M5.0 Earthquake 15 km NNW of Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico — May 16, 2023
2023-05-16 18:22:12 UTC (2023-05-16) · approx. 11:22 AM UTC-7 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On May 16, 2023 at 18:22 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 15 km NNW of Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 23.0943°, -100.1202°. This earthquake was detected by 172 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 385, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Mexico, a region characterized by the Middle America Trench, where the Cocos Plate subducts beneath the North American Plate. The nearest mapped fault system is the Middle America Trench. View all earthquakes in Mexico.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
-100.1202°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 15 km NNW of Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico on May 16, 2023 at 18:22 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 23.0943°, -100.1202°, which is 15 km NNW of Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico. View all earthquakes in Mexico.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Has Mexico had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Mexico was the M8.1 Chiapas earthquake of September 8, 2017. Today's magnitude 5.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000kccg). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, May 16, 2023). M5.0 Earthquake 15 km NNW of Lázaro Cárdenas, Mexico — May 16, 2023. Retrieved July 24, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000kccg/