Reviewed by USGSMexico70y ago
M5.8 earthquake 71 km SSW of San Andrés Playa Encantada (El Podrido), Mexico
Sunday, August 4, 1957, 06:06:35 UTC · 16.079°N, 99.840°W
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck 71 km SSW of San Andrés Playa Encantada (El Podrido), Mexico on Sunday, August 4, 1957, 06:06:35 UTC, at a depth of 15.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.6 on July 28, 1957.
- Magnitude
- 5.8
- Moderate · mw
- Depth
- 15 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
7 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/2 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 14 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
24 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Cocos and North American plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
15 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
No “Did You Feel It?” reports have been published for this event yet. If you felt it, you can add your report on the USGS website.
I felt it — report to USGS ↗USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No PAGER estimate is available for this event.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 75 km
USGS lists 2 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M6.0 on August 18, 1957. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 52 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.82 km NW of Teojomulco, MexicoApril 15, 1907 · 283 km E of this epicenter
- 7.68 km ENE of Apantla, MexicoJuly 28, 1957 · 135 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.56 km WSW of San Miguel Panixtlahuaca, MexicoOctober 9, 1928 · 258 km E of this epicenter
- 7.525 km S of Tetitlán, MexicoDecember 16, 1911 · 129 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.527 km SSE of San Andrés Playa Encantada (El Podrido), MexicoJuly 30, 1909 · 54 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.56 km S of Copala, MexicoMarch 26, 1908 · 105 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.43 km W of Huixtepec, MexicoDecember 23, 1937 · 173 km E of this epicenter
- 7.418 km SSW of Palos Blancos, MexicoFebruary 22, 1943 · 219 km NW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 42 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 131 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1957M7.9
Acapulco,Mexico City
28 Jul 1957 · 92 km away · intensity VII
65 deaths$25 million damagetsunami
- 1864M7.0
Puebla,Veracruz,Acultzingo,Acatzingo
3 Oct 1864 · 160 km away
20 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1787M8.6
San Marcos, Oaxaca
28 Mar 1787 · 150 km away · intensity IX
11 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1907M8.3
Guerrero
15 Apr 1907 · 104 km away
8 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1882M7.5
Puebla,Huahuapan,Huamuxtitlan,Xalpatlahuac
19 Jul 1882 · 251 km away
7 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1943M7.4
Guerrero: Paricutin Volcano Forms
22 Feb 1943 · 219 km away · intensity VII
5 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.