Reviewed by USGSMexico13y ago
M5.3 earthquake 68 km WSW of Puerto Madero, Mexico
Sunday, December 30, 2012, 12:21:21 UTC · 14.446°N, 92.991°W
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 68 km WSW of Puerto Madero, Mexico on Sunday, December 30, 2012, 12:21:21 UTC, at a depth of 26.0 km (shallow). USGS received 6 “Did You Feel It?” reports, with a maximum reported intensity of III (weak). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.4 on December 3, 2012.
- Magnitude
- 5.3
- Moderate · mwb
- Depth
- 26 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 6
- Max intensity III
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
1 kilotons of TNT
That is about 1/11 of the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 3 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
78 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
26 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
6 people reported feeling this earthquake to USGS; a per-place breakdown is not available 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 75 km
USGS lists 5 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M5.3 on January 11, 2013. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
- 4.557 km SW of Ocós, Guatemala13y ago · 63 km SE of this epicenter
- 4.5121 km SW of Puerto Madero, Mexico13y ago · 56 km SW of this epicenter
- 4.055 km S of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico13y ago · 61 km NW of this epicenter
- 5.316 km SW of Buenos Aires, Mexico13y ago · 57 km NE of this epicenter
- 4.099 km WSW of Puerto Madero, Mexico13y ago · 32 km SW of this epicenter
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 630 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.726 km SSW of La Gomera, GuatemalaAugust 6, 1942 · 208 km E of this epicenter
- 7.433 km S of Champerico, GuatemalaNovember 7, 2012 · 129 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.34 km SSW of Puerto Madero, MexicoDecember 14, 1935 · 65 km NE of this epicenter
- 7.334 km SW of Puerto Madero, MexicoApril 29, 1970 · 41 km E of this epicenter
- 7.2127 km SW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), MexicoMarch 30, 1914 · 108 km W of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 36 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 5,798 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1917M6.0
Guatemala City
26 Dec 1917 · 258 km away · intensity IX
2,650 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)
- 1902M7.5
Quezaltenango, San Marcos
19 Apr 1902 · 220 km away
2,000 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1773
St. Jago
3 Jun 1773 · 247 km away
600 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
- 1874M7.1
Antigua,Chimaltenango,Amatitlan
3 Sep 1874 · 247 km away · intensity VIII
300 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1773M7.5
Antigua
29 Jul 1773 · 247 km away · intensity VIII
100 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 2012M7.3
San Marcos, San Cristobal Cochu
7 Nov 2012 · 129 km away
48 deaths$210 million damagetsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.