Reviewed by USGSMexico13y ago
M5.3 earthquake 16 km SW of Buenos Aires, Mexico
Friday, January 11, 2013, 16:30:42 UTC · 14.804°N, 92.610°W
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck 16 km SW of Buenos Aires, Mexico on Friday, January 11, 2013, 16:30:42 UTC, at a depth of 78.9 km (intermediate). USGS received 14 “Did You Feel It?” reports, with a maximum reported intensity of IV (light). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.3 on December 30, 2012.
- Magnitude
- 5.3
- Moderate · mwb
- Depth
- 79 km
- Intermediate
- Felt reports
- 14
- Max intensity IV
- 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
126 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: intermediate
79 km
Intermediate-depth earthquakes usually break inside a plate that is sinking into the mantle. Shaking spreads over a wide area but is gentler at the epicenter than a shallow quake of the same size.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
14 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 3 M2.5+ earthquakes within 75 km in the following 30 days; the largest was M4.7 on February 8, 2013. 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 639 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 · 188 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.433 km S of Champerico, GuatemalaNovember 7, 2012 · 119 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.34 km SSW of Puerto Madero, MexicoDecember 14, 1935 · 23 km SE of this epicenter
- 7.334 km SW of Puerto Madero, MexicoApril 29, 1970 · 37 km S of this epicenter
- 7.2127 km SW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), MexicoMarch 30, 1914 · 149 km W of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 40 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 7,684 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1917M6.0
Guatemala City
26 Dec 1917 · 217 km away · intensity IX
2,650 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)
- 1902M7.5
Quezaltenango, San Marcos
19 Apr 1902 · 195 km away
2,000 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1982M3.5
Chiapas
28 Mar 1982 · 279 km away
1,879 deaths$3 million damage
- 1773
St. Jago
3 Jun 1773 · 207 km away
600 deathsExtreme damage ($25M+)tsunami
- 1874M7.1
Antigua,Chimaltenango,Amatitlan
3 Sep 1874 · 208 km away · intensity VIII
300 deathsSevere damage ($5–24M)
- 1773M7.5
Antigua
29 Jul 1773 · 207 km away · intensity VIII
100 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.