2020 Oaxaca earthquake
An earthquake struck the Mexican state of Oaxaca at 10:29 local time on June 23, 2020, with a magnitude of 7.4 Mw.[2] The epicenter was 19 miles (31 km) from San Miguel del Puerto and 7.5 miles (12.1 km) south-southwest of Santa María Zapotitlán. The quake was felt by an estimated 49 million people in Mexico and Guatemala, with some tremors felt as far away as 640 kilometres (400 mi).[3][4][5] Thousands of houses in Oaxaca were damaged and 10 deaths were reported. A tsunami warning was issued for southern Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.[6]
  2020 Oaxaca earthquake (Mexico) | |
| UTC time | 2020-06-23 15:29:05 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | 618580119 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | 23 June 2020 |
| Local time | 10:29 a.m. |
| Magnitude | 7.4 Mw |
| Depth | 20.0 km (12.4 mi) |
| Epicenter | 15.932°N 95.937°W |
| Type | Thrust |
| Areas affected | Mexico, Oaxaca, Mexico City |
| Max. intensity | VII (Very strong) |
| Casualties | 10 dead 23 injured[1] |
Tectonic setting
Oaxaca lies above the convergent boundary where the Cocos Plate is being subducted beneath the North American Plate. The rate of convergence in this part of the boundary is 60 mm per year. This boundary is associated with many damaging earthquakes; along the plate interface, within the descending Cocos slab and within the overriding North American Plate. The most recent event in the same region as the 2020 earthquakes was the 2018 Oaxaca earthquake, which struck 225 km to the northwest.[2]
Earthquake
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the epicenter of the earthquake was located 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) south-southwest of Santa María Zapotitlán, Oaxaca, between La Crucecita in the Bahías de Huatulco tourist resort to the southwest and the port of Salina Cruz to the northeast. The hypocentral depth was 20.0 km (12.4 mi). The depth and the observed focal mechanism are consistent with displacement on the plate interface.[2]
Damage
Widespread damage was reported from Oaxaca, with over 8,000 houses affected across 145 of the state's 570 municipalities. Other damaged structures included 213 schools, 15 health centers, three hospitals, 7 bridges and 25 sections of state highways.[7][8] Streets and buildings were also shaken in Mexico City, and damage was observed in at least 14 buildings across the city, including the collapse of a single floor residence and 3 buildings already seriously damaged by the 2017 Puebla earthquake.[6]
References
- Ilescas, Ramsés (June 24, 2020). "Sube a 10 personas muertas y 23 heridos por el sismo de 7.5 grados en Oaxaca; Murat realiza recorrido en zonas afectadas (1535 h)". ADN Sureste (in Spanish). Retrieved June 24, 2020.
- "M 7.4 - 13 km W of El Coyul, Mexico". earthquake.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2020-06-23.
- "Powerful earthquake shakes southern, central Mexico near Huatulco resort". ABC30 Fresno. June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- Fedschun, Travis (June 23, 2020). "Magnitude 7.4 earthquake strikes Mexico, tsunami threat possible for Central America". Fox News Channel. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- "Mexico earthquake: 7.5-magnitude tremor hits Oaxaca state". The Guardian. June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- "7.4 magnitude earthquake hits Mexico". The Independent. June 23, 2020. Retrieved June 23, 2020.
- European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO). "Mexico - Earthquake update (GDACS, Government of Oaxaca, SMN) (ECHO Daily Flash of 26 June 2020)". Relief Web. Retrieved 26 June 2020.
- European Commission's Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO). "Mexico - Earthquake update (DG ECHO, Government of Oaxaca, SMN) (ECHO Daily Flash of 25 June 2020)". Relief Web. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- Sieff, Kevin (24 June 2020). "Mexican officials raise Oaxaca earthquake death toll to seven". The Washington Post. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- Cortes, Jose (23 June 2020). "Major quake shakes southern Mexico, at least six killed". Reuters. Retrieved 24 June 2020.