M4.6 Earthquake 64 km SW of Puerto Madero, Mexico — July 17, 2026

On July 17, 2026 at 20:02 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 64 km SW of Puerto Madero, Mexico, at a depth of 35.0 km and coordinates 14.3532°, -92.8835°. This earthquake was detected by 95 seismic stations with moderate location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 326, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 120 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 899 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

Active aftershock sequence: This earthquake is the mainshock of an ongoing aftershock sequence. In the 20 hours since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 9 aftershocks within 20 km of the epicenter, including 9 of magnitude 3.0 or greater. The strongest aftershock was a magnitude 5.2 event 5 hours ago. Aftershock sequences from mainshocks of magnitude 4.6 typically continue for several days and gradually diminish over time, though occasional larger aftershocks remain possible.

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