Reviewed by USGSMexico97y ago
M7.6 earthquake 5 km SSW of San Miguel Suchixtepec, Mexico
Thursday, January 15, 1931, 01:50:48 UTC · 16.049°N, 96.486°W
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck 5 km SSW of San Miguel Suchixtepec, Mexico on Thursday, January 15, 1931, 01:50:48 UTC, at a depth of 35.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M8.0 on June 17, 1928.
- Magnitude
- 7.6
- 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
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
76 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 200 km
USGS lists 4 M2.5+ earthquakes within 200 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M6.4 on January 16, 1931. 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 31 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 · 49 km W of this epicenter
- 7.82 km NW of Teojomulco, MexicoApril 15, 1907 · 102 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.56 km WSW of San Miguel Panixtlahuaca, MexicoOctober 9, 1928 · 103 km W of this epicenter
- 7.56 km S of Copala, MexicoMarch 26, 1908 · 272 km W of this epicenter
- 7.48 km ENE of Santiago Xanica, MexicoMarch 22, 1928 · 35 km E of this epicenter
- 7.440 km S of Corralero, MexicoAugust 4, 1928 · 187 km W of this epicenter
- 7.231 km S of San Francisco Cozoaltepec, MexicoDecember 29, 1917 · 64 km SW of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 34 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 57 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1870M7.9
Oaxaca,Zanaguia,San Francisco Ozolotepec
11 May 1870 · 75 km away
24 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1787M8.6
San Marcos, Oaxaca
28 Mar 1787 · 221 km away · intensity IX
11 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1882M7.5
Puebla,Huahuapan,Huamuxtitlan,Xalpatlahuac
19 Jul 1882 · 259 km away
7 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1801M7.0
Oaxaca
5 Oct 1801 · 45 km away
7 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1854M7.7
Veracruz,Oaxaca
5 May 1854 · 134 km away · intensity IX
4 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1928M7.7
Oaxaca
17 Jun 1928 · 59 km away
4 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.