Shallow M5.7 Earthquake struck on Monday Evening in the North Pacific Ocean 122km from Tapachula (Mexico).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on August 18th, 2026.

In the North Pacific Ocean 122 kilometer from Tapachula, Mexico, a shallow and significant M5.7 earthquake occurred in the evening of Monday August 17th, 2026. Roughly 7.1 million people may have felt this earthquake. Another nearby country is Guatemala.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 96 kilometers (59 mi) off the coast of Mexico, 122 kilometer southwest of Tapachula in Chiapas. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Aug 17, 2026 23:02 (Mexico City Time) - Aug 18, 2026 05:02 Universal Time.
Location:	122 km SW of Tapachula, Chiapas, Mexico. Coordinates 14°13'47"N 93°8'51"W.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.7 Detected by 68 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.038 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	IV Light On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.

Roughly 7.1 million people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 7.1 million people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is IV, which corresponds with light shaking and likely no damage. Roughly 385,800 people are expected to be exposed to this level. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 5.4 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Guatemala , around 5.6 million people, with impact levels up to IV (light shaking, likely no damage). In Mexico , around 1.4 million people.

Nearby towns and cities

2 countries can be found within 300km of the epicenter of this earthquake: Mexico and Guatemala .

Tapachula in Chiapas, Mexico is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 122 kilometer (76 mi) southwest of Tapachula. The intensity of shaking and damage in Tapachula is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Guatemala City is located 287 km to the east (intensity unknown, possibly low). Tuxtla is located 281 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low). Mixco is located 277 km to the east (intensity unknown, possibly low).

An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below. If places don't have intensity data available, it likely means the experienced impact in those places was fairly small.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is IV.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 2 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 2 people have reported shaking in 2 places in 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:

• Puerto Madero, Chiapas, Mexico: 1 person.
• Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico: 1 person.

6 Aftershocks detected

After this earthquake struck, 6 smaller aftershocks occurred. A 4.4 magnitude earthquake hit 2 hrs later 23 km (14 mi) west of this earthquake.

In the days before this main shock, 33 smaller foreshocks were detected. A 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

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.

It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.

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 July 28th, 2026, when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 57 km (35 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck on September 8th, 2017.

In total, 34 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.7 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 4 months.

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

Sources

Last updated 18/08/26 13:08 (). 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.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000tlkl
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260818_0000176
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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