2022 Western Mexico earthquake

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2022 Western Mexico earthquake
2022 Western Mexico earthquake is located in Mexico
2022 Western Mexico earthquake
UTC time2022-09-19 18:05:06
USGS-ANSSComCat
Local date19 September 2022 (2022-09-19)
Local time13:05:06
Magnitude7.7 Mw (SSN)[1]
7.6 Mw (USGS)
Depth15.1 km (9.4 mi)
Epicenter18°22′01″N 103°15′07″W / 18.367°N 103.252°W / 18.367; -103.252
FaultThrust[2]
Max. intensityVII (Very Strong)
Tsunami0.95 m (3.1 ft)
AftershocksMultiple. Strongest is Mw  5.9.
Casualties2 dead, 12 injured

On September 19, 2022, an earthquake of 7.6 to 7.7 degrees hit between the Mexican states of Michoacán and Colima. There were a total of 2 deaths and 12 injuries in different states of Mexico. According to the USGS the epicenter 37 kilometers from the town of Aquila, Coalcomán, Michoacán.[2]

Tectonic sitting[change | change source]

The place where the earthquake occurred is a seismically active area, where 3 plates meet, the North American plate to the Northeast, the Cocos plate and the Rivera plate to the South. Both the Cocos and Rivera plates are slowly sinking below the North American plate by 2 centimeters (0,79 inches) per year, relative to the rapid movement of the Cocos Plate with that of North America which moves 4 centimeters (1.8 in) per year.[3]

Other great earthquakes have occurred in this same area, among them the 8.1 occurred in Jalisco in 1932, the 8.0 in 1995 in Colima or the 7.6 in 2003 between Colima and Jalisco, The strongest earthquake that affected Michoacán was the 8.0 earthquake in 1985.[3]

Earthquake[change | change source]

The earthquake occurred due to thrust fault, between the Cocos plate and North America plate. This earthquake is not related to that of 1985, 1995 and 2003. According to the United States Geological Survey, earthquakes of this size typically rupture in an area measuring 90 km (56 mi) x 40 km (25 mi). Most of the co-seismic slip occurred directly below ground rather than offshore with a maximum displacement of 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in).

The earthquake coincides with the 37th anniversary of the 1985 earthquake that killed 10,000 people and the 5th anniversary of the 2017 earthquake, an hour before the national drill of 19S had occurred in case of earthquakes.[4]

Tsunami[change | change source]

In Manzanillo, Colima a Tsunami of a height of 0.95 m (3.1 ft)[5] and in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero it was noted from a height of 32 cm (1.05 ft).[6][7]

Aftershocks[change | change source]

Currently 1,365 aftershocks have been reported[8][9][10] including the 849 aftershocks of September 19[11] the largest being 5.2[12] the largest of 5.9 to a depth of 54.5 km (33.9 mi)[13] occurred on September 20.

An aftershock of 6.8 Mw  was felt at 01:16 on September 22 to a depth of 20.7 km (12.9 mi)[14] There were a total of 2 deaths, one from falling down the stairs and the other from a heart attack.[15][16]

Impact of the earthquake[change | change source]

  • In Colima, two people died and nine wounded in total, 2,790 houses in 10 municipalities were affected.[17] 20 buildings, two temples and seven medical facilities were affected, while five bridges and eight roads were destroyed. In Manzanillo a person died[18] when a fence of a shopping center fell the second victim died when a Gym partially collapsed in another shopping center.[19] An explosion of a gas tank in Tecomán caused four injuries, two of them children.[20] Just as landslides were reported.[21][22]
  • In Michoacán, 3,161 houses and 89 schools were affected in Coalcomán, Chiniculla, Coahuayana and Aquila. 21 hospitals were also affected and two of them were evicted. there was structural damage to three churches, and several buildings, seven bridges and lines of communication and a collapsing road, were also affected. In Coahuayana there were 26 injured and a gas explosion.[23]
  • In Guadalajara, Jalisco a man's arm was amputated in an elevator accident. Like the fall of rubble from the temple of La Merced and San Agustín, in Puerto Vallarta there was collapse of roofs and glass and apartment buildings cracks would be reported.[24]
  • In Tepic, Nayarit the towers of the Tepic Cathedral were heavy damaged as well as falling debris in the subdivision of Villa de Arana a hospital and houses were damaged, in Ixtlán del Río a fence of a primary school collapsed and a financial building was damaged, Stores and objects were damaged in Bahía de Banderas, in Compostela an abandoned school cracked open and two people were injured in San Blas one in a motorcycle accident and another in a fall.[25]
  • In Mexico City, buildings swayed and 21 buildings and others suffered minor and significant damage,[26] that had already suffered in previous earthquakes, 76 schools were reported as damaged and only one received serious damage for which classes were suspended.[27]

In other parts[change | change source]

In addition to the affected areas, the earthquake was felt by 50 million people in Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Guerrero, State of Mexico, Morelos, Puebla, Querétaro, Tlaxcala, Veracruz and Zacatecas

Related pages[change | change source]

References[change | change source]

  1. "Últimos Sismos". National Seismological Service.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "M 7.6 - Colima-Michoacan border region, Mexico". earthquake.usgs.gov. United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 19 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "USGS NEIC: Earthquake Bulletin: COLIMA, MEXICO". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on 2008-05-11. Retrieved 2008-05-18. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. "Tras simulacro por 19S tiembla de nuevo en México; fue de 7.4"". El Universal. 19 September 2022. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
  5. "Nuevo boletín del centro de alertas de tsunami de SEMAR: sigue instando a la población a MANTENERSE ALEJADO DE PLAYAS DEBIDO A CORRIENTES FUERTES. Se registra 0.95 m de tsunami en Manzanillo, Colima". NOAA.
  6. "Powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake hits western Mexico". BNO News.
  7. Castillo, Isaac (20 September 2022). "Nivel del mar en Zihuatanejo presenta variaciones por sismo en Michoacán" [Sea level in Zihuatanejo presents variations due to earthquake in Michoacán]. El Sol de Acapulco (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  8. "Reportan 20 réplicas por hora tras sismo de magnitud 7.7 del 19S". El Universal. 22 September 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  9. Olea, Adriana (21 September 2022). "Suman 986 las réplicas del sismo de 7.7 grados en Michoacán" [There are 986 aftershocks of the 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Michoacán]. ANews. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  10. "M 5.8 - 9 km SE of La Placita de Morelos, Mexico". United States Geological Survey. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  11. Rodríguez, Alfonso (20 September 2022). "Sismológico Nacional registra 849 réplicas tras sismo" [National seismological records 849 aftershocks after earthquake]. INFO 7. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  12. "Sismológico Nacional contabiliza 632 réplicas tras sismo del 19 de septiembre" [National Seismological records 632 aftershocks after the earthquake of September 19]. López-Dóriga Digital (in Spanish). 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  13. "M 6.8 - 46 km SSW of Aguililla, Mexico". United States Geological Survey. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  14. "Sismo hoy 22 de septiembre de 6.9, despierta a la República Mexicana" [Earthquake today September 22, 6.9, wakes up the Mexican Republic] (in Spanish). TV Azteca. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  15. "6.8 magnitude earthquake shakes Mexico, 1 dead". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  16. "Sismo magnitud 6.9 despierta (en terror) a México; fallecen dos personas" (in Spanish). Radio Formula. Retrieved 2022-09-22.
  17. Herrera, Rolando (21 September 2022). "Reporta Colima 2,790 casas dañadas tras sismo" [Colima reports 2,790 houses damaged after earthquake]. MURAL. Retrieved 21 September 2022.
  18. "Sismo de 7.4 grados en Colima deja un muerto, bardas caídas y deslaves I IMÁGENES FUERTES" (in Spanish).
  19. "Suben a dos los muertos y a 10 los heridos por el sismo de 7,7 en México" [The dead and 10 injured by the 7.7 earthquake in Mexico rise to two]. EFE (in Spanish). Yahoo! News. 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  20. Zamora, Edgardo (19 September 2022). "Daños, un muerto y lesionados en Colima tras el sismo de 7.7 grados" [Damages, one dead and injured in Colima after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake]. El Occidental. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  21. Delgadillo, Arnoldo (20 September 2022). "Suman dos muertes en Manzanillo, Colima, por sismo de magnitud 7.7" [There are two deaths in Manzanillo, Colima, due to an earthquake of magnitude 7.7]. Milenio. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  22. "AMLO confirma a un fallecido en Colima por sismo". 19 September 2022.
  23. "Sismo dañó más de 3 mil casas, 89 escuelas y 21 hospitales en Michoacán" [Earthquake damaged more than 3000 houses, 89 schools and 21 hospitals in Michoacán]. La Voz de Michoacán (in Spanish). 20 September 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  24. Torres, Raúl (19 September 2022). "Sismo en Colima deja un muerto y 3 heridos de gravedad" [Earthquake in Colima leaves one dead and 3 seriously injured]. El Universal (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  25. Benítez, Crys (19 September 2022). "Recuento de daños en Nayarit provocados por el sismo" [Count of damages in Nayarit caused by the earthquake]. El Occidental (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 September 2022.
  26. "Temblor deja 21 edificios con afectaciones menores en CDMX" (in Spanish).
  27. "Son 76 escuelas de CDMX con afectaciones menores por sismo: AEFCM" [There are 76 CDMX schools with minor earthquake damage: AEFCM]. La Jornada (in Spanish). 20 September 2022. Retrieved 21 September 2022.