4.6

M4.6 Earthquake 1 km S of Nueva Libertad, MexicoJanuary 1, 2023

2023-01-01 19:37:15 UTC (2023-01-01) · approx. 1:37 PM UTC-6 local

Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM4.6(mb)
Time19:37 UTC1:37 PM UTC-6
Depth199.9 kmintermediate depth
Coordinates15.741°, -92.203°
Felt by1DYFI response
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On January 1, 2023 at 19:37 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 intermediate depth earthquake struck 1 km S of Nueva Libertad, Mexico, at a depth of 199.9 km and coordinates 15.7411°, -92.2028°. This earthquake was detected by 95 seismic stations with excellent 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

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 15.74°, -92.20°

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.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M4.6 earthquake near 1 km S of Nueva Libertad, Mexico

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.6 mb
Depth
199.9 km
intermediate depth
Location
15.7411°N
-92.2028°E
Felt Reports
1
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
2.0
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000j1gs
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
326
Stations Used
95
Azimuthal Gap
67.0°
Min Station Distance
0.541°
RMS Residual
0.73 sec
Last Updated
2024-01-18 19:07:59 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near Nueva Libertad, Mexico?

The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck 1 km S of Nueva Libertad, Mexico on January 1, 2023 at 19:37 UTC had a depth of 199.9 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 15.7411°, -92.2028°, which is 1 km S of Nueva Libertad, 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: us7000j1gs). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, January 1, 2023). M4.6 Earthquake 1 km S of Nueva Libertad, MexicoJanuary 1, 2023. Retrieved January 18, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000j1gs/