M4.6 Earthquake 13 km SW of El Arenal, Mexico — September 15, 2022
2022-09-15 22:31:35 UTC (2022-09-15) · approx. 4:31 PM UTC-6 local
Felt by 2 people across nearby locations.
On September 15, 2022 at 22:31 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 intermediate depth earthquake struck 13 km SW of El Arenal, Mexico, at a depth of 86.6 km and coordinates 15.0727°, -92.7765°. This earthquake was detected by 42 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 326, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 120 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 899 m — 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 2 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
-92.7765°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near El Arenal, Mexico?
The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck 13 km SW of El Arenal, Mexico on September 15, 2022 at 22:31 UTC had a depth of 86.6 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 15.0727°, -92.7765°, which is 13 km SW of El Arenal, Mexico. View all earthquakes in Mexico.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.6 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 4.6 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000i8e3). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, September 15, 2022). M4.6 Earthquake 13 km SW of El Arenal, Mexico — September 15, 2022. Retrieved November 19, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000i8e3/