M5.7 Earthquake 12 km SSW of Huehuetlan el Chico, Mexico — December 7, 2023
2023-12-07 20:03:38 UTC (2023-12-07) · approx. 1:03 PM UTC-7 local
Felt by 205 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 5.0 (moderate).
On December 7, 2023 at 20:03 UTC, a magnitude 5.7 shallow crustal earthquake struck 12 km SSW of Huehuetlan el Chico, Mexico, at a depth of 54.0 km and coordinates 18.2702°, -98.7384°. The earthquake was reported felt by 205 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 5.0 (moderate). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 212 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 635, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Chiautla de Tapia (population 11,511).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 5 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 5.2 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
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 5.0 (moderate), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Mild shaking, similar to a passing truck. Hanging objects swing. Glasses and dishes may rattle. Not commonly felt outdoors.
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 205 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 | 17,907,576 |
| MMI 4 | light | 29,161,000 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 121,863 |
Earthquake Details
-98.7384°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.7 earthquake near Huehuetlan el Chico, Mexico?
The magnitude 5.7 earthquake that struck 12 km SSW of Huehuetlan el Chico, Mexico on December 7, 2023 at 20:03 UTC had a depth of 54.0 km. It was felt by 205 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 5.0 (moderate). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 18.2702°, -98.7384°, which is 12 km SSW of Huehuetlan el Chico, Mexico. The nearest populated place is Chiautla de Tapia (population 11,511). View all earthquakes in Mexico.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.7 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 5.7 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000lh50). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, December 7, 2023). M5.7 Earthquake 12 km SSW of Huehuetlan el Chico, Mexico — December 7, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000lh50/