M4.8 Earthquake 10 km ESE of Santa María Chimalapa, Mexico — October 27, 2023
2023-10-27 18:39:31 UTC (2023-10-27) · approx. 12:39 PM UTC-6 local
Felt by 3 people across nearby locations.
On October 27, 2023 at 18:39 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 intermediate depth earthquake struck 10 km ESE of Santa María Chimalapa, Mexico, at a depth of 115.6 km and coordinates 16.8782°, -94.5845°. This earthquake was detected by 208 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 355, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 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
-94.5845°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Santa María Chimalapa, Mexico?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 10 km ESE of Santa María Chimalapa, Mexico on October 27, 2023 at 18:39 UTC had a depth of 115.6 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 16.8782°, -94.5845°, which is 10 km ESE of Santa María Chimalapa, Mexico. View all earthquakes in Mexico.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 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 4.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000l6yb). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, October 27, 2023). M4.8 Earthquake 10 km ESE of Santa María Chimalapa, Mexico — October 27, 2023. Retrieved January 4, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000l6yb/