(Panama-Guide) A relatively strong earthquake measuring magnitude 6.0 on the open-ended Moment Magnitude scale, now used by US seismologists, which measures the area of the fault that ruptured and the total energy released, struck Panama City in the Republic of Panama at 1:49 am local time in the early morning hours of Saturday, 4 July 2009. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), Earthquake Hazards Program, the epicenter of the earthquake was located at 9.654°N, 78.983°W at a depth of 43.1 km (26.8 miles).
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