Reviewed by USGSGuatemala77y ago
M7.2 earthquake 1 km NNW of Champerico, Guatemala
Monday, October 23, 1950, 16:13:28 UTC · 14.310°N, 91.917°W
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck 1 km NNW of Champerico, Guatemala on Monday, October 23, 1950, 16:13:28 UTC, at a depth of 65.3 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.7 on August 6, 1942.
- Magnitude
- 7.2
- Major · mw
- Depth
- 65 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- VII
- Very strong (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 200 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
858 kilotons of TNT
That is about 57 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 1,799 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
116 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Cocos and North American plates. Earthquakes this far from a boundary happen on faults inside a plate, often less frequently but sometimes strongly.
Depth: shallow
65 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 200 km
USGS lists 4 M2.5+ earthquakes within 200 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M6.2 on October 23, 1950. 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 74 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.726 km SSW of La Gomera, GuatemalaAugust 6, 1942 · 95 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.34 km SSW of Puerto Madero, MexicoDecember 14, 1935 · 70 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.2127 km SW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), MexicoMarch 30, 1914 · 224 km W of this epicenter
- 7.132 km NE of Chajul, GuatemalaFebruary 4, 1921 · 193 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.070 km SW of Puerto Madero, MexicoJune 28, 1944 · 107 km W of this epicenter
- 7.0off the coast of Central AmericaJanuary 24, 1929 · 201 km SE of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 24 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 6,858 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1917M6.0
Guatemala City
26 Dec 1917 · 145 km away · intensity IX
2,650 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)
- 1902M7.5
Quezaltenango, San Marcos
19 Apr 1902 · 105 km away
2,000 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1854
San Salvador
14 Apr 1854 · 299 km away
1,000 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)
- 1773
St. Jago
3 Jun 1773 · 135 km away
600 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
- 1874M7.1
Antigua,Chimaltenango,Amatitlan
3 Sep 1874 · 133 km away · intensity VIII
300 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1902M7.0
El Salvador-Guatemala
26 Feb 1902 · 276 km away
185 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.