M5.1 Earthquake 45 km SW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico — September 12, 2023
2023-09-12 02:40:50 UTC (2023-09-12) · approx. 8:40 PM UTC-6 local
Felt by 3 people across nearby locations.
On September 12, 2023 at 02:40 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 45 km SW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico, at a depth of 64.4 km and coordinates 15.1471°, -93.4529°. This earthquake was detected by 117 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 401, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.0 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 3 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
-93.4529°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck 45 km SW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico on September 12, 2023 at 02:40 UTC had a depth of 64.4 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 15.1471°, -93.4529°, which is 45 km SW 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 5.1 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks 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 5.1 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000kv78). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, September 12, 2023). M5.1 Earthquake 45 km SW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico — September 12, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000kv78/