatemala(pop: 46,100)II: Very weakDepartamento de SacatepequezGuatemala110 km (68 mi)N of epicenterSanta Catarina Pinula(pop: 80,600)II: Very weakDepartamento de GuatemalaGuatemala111 km (69 mi)N of epicenterSan Jose Pinula(pop: 79,800)II: Very weakMunicipio de San Jose Pinula, Departamento de GuatemalaGuatemala113 km (71 mi)N of epicenterMixco(pop: 465,800)II: Very weakDepartamento de GuatemalaGuatemala114 km (71 mi)N of epicenterChimaltenango(pop: 97,000)II: Very weakDepartamento de ChimaltenangoGuatemala117 km (73 mi)N of epicenterGuatemala City(pop: 994,900)II: Very weakMunicipio de Guatemala, Departamento de GuatemalaGuatemala122 km (76 mi)N of epicenterSan Juan Sacatepequez(pop: 136,900)II: Very weakMunicipio de San Juan Sacatepequez, Departamento de GuatemalaGuatemala123 km (77 mi)NE of epicenterJutiapa(pop: 145,900)II: Very weakDepartamento de JutiapaGuatemala124 km (77 mi)N of epicenterChinautla(pop: 105,000)II: Very weakDepartamento de GuatemalaGuatemala125 km (78 mi)NW of epicenterMazatenango(pop: 77,400)II: Very weakDepartamento de SuchitepequezGuatemala138 km (85 mi)NW of epicenterRetalhuleu(pop: 90,500)II: Very weakDepartamento de RetalhuleuGuatemala142 km (89 mi)NE of epicenterJalapa(pop: 159,800)II: Very weakDepartamento de JalapaGuatemala154 km (96 mi)NW of epicenterTotonicapan(pop: 104,000)II: Very weakMunicipio de Totonicapan, Departamento de TotonicapanGuatemala155 km (97 mi)NW of epicenterQuetzaltenango(pop: 180,700)II: Very weakDepartamento de QuetzaltenangoGuatemalaNotes:(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.User-reports for this quakeThere are no user reports for this quake yet.If you felt it, be the first to report it!Get the Android appCompare Quake DataData for the same earthquake as reported by different agenciesThe more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.MagDepthTime GMT2026-03-17EpicenterAgency4.321 km13 mi17:29:38OFFSHORE GUATEMALAEMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)4.321 km13 mi17:29:3834 Km al sur de Iztapa, Guatemala0.6 km (0.3 mi) epicenter difference with EMSCINETERAftershocks for this quakeNo aftershocks have been recorded so far. When aftershocks are detected, we will update this section.What are aftershocks?Larger earthquakes (above magnitude 5 or so) such as this one are usually followed by smaller ones known as aftershocks that occur in the same area during the days, weeks, months or even years after the main shock.[More info]What about this quake?Based on its magnitude, the fault that was active during the quake likely ruptured beneath a surface area of approximately 2 km2 (1 square miles) as a first-order estimate. The length of the rupture zone thus was probably around 2 km (2 mi).[More info]Recorded aftershocks, latest first (0 quake)Mar 17, 2026 05:29 pm (Universal Time)7 minutes ago4.321 km0 km - This quakeNorth Pacific Ocean, 75 km S of Escuintla, Departamento de Escuintla, GuatemalaMain Shock (this quake)MoreMap of aftershocksEarthquake statisticsAverage number of earthquakesBased on data from the past 26 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 519 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):Mag. 7 or higher: 0.02 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 41.7 years)Mag. 6 or higher: 0.38 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 2.6 years)Mag. 5 or higher: 4.9 quakes per yearMag. 4 or higher: 77 quakes per year (or 6.4 quakes per month)Mag. 3 or higher: 318 quakes per year (or 26.5 quakes per month)Mag. 2 or higher: 508 quakes per year (or 42 quakes per month)Mag. 1 or higher: 516 quakes per year (or 43 quakes per month)The area where this quake occurred has a very high level of seismic activity. It has had at least 3 quakes above magnitude 7 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 40 to 45 years.Number of quakes per yearPrevious quakes in the same area of this earthquake