4.9

M4.9 Earthquake 27 km SSW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), MexicoSeptember 24, 2021

2021-09-24 01:59:53 UTC (2021-09-24) · approx. 7:59 PM UTC-6 local

Felt by 4 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM4.9(mww)
Time01:59 UTC7:59 PM UTC-6
Depth78.6 kmintermediate depth
Coordinates15.210°, -93.245°
Felt by4DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On September 24, 2021 at 01:59 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 intermediate depth earthquake struck 27 km SSW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico, at a depth of 78.6 km and coordinates 15.2105°, -93.2448°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 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

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 15.21°, -93.24°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 4 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M4.9 earthquake near 27 km SSW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.9 mww
Depth
78.6 km
intermediate depth
Location
15.2105°N
-93.2448°E
Felt Reports
4
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
2.7
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000fdyg
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
370
Azimuthal Gap
122.0°
Min Station Distance
0.492°
RMS Residual
1.23 sec
Last Updated
2021-12-04 14:29:13 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico?

The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 27 km SSW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico on September 24, 2021 at 01:59 UTC had a depth of 78.6 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 15.2105°, -93.2448°, which is 27 km SSW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico. View all earthquakes in Mexico.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 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 4.9 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000fdyg). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, September 24, 2021). M4.9 Earthquake 27 km SSW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), MexicoSeptember 24, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000fdyg/