M4.9 Earthquake 50 km SSW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico — April 21, 2024
2024-04-21 16:51:21 UTC (2024-04-21) · approx. 10:51 AM UTC-6 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On April 21, 2024 at 16:51 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 50 km SSW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico, at a depth of 69.0 km and coordinates 15.0249°, -93.3267°. This earthquake was detected by 60 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 369, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response 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
-93.3267°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 50 km SSW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico on April 21, 2024 at 16:51 UTC had a depth of 69.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 15.0249°, -93.3267°, which is 50 km SSW 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 4.9 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 4.9 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000mdp9). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, April 21, 2024). M4.9 Earthquake 50 km SSW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico — April 21, 2024. Retrieved June 25, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000mdp9/