M6.8 Earthquake 55 km SSW of Aguililla, Mexico — September 22, 2022
2022-09-22 06:16:09 UTC (2022-09-22) · approx. 11:16 PM UTC-7 local
Felt by 617 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 7.1 (severe).
On September 22, 2022 at 06:16 UTC, a magnitude 6.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 55 km SSW of Aguililla, Mexico, at a depth of 20.0 km and coordinates 18.2633°, -102.9554°. The earthquake was reported felt by 617 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 7.1 (severe). The USGS PAGER system issued a yellow alert level for this event, indicating local impact possible. This earthquake was detected by 175 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 1180, making it one of the most significant global earthquakes in recent days. The nearest populated place is Aguililla (population 9,422).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 30 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
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 7.1 (severe), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Very strong shaking. Difficult to stand. Damage to weak structures; slight damage to well-built structures. Furniture broken. Fallen plaster and loose bricks.
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 617 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
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 61,251 |
| MMI 4 | light | 4,953,833 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 364,155 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 28,639 |
| MMI 7 | very strong | 9,434 |
Earthquake Details
-102.9554°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.8 earthquake near Aguililla, Mexico?
The magnitude 6.8 earthquake that struck 55 km SSW of Aguililla, Mexico on September 22, 2022 at 06:16 UTC had a depth of 20.0 km. It was felt by 617 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 7.1 (severe). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 18.2633°, -102.9554°, which is 55 km SSW of Aguililla, Mexico. The nearest populated place is Aguililla (population 9,422). View all earthquakes in Mexico.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.8 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months 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 6.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000ia36). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, September 22, 2022). M6.8 Earthquake 55 km SSW of Aguililla, Mexico — September 22, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000ia36/