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2017 Chiapas earthquake

UTC time	??
Magnitude	8.2 Mw
Depth	69.7 km (43.3 mi)
Epicenter	15°04′05″N 93°42′54″W / 15.068°N 93.715°W / 15.068; -93.715
Areas affected	Mexico, Guatemala
Max. intensity	IX (Violent)
Tsunami	Yes
Foreshocks	1
Aftershocks	61
Casualties	At least 6

On 7 September 2017, at approximately 11:49 p.m. local time, a magnitude 8.2 earthquake occurred off the coast of Chiapas, Mexico, approximately 87 kilometres (54 mi) south of Pijijiapan in the Gulf of Tehuantepec. The earthquake caused some buildings in Mexico City to shake, prompting people to evacuate. At least five people have been killed, according to the state governments of Chiapas and Tabasco. The earthquake also generated a tsunami with waves of 1 metre (3 ft 3 in) above tide level; tsunami alerts have been issued for surrounding areas. It was the strongest earthquake recorded in Mexico in a century as well as the second strongest recorded in the country's history, behind the magnitude 8.6 earthquake in 1787. It is also the most intense recorded globally in 2017.

On 6 September, several earthquake alarms in Mexico City were mistakenly activated and prompted the evacuation of buildings. The incident prompted a review of the system.

Tectonic setting

The Gulf of Tehuantepec lies above the convergent boundary where the Cocos Plate is being subducted below the North American Plate at a rate of 6.4 cm/yr (2.5 in/yr).

Earthquake

According to the National Seismological Service (SSN) of Mexico, the epicenter was located in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, about 137 kilometres (85 mi) southeast of Tonalá, Chiapas. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the epicenter was about 87 kilometres (54 mi) southwest of Pijijiapan, Chiapas. The SSN reported a measurement of M 8.2, while the USGS reported a M 8.1 earthquake after correcting an earlier estimate of M 8.0.

The earthquake is the most powerful to be measured in Mexico since the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, and is comparable to the 1932 Jalisco earthquakes.

Damage

Several homes in Chiapas have reportedly toppled or have been severely damaged by the earthquake; hospitals and schools were also damaged. At least five people have died in the earthquake, including three in Chiapas and two in Tabasco.

The earthquake also caused buildings to shake and sway in Mexico City, while also knocking out electricity. There were reports of glasses shattered at Mexico City International Airport.

The epicenter was near Mexico's border with Guatemala, where the quake was felt in Guatemala City, and infrastructure damage was reported by CONRED in the nation's south-west. President Jimmy Morales claimed that one Guatemalan may have been killed.

Tsunami

A tsunami with waves of 1 metre (3.3 ft) and higher was generated by the earthquake and was recorded at Salina Cruz. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for the entire Pacific coast of Central America, also extending south to Ecuador.

Aftershocks

In the hour following the earthquake, at least five aftershocks were recorded by the USGS. The SSN has recorded at least 61 aftershocks.

See also

• List of earthquakes in 2017
• List of earthquakes in Mexico

References

1. ^ Cumes, William (7 September 2017). "Temblor de 7.7 grados sacude Guatemala". Prensa Libre (in Spanish).
2. ^ "Mexico earthquake: mass evacuations after strongest tremor in a century". The Guardian. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
3. ^ "Reporte de Sismo: Sismo del día 07 de Septiembre de 2017, Chiapas (M 8.2)" (PDF) (in Spanish). National Seismological Service. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
4. ^ "M 8.1 - 87km SW of Pijijiapan, Mexico". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
5. "Earthquake of magnitude 8.1 strikes off Mexico's Pacific coast". BBC News. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
6. ^ "The Latest: Death toll in Mexico quake up to 5 people". Associated Press. 8 September 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
7. "Tsunami Message Number 5 (0653 UTC Fri Sep 8 2017)". National Weather Service (United States). 8 September 2017. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
8. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/09/08/mexico-earthquake-magnitude-8-tremor-rattles-buildings-capital/
9. Richard Hartley, Parkinson (8 September 2017). "Most powerful earthquake in 230 years hits Mexico sparking tsunami". Metro. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
10. "World - M7+ in 2017". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
11. "Se activa, por error, alerta sísmica en CDMX; descartan sismo". El Universal (in Spanish). 6 September 2017. Retrieved 7 September 2017. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
12. Singh, S.K.; M. Ordaz; L. Alcantara; N. Shapiro; V. Kostoglodov; J. F. Pacheco; S. Alcocer; C. Gutierrez; R. Quaas; T. Mikumo; E. Ovando; J. Aguirre; D. Almora; J. G. Anderson; M. Ayala; C. Javier; G. Castro; R. Duran; G. Espitia; J. Estrada; E. Guevara; J. Lermo; B. Lopez; O. Lopez; M. Macias; E. Mena; M. Ortega; C. Perez; J. Perez; M. Romo; M. Ramirez; C. Reyes; R. Ruiz; H. Sandoval; M. Torres; E. Vazquez; R. Vazquez; J. M. Velasco; J. Ylizaturri. "The Oaxaca earthquake of 30 September 1999 (MW = 7.5)" (PDF). Seismological Research Letters. 71 (1): 67–78. doi:10.1785/gssrl.71.1.67. Retrieved 8 September 2017. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |last-author-amp= ignored (|name-list-style= suggested) (help)
13. Linthicum, Kate; Lin II, Rong-Gong (8 September 2017). "Mexican authorities report an 8.4 earthquake off southern coast, raising tsunami fears". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
14. Schladebeck, Jessica (8 September 2017). "Mexico hit by 8.4 earthquake, tsunami warnings issued". New York Daily News. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
15. Lafuente, Javier (8 September 2017). "Un fuerte terremoto sacude el sur de México". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 8 September 2017. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
16. Malkin, Elisabeth; Ramzy, Austin (8 September 2017). "Mexico Earthquake, at 8.1 Magnitude, Is Felt for Hundreds of Miles". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
17. Linthicum, Kate; Lin, Rong-Gong (8 September 2017). "Mexican authorities report an 8.4 earthquake off southern coast, raising tsunami fears". Los Angeles Times.
18. Graham, Chris; Johnson, Jamie; Strange, Hannah; Badcock, James (8 September 2017). "Mexico hit by 'strongest earthquake in a century' as magnitude 8.2 tremor triggers tsunami waves - latest news". The Telegraph.
19. Malkin, Elisabeth; Ramzy, Austin (8 September 2017). "Strong Earthquake Hits Off Mexico's Coast". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 September 2017.
20. 8 September 2017. "Terremoto en México, últimas noticias en vivo y en directo". El País (in Spanish). Madrid. Retrieved 8 September 2017. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

• 2010s

• Current events from September 2017
• 2017 earthquakes
• 2017 in Mexico
• September 2017 events in North America
• Earthquakes in Mexico
• Natural history of Chiapas