Reviewed by USGSGuatemala76y ago
M5.9 earthquake 35 km SW of Champerico, Guatemala
Sunday, November 5, 1950, 16:35:25 UTC · 14.078°N, 92.156°W
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck 35 km SW of Champerico, Guatemala on Sunday, November 5, 1950, 16:35:25 UTC, at a depth of 35.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M6.0 on October 24, 1950.
- Magnitude
- 5.9
- Moderate · mw
- Depth
- 35 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- IV
- Light (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
10 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/2 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 20 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
80 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
35 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 has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km in the 30 days after this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 75 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 · 110 km E of this epicenter
- 7.34 km SSW of Puerto Madero, MexicoDecember 14, 1935 · 74 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.2127 km SW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), MexicoMarch 30, 1914 · 205 km W of this epicenter
- 7.21 km NNW of Champerico, GuatemalaOctober 23, 1950 · 36 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.132 km NE of Chajul, GuatemalaFebruary 4, 1921 · 229 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.070 km SW of Puerto Madero, MexicoJune 28, 1944 · 85 km W of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 21 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 5,858 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1917M6.0
Guatemala City
26 Dec 1917 · 177 km away · intensity IX
2,650 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)
- 1902M7.5
Quezaltenango, San Marcos
19 Apr 1902 · 125 km away
2,000 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1773
St. Jago
3 Jun 1773 · 167 km away
600 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
- 1874M7.1
Antigua,Chimaltenango,Amatitlan
3 Sep 1874 · 164 km away · intensity VIII
300 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1902M7.0
El Salvador-Guatemala
26 Feb 1902 · 294 km away
185 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1773M7.5
Antigua
29 Jul 1773 · 167 km away · intensity VIII
100 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.