Tectonic Summary

The February 16, 2018, M 7.2 earthquake in Oaxaca, Mexico, occurred as a result of shallow thrust faulting on or near the plate boundary between the Cocos and North America plates. The depth and focal mechanism solutions of the event are consistent with its occurrence on the subduction zone interface between these plates, approximately 90 km northeast of the Middle America Trench, where the Cocos plate begins its descent into the mantle beneath Mexico. In the region of this earthquake, the Cocos plate moves approximately northeastward at a rate of 60 mm/yr.

Historically, several significant earthquakes have occurred along the southern coast of Mexico. In 1932, a M 8.4 thrust earthquake struck in the region of Jalisco, several hundred kilometers to the northwest of the February 16th event. On October 9, 1995, a M 8.0 earthquake struck in the Colima-Jalisco region, resulting in at least 49 fatalities and leaving 1,000 people homeless. The deadliest nearby earthquake occurred on September 19, 1985, in the Michoacan region 500 km to the northwest of the February 16th event. This M 8.0 earthquake resulted in at least 9,500 fatalities, injured about 30,000 people, and left 100,000 people homeless. In 2003, a M 7.6 earthquake in Colima, Mexico, 680 km to the northwest of the March 20th event, resulted in 29 fatalities, destroyed more than 2,000 homes and left more than 10,000 people homeless. In March 2012, a M 7.4 earthquake 60 km to the northwest of the February 16, 2018 event killed 2 and injured 11 in the Oaxaca region. The hypocenter of the September 8th, 2017, M 8.2 earthquake offshore Chiapas is located 440 km southwest of today’s earthquake. That event caused At least 78 fatalities and 250 injuries in Oaxaca, and a further 16 deaths in Chiapas. Eleven days later, a M 7.1 earthquake struck closer to Mexico City, 230 km northeast of today’s earthquake, resulting in over 300 fatalities and significant damage in Mexico City and the surrounding region.

Event Details

Event Map

Tectonic Summary

Tectonic Summary

Historical Magnitude 4.5+ (100km)