Reviewed by USGSMexico86y ago
M7.6 earthquake 21 km ESE of Coalcomán de Vázquez Pallares, Mexico
Tuesday, April 15, 1941, 19:09:56 UTC · 18.680°N, 102.989°W
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck 21 km ESE of Coalcomán de Vázquez Pallares, Mexico on Tuesday, April 15, 1941, 19:09:56 UTC, at a depth of 30.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.7 on June 22, 1932.
- Magnitude
- 7.6
- Major · mw
- Depth
- 30 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 earthquakeColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
3.8 megatons of TNT
That is about 252 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 7,943 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
114 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
30 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 has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 200 km in the 30 days after this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 38 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.11932 Jalisco, Mexico EarthquakeJune 3, 1932 · 159 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.87 km E of Los Tepames, MexicoJune 18, 1932 · 74 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.712 km NNE of La Central, MexicoJune 22, 1932 · 159 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.619 km W of Arteaga, MexicoJune 7, 1911 · 65 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.0102 km SW of Barra de Navidad, MexicoNovember 30, 1934 · 245 km W of this epicenter
- 6.820 km W of La Placita de Morelos, MexicoJune 29, 1935 · 86 km W of this epicenter
- 6.82 km SW of Tecomán, MexicoJuly 25, 1932 · 99 km W of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 31 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 4,642 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1806M7.5
Jalisco,Oaxaca,Michoacan
25 Mar 1806 · 89 km away · intensity VIII
2,000 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)
- 1818M8.2
Morelos-Guerrero,Mexico City,Guadalajara
31 May 1818 · 110 km away · intensity X
2,000 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1932M8.1
Near Coast Of Jalisco
3 Jun 1932 · 143 km away · intensity X
400 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1941M7.6
Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco
15 Apr 1941 · 0 km away · intensity VII
84 deaths$2 million damagetsunami
- 1932M7.7
Central
22 Jun 1932 · 159 km away
75 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1847
Jalisco,Oaxaca,Michoacan
2 Oct 1847 · 187 km away · intensity IX
58 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.