Reviewed by USGSMexico102y ago
M6.9 earthquake 211 km SW of José María Morelos, Mexico
Monday, November 16, 1925, 11:55:01 UTC · 18.459°N, 106.728°W
A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck 211 km SW of José María Morelos, Mexico on Monday, November 16, 1925, 11:55:01 UTC, at a depth of 15.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.0 on December 17, 1905.
- Magnitude
- 6.9
- Strong · mw
- Depth
- 15 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
326 kilotons of TNT
That is about 22 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 684 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
13 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Rivera and Pacific plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
15 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 100 km
USGS has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 100 km in the 30 days after this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 9 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.0166 km WSW of Corral del Risco (Punta de Mita), MexicoMay 9, 1905 · 226 km N of this epicenter
- 7.0Revilla Gigedo Islands regionDecember 17, 1905 · 194 km W of this epicenter
- 6.633 km SSW of Cuyutlán, MexicoMay 1, 1921 · 270 km E of this epicenter
- 6.4262 km SW of La Cruz de Loreto, MexicoApril 18, 1919 · 63 km W of this epicenter
- 6.4179 km WSW of La Cruz de Loreto, MexicoJuly 7, 1925 · 85 km N of this epicenter
- 6.1202 km SW of La Cruz de Loreto, MexicoJuly 9, 1919 · 51 km NW of this epicenter
- 6.0170 km WSW of La Cruz de Loreto, MexicoJune 12, 1922 · 78 km N of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 9 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700. The most severe:
- 1900M7.3
Mexico
20 Jan 1900 · 250 km away · intensity VIII
Severe damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1739
Colima
14 Jul 1739 · 299 km away
Severe damage ($5–24M)
- 1896
Colima
2 Mar 1896 · 299 km away
Severe damage ($5–24M)
- 1875M7.4
Guadalajara, Mexico City
9 Mar 1875 · 247 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1925M7.0
S. Mexico
16 Nov 1925 · 29 km away
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1900M6.9
Near Coast Of Jalisco
16 May 1900 · 250 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.