M4.8 Earthquake 5 km ESE of Santiago Tetepec, Mexico — July 31, 2023
2023-07-31 21:51:17 UTC (2023-07-31) · approx. 2:51 PM UTC-7 local
Felt by 3 people across nearby locations.
On July 31, 2023 at 21:51 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 5 km ESE of Santiago Tetepec, Mexico, at a depth of 22.0 km and coordinates 16.3052°, -97.7005°. This earthquake was detected by 165 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 355, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 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 3 citizen responses 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
-97.7005°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Santiago Tetepec, Mexico?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 5 km ESE of Santiago Tetepec, Mexico on July 31, 2023 at 21:51 UTC had a depth of 22.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 16.3052°, -97.7005°, which is 5 km ESE of Santiago Tetepec, Mexico. View all earthquakes in Mexico.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 earthquakes can continue for several days 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 4.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000kwxr). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, July 31, 2023). M4.8 Earthquake 5 km ESE of Santiago Tetepec, Mexico — July 31, 2023. Retrieved October 7, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000kwxr/