In the North Pacific Ocean 61 kilometer from Mapastepec, Mexico, a significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake occurred in the evening of Monday September 11th, 2023. Guatemala is also near its epicenter.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 39 kilometers (24 mi) off the coast of Mexico, 61 kilometer west-southwest of Mapastepec in Chiapas. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 66 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Sep 11, 2023 21:40 (Mexico City Time) - Sep 12, 2023 02:40 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 61 km WSW of Mapastepec, Chiapas, Mexico. Coordinates 15°9'52"N 93°23'33"W. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 42 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.048 . |
| Depth: | 66 km (41 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
Mexico and Guatemala are both located within 300km distance of the epicenter of the earthquake.
Pijijiapan in Chiapas, Mexico is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 61 kilometer (38 mi) south-southwest of Pijijiapan.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Tuxtla is located 180 km to the north. Tapachula is located 125 km to the east-southeast. San Cristóbal de las Casas is located 192 km to the north-northeast.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 61 km (38 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Mapastepec Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 61 km (38 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Pijijiapan Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 100 km (62 mi) E from epicenter |
Huixtla Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 110 km (68 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Tonalá Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 120 km (75 mi) N from epicenter |
Villaflores Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 125 km (78 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Tapachula Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 125 km (78 mi) E from epicenter |
Motozintla Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 131 km (81 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Arriaga Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 133 km (83 mi) E from epicenter |
Cacahoatán Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 145 km (90 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Comalapa Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 158 km (98 mi) NE from epicenter |
Venustiano Carranza Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 165 km (103 mi) N from epicenter |
Suchiapa Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 172 km (107 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Coatepeque Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. |
| 173 km (107 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Cintalapa de Figueroa Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 173 km (107 mi) NE from epicenter |
Las Rosas Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 173 km (107 mi) E from epicenter |
San Marcos San Marcos, Guatemala. |
| 176 km (109 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Chiapa de Corzo Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 176 km (109 mi) E from epicenter |
San Pedro Sacatepéquez San Marcos, Guatemala. |
| 177 km (110 mi) E from epicenter |
Comitancillo San Marcos, Guatemala. |
| 178 km (111 mi) N from epicenter |
Ocozocoautla de Espinosa Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 180 km (112 mi) N from epicenter |
Tuxtla Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 181 km (112 mi) NE from epicenter |
Comitán Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 182 km (113 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Teopisca Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 182 km (113 mi) N from epicenter |
Berriozábal Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 186 km (116 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Colomba Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. |
| 189 km (117 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Jacaltenango Huehuetenango, Guatemala. |
| 192 km (119 mi) NNE from epicenter |
San Cristóbal de las Casas Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 193 km (120 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Nuevo San Carlos Retalhuleu, Guatemala. |
| 193 km (120 mi) E from epicenter |
Ostuncalco Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. |
| 197 km (122 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Retalhuleu Retalhuleu, Guatemala. |
| 198 km (123 mi) NE from epicenter |
Las Margaritas Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 199 km (124 mi) E from epicenter |
La Esperanza Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. |
| 205 km (127 mi) E from epicenter |
Quetzaltenango Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. |
| 207 km (129 mi) E from epicenter |
Huehuetenango Huehuetenango, Guatemala. |
| 211 km (131 mi) E from epicenter |
San Francisco El Alto Totonicapán, Guatemala. |
| 212 km (132 mi) E from epicenter |
Cantel Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. |
| 213 km (132 mi) E from epicenter |
Momostenango Totonicapán, Guatemala. |
| 215 km (134 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Mazatenango Suchitepeque, Guatemala. |
| 220 km (137 mi) E from epicenter |
Totonicapán Totonicapán, Guatemala. |
| 223 km (139 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Salina Cruz Oaxaca, Mexico. |
| 224 km (139 mi) NW from epicenter |
Juchitán de Zaragoza Oaxaca, Mexico. |
| 226 km (140 mi) E from epicenter |
Nahualá Sololá, Guatemala. |
| 236 km (147 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Santo Domingo Tehuantepec Oaxaca, Mexico. |
| 238 km (148 mi) NE from epicenter |
Ocosingo Chiapas, Mexico. |
| 240 km (149 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Santiago Atitlán Sololá, Guatemala. |
| 241 km (150 mi) E from epicenter |
Sololá Sololá, Guatemala. |
| 246 km (153 mi) E from epicenter |
Chichicastenango Quiché, Guatemala. |
| 269 km (167 mi) N from epicenter |
Teapa Tabasco, Mexico. |
| 271 km (168 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Santa Lucía Cotzumalguapa Escuintla, Guatemala. |
| 282 km (175 mi) E from epicenter |
Chimaltenango Chimaltenango, Guatemala. |
| 293 km (182 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Antigua Guatemala Sacatepéquez, Guatemala. |
| 296 km (184 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Escuintla Escuintla, Guatemala. |
| 299 km (186 mi) E from epicenter |
San Juan Sacatepéquez Guatemala, Guatemala. |
Shaking reported by 3 people in 2 countries
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 3 people have reported shaking in 3 places in 2 countries (Guatemala, Mexico).We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Ixtahuacán, Huehuetenango, Guatemala: 1 person.
- Tlalnepantla, México, Mexico: 1 person.
- Salina Cruz, Oaxaca, Mexico: 1 person.
7 Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 7 smaller aftershocks occurred. A 4 magnitude earthquake hit 12 hrs later 35 km (21 mi) south-east of this earthquake.
Before this earthquake struck, 3 smaller foreshocks occurred. Roughly 2 days before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-3.8 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.8 |
3 days earlier Sep 9, 2023 05:00 (Mexico City Time) | 82 km (51 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.8 |
2 days earlier Sep 10, 2023 03:47 (Mexico City Time) | 66 km (41 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.4 |
1 day earlier Sep 10, 2023 12:00 (Mexico City Time) | 68 km (42 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
Sep 11, 2023 21:40 (Mexico City Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.7 |
5 hrs later Sep 12, 2023 02:46 (Mexico City Time) | 26 km (16 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.7 |
6 hrs later Sep 12, 2023 03:27 (Mexico City Time) | 95 km (59 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.5 |
7 hrs later Sep 12, 2023 04:30 (Mexico City Time) | 30 km (18 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.0 |
12 hrs later Sep 12, 2023 09:25 (Mexico City Time) | 35 km (21 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.7 |
1 day later Sep 13, 2023 01:46 (Mexico City Time) | 18 km (11 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.9 |
2 days later Sep 13, 2023 14:39 (Mexico City Time) | 89 km (55 mi) WSW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.9 |
2 days later Sep 14, 2023 05:26 (Mexico City Time) | 81 km (50 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since August 9th, 2023, when a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hit 115 km (72 mi) further north-northwest. An even stronger magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck on September 8th, 2017.
In total, 140 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 26 days.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 66 km (41 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 10/11/23 17:48 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000kv78
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20230912_0000027
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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