M5.6 Earthquake 64 km ESE of Loreto, Mexico — April 18, 2024
2024-04-18 15:12:30 UTC (2024-04-18) · approx. 8:12 AM UTC-7 local
Felt by 7 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.8 (very strong).
On April 18, 2024 at 15:12 UTC, a magnitude 5.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 64 km ESE of Loreto, Mexico, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 25.7087°, -110.7948°. The earthquake was reported felt by 7 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.8 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 26 seismic stations with moderate location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 485, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Loreto (population 11,227).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 4 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 4.4 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
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 7 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 | 1,691,616 |
| MMI 4 | light | 110,939 |
Earthquake Details
-110.7948°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.6 earthquake near Loreto, Mexico?
The magnitude 5.6 earthquake that struck 64 km ESE of Loreto, Mexico on April 18, 2024 at 15:12 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. It was felt by 7 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.8 (very strong). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 25.7087°, -110.7948°, which is 64 km ESE of Loreto, Mexico. The nearest populated place is Loreto (population 11,227). View all earthquakes in Mexico.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.6 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 5.6 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000mcxe). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, April 18, 2024). M5.6 Earthquake 64 km ESE of Loreto, Mexico — April 18, 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000mcxe/