Reviewed by USGSGuatemala13y ago
M5.6 earthquake 29 km WSW of Tiquisate, Guatemala
Tuesday, August 6, 2013, 05:57:42 UTC · 14.153°N, 91.596°W
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 29 km WSW of Tiquisate, Guatemala on Tuesday, August 6, 2013, 05:57:42 UTC, at a depth of 53.9 km (shallow). USGS received 54 “Did You Feel It?” reports, with a maximum reported intensity of V (moderate). The USGS PAGER alert is green: low likelihood of casualties and damage. It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.7 on July 8, 2013.
- Magnitude
- 5.6
- Moderate · mwb
- Depth
- 54 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 54
- Max intensity V
- Est. shaking
- V
- Moderate (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- Green
- Impact estimate
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search areaColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
4 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/4 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 8 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
110 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
54 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
Reports sent by people to USGS, grouped by place (most reports first). Intensity uses the Modified Mercalli scale (I–X): what people felt, not the magnitude.
| Place | Intensity | Reports | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala, Guatemala, Guatemala | III · Weak | 11 | 135 km |
| Quetzaltenango, Quezaltenango, Guatemala | III · Weak | 7 | 93 km |
| Antigua Guatemala, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala | V · Moderate | 5 | 116 km |
| Mixco, Guatemala, Guatemala | IV · Light | 5 | 131 km |
| Petapa, Guatemala, Guatemala | III · Weak | 2 | 128 km |
| Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico | II · Weak | 2 | 123 km |
| Villa Nueva, Guatemala, Guatemala | II · Weak | 2 | 128 km |
| Magdalena Milpas Altas, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala | IV · Light | 1 | 120 km |
| Ciudad Vieja, Sacatepéquez, Guatemala | IV · Light | 1 | 111 km |
| San Pedro Sacatepéquez, San Marcos, Guatemala | IV · Light | 1 | 106 km |
| Amatitlán, Guatemala, Guatemala | IV · Light | 1 | 122 km |
| Olintepeque, Quezaltenango, Guatemala | IV · Light | 1 | 92 km |
USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No populated area was estimated to feel noticeable shaking.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 75 km
USGS lists 5 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M4.5 on August 25, 2013. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
- 4.026 km SW of Nueva Concepción, Guatemala13y ago · 17 km SE of this epicenter
- 4.562 km SSW of Champerico, Guatemala13y ago · 68 km SW of this epicenter
- 4.277 km S of Champerico, Guatemala13y ago · 69 km SW of this epicenter
- 4.336 km SE of Champerico, Guatemala13y ago · 20 km SW of this epicenter
- 4.534 km SW of Tiquisate, Guatemala13y ago · 6 km SW of this epicenter
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 651 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.712 km NW of Chalatenango, El SalvadorSeptember 7, 1915 · 279 km E of this epicenter
- 7.726 km SSW of La Gomera, GuatemalaAugust 6, 1942 · 57 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.57 km N of Los Amates, GuatemalaFebruary 4, 1976 · 298 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.433 km S of Champerico, GuatemalaNovember 7, 2012 · 37 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.34 km SSW of Puerto Madero, MexicoDecember 14, 1935 · 108 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.334 km SW of Puerto Madero, MexicoApril 29, 1970 · 115 km W of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 59 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 32,727 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1976M7.5
Chimaltenango, Guatemala City
4 Feb 1976 · 298 km away · intensity IX
23,000 deaths$2.1 billion damagetsunami
- 1917M6.0
Guatemala City
26 Dec 1917 · 118 km away · intensity IX
2,650 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)
- 1902M7.5
Quezaltenango, San Marcos
19 Apr 1902 · 66 km away
2,000 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1986M5.4
San Salvador
10 Oct 1986 · 270 km away
1,100 deaths$1.5 billion damage
- 1854
San Salvador
14 Apr 1854 · 261 km away
1,000 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)
- 1873
Santa Tomas, San Vicente
4 Mar 1873 · 272 km away
800 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.