{"id":18439,"date":"2026-11-01T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-01T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/?p=18439"},"modified":"2026-10-30T12:21:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-30T17:21:09","slug":"bucaro-beach-phenomenon-linked-to-october-9-earthquake-expert-says-no-cause-for-alarm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expat-times.com\/panama\/business-economy\/bucaro-beach-phenomenon-linked-to-october-9-earthquake-expert-says-no-cause-for-alarm\/","title":{"rendered":"Bucaro Beach Phenomenon Linked to October 9 Earthquake, Expert Says No Cause for Alarm"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A strange emergence of hot water, mud, and gas bubbles on the sands of Bucaro beach<\/a> in Tonosi, Los Santos province, has drawn attention weeks after the October 9 earthquake<\/a>. The Bucaro beach phenomenon<\/strong> has sparked viral videos showing a rod sinking more than two meters into the saturated sand<\/a>, prompting questions about safety and geological implications<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rigoberto J. Diaz M., a watershed and environmental engineer<\/a> with training in geology and geomorphology, told reporters that the event is a direct consequence of the seismic activity<\/a> and does not signal an impending disaster. “There is no reason to be scared,” he said, explaining that the fluids are surfacing through newly opened fractures in the earth’s crust.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"El
El Bucaro Los Santos Panama. By NotiAzuero.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What Causes the Bucaro Beach Phenomenon<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The mechanism behind the event involves hydrogeology and geomorphology. When the earthquake struck, shock waves fractured underground rock layers and changed their permeability. These new cracks function as natural chimneys, allowing pressurized groundwater to escape toward the surface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the water rises rapidly through the sand, it carries fine sediment that forms mud and releases trapped gases, creating the visible bubbling. The process is a surface manifestation of deep internal fluids finding an open path to the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Bucaro
Bucaro Beach Phenomenon Hot Water by Expat-Times Empowered by IA.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why the Water Feels Hot and the Sand Acts Like Liquid<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The elevated water temperature comes from the natural geothermal gradient of the Earth. Subsurface temperatures increase with depth, and the earthquake released water from deep aquifers that was already warm. The rapid ascent through cracks leaves no time for cooling, so it emerges hot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diaz characterized this as a geothermal and hydrothermal event tied to groundwater circulation through known tectonic faults in the Azuero region, not volcanic activity. The soft, unstable sand that swallowed the rod is a result of soil liquefaction. When high-pressure groundwater fills the spaces between sand grains, the beach temporarily loses its cohesion and behaves like a dense fluid. Solid objects, and even a person’s foot, can sink easily under those conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exclusiva | \u00bfQu\u00e9 est\u00e1 pasando en la playa de B\u00facaro, Los Santos? Experto explica por qu\u00e9 brotan agua caliente, lodo y burbujas: \u2018no hay motivos para asustarse\u2019\n\nEntra en https:\/\/t.co\/Razd290KDW para m\u00e1s informaci\u00f3n \ud83d\udd14<\/p>— Mi Diario Panam\u00e1 (@MiDiarioPanama) October 29, 2026<\/a><\/blockquote>\n