M5.2 Earthquake 36 km S of Iztapa, Guatemala — February 28, 2023
2023-02-28 19:44:35 UTC (2023-02-28) · approx. 1:44 PM UTC-6 local
Felt by 10 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.5 mainshock.
On February 28, 2023 at 19:44 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 36 km S of Iztapa, Guatemala, at a depth of 69.3 km and coordinates 13.6009°, -90.7301°. This earthquake was detected by 209 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 419, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.3 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.5 mainshock that occurred 4 days ago 40 km S of Puerto San José, Guatemala. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 1 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 10 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
-90.7301°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Iztapa, Guatemala?
The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck 36 km S of Iztapa, Guatemala on February 28, 2023 at 19:44 UTC had a depth of 69.3 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 13.6009°, -90.7301°, which is 36 km S of Iztapa, Guatemala.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.2 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.5 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 5.2 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.5 mainshock that occurred earlier 40 km S of Puerto San José, Guatemala. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000jgbl). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, February 28, 2023). M5.2 Earthquake 36 km S of Iztapa, Guatemala — February 28, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000jgbl/