Reviewed by USGSMexico92y ago
M7.3 earthquake 4 km SSW of Puerto Madero, Mexico
Saturday, December 14, 1935, 22:05:26 UTC · 14.688°N, 92.438°W
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck 4 km SSW of Puerto Madero, Mexico on Saturday, December 14, 1935, 22:05:26 UTC, at a depth of 35.0 km (shallow). No earthquake of this size or larger appears within 300 km in the USGS catalog since 1900.
- Magnitude
- 7.3
- Major · mw
- Depth
- 35 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
1.4 megatons of TNT
That is about 92 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 2,917 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
121 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
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 200 km
USGS lists 1 M2.5+ earthquake within 200 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M6.0 on December 21, 1935. 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 48 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.2127 km SW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), MexicoMarch 30, 1914 · 166 km W of this epicenter
- 7.132 km NE of Chajul, GuatemalaFebruary 4, 1921 · 207 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.0off the coast of Central AmericaJanuary 24, 1929 · 270 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.031 km SE of Champerico, GuatemalaApril 17, 1919 · 103 km SE of this epicenter
- 6.94 km NNW of El Palmarcito, MexicoDecember 10, 1925 · 127 km NW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 17 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 5,673 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1917M6.0
Guatemala City
26 Dec 1917 · 198 km away · intensity IX
2,650 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)
- 1902M7.5
Quezaltenango, San Marcos
19 Apr 1902 · 173 km away
2,000 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1773
St. Jago
3 Jun 1773 · 187 km away
600 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
- 1874M7.1
Antigua,Chimaltenango,Amatitlan
3 Sep 1874 · 188 km away · intensity VIII
300 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1773M7.5
Antigua
29 Jul 1773 · 187 km away · intensity VIII
100 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 1816M7.5
Soloma
22 Jul 1816 · 135 km away · intensity IX
23 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.