Reviewed by USGSMexico90y ago
M7.4 earthquake 3 km W of Huixtepec, Mexico
Thursday, December 23, 1937, 13:18:03 UTC · 16.656°N, 98.338°W
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck 3 km W of Huixtepec, Mexico on Thursday, December 23, 1937, 13:18:03 UTC, at a depth of 25.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.6 on January 15, 1931.
- Magnitude
- 7.4
- Major · mw
- Depth
- 25 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
1.9 megatons of TNT
That is about 126 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 3,981 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
101 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
25 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 3 M2.5+ earthquakes within 200 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M6.5 on January 2, 1938. 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 43 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 8.015 km ESE of San Gabriel Mixtepec, MexicoJune 17, 1928 · 163 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.82 km NW of Teojomulco, MexicoApril 15, 1907 · 116 km E of this epicenter
- 7.65 km SSW of San Miguel Suchixtepec, MexicoJanuary 15, 1931 · 209 km E of this epicenter
- 7.56 km WSW of San Miguel Panixtlahuaca, MexicoOctober 9, 1928 · 107 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.525 km S of Tetitlán, MexicoDecember 16, 1911 · 250 km W of this epicenter
- 7.527 km SSE of San Andrés Playa Encantada (El Podrido), MexicoJuly 30, 1909 · 129 km W of this epicenter
- 7.56 km S of Copala, MexicoMarch 26, 1908 · 70 km W of this epicenter
- 7.48 km ENE of Santiago Xanica, MexicoMarch 22, 1928 · 243 km E of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 64 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 92 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1870M7.9
Oaxaca,Zanaguia,San Francisco Ozolotepec
11 May 1870 · 259 km away
24 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1864M7.0
Puebla,Veracruz,Acultzingo,Acatzingo
3 Oct 1864 · 209 km away
20 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1787M8.6
San Marcos, Oaxaca
28 Mar 1787 · 24 km away · intensity IX
11 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1907M8.3
Guerrero
15 Apr 1907 · 181 km away
8 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1882M7.5
Puebla,Huahuapan,Huamuxtitlan,Xalpatlahuac
19 Jul 1882 · 117 km away
7 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1801M7.0
Oaxaca
5 Oct 1801 · 244 km away
7 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.