{"id":39,"date":"2018-01-11T01:56:32","date_gmt":"2018-01-11T01:56:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/virtualuppermantle.info\/news\/?p=39"},"modified":"2026-01-25T10:47:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T10:47:00","slug":"deep-strong-earthquake-in-chiapas-mexico-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/deep-strong-earthquake-in-chiapas-mexico-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Deep strong earthquake in Chiapas, Mexico. 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69f3890b4621d\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-69f3890b4621d\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/deep-strong-earthquake-in-chiapas-mexico-2017\/#Introduction\" >Introduction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/deep-strong-earthquake-in-chiapas-mexico-2017\/#Tsunami\" >Tsunami<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/deep-strong-earthquake-in-chiapas-mexico-2017\/#Aftershocks\" >Aftershocks<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/deep-strong-earthquake-in-chiapas-mexico-2017\/#Extremely_dangerous_M81_earthquake_hits_Mexico_tsunami_generated\" >Extremely dangerous M8.1 earthquake hits Mexico, tsunami generated<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/deep-strong-earthquake-in-chiapas-mexico-2017\/#On_shaky_ground\" >On shaky ground<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/deep-strong-earthquake-in-chiapas-mexico-2017\/#Sources_of_information\" >Sources of information<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/deep-strong-earthquake-in-chiapas-mexico-2017\/#Websites_https_earthquakeusgsgov_http_earthjaycom\" >Websites: \nhttps:\/\/earthquake.usgs.gov \n http:\/\/earthjay.com\/<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Introduction\"><\/span>Introduction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>The <strong>2017 Chiapas \u00a0earthquake<\/strong> struck at 23:49 CDT on 7 September in the Gulf of Tehuantepec off the southern coast of Mexico, near state of Chiapas, approximately 87 kilometres (54 mi) south of Pijijiapan, with a Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). \u00a0The magnitude was estimated to be Mw 8.1.<br \/>\nThe earthquake caused some buildings in Mexico City to tremble, prompting people to evacuate. It also generated a tsunami with waves of 1.75 metres (5 ft 9 in) above tide level; and tsunami alerts were issued for surrounding areas.\u00a0 It was also the second strongest recorded in the country&#8217;s history, behind the magnitude 8.6 earthquake in 1787, and the most intense recorded globally, so far in 2017.<br \/>\n<!--more--><br \/>\nOn 6 September 2017, several earthquake alarms in Mexico City were mistakenly activated and prompted the evacuation of buildings. The incident prompted a review of the system.<br \/>\nAccording to the National Seismological Service (SSN) of Mexico, the epicenter was located in the Gulf of Tehuantepec, about 137 kilometres (85 mi) southeast of Tonal\u00e1, 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 moved the fault between the Cocos and North American plates by up to 10 metres (33 ft).<br \/>\nThe earthquake is the most powerful to be measured in Mexico since the 1985 Mexico City earthquake, and is comparable to the 1932 Jalisco earthquakes. Mexican President Enrique Pe\u00f1a Nieto called the earthquake the &#8220;largest in at least a century&#8221; and claimed that it was felt by 50 million people.<br \/>\nGeophysicists at the National Autonomous University of Mexico speculated that the earthquake relieved stored pressure in the &#8220;Tehuantepec gap&#8221;, making future earthquakes in the region less likely.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#top\">To Top<\/a><\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tsunami\"><\/span>Tsunami<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>A tsunami with waves of 1 m (3.3 ft) and higher was generated by the earthquake and was recorded at Salina Cruz; A tsunami wave of 1.75 m (5.7 ft) was reported in Chiapas. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a warning for the entire Pacific coast of Central America, also extending south to Ecuador.<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Aftershocks\"><\/span>Aftershocks<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>In the hour following the earthquake, at least 12 aftershocks were recorded by the USGS. As of 00:30 September 14 (UTC Time), the National Seismological Service (SSN) has recorded at least 1,806 aftershocks, of up to a magnitude of 6.1.<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Extremely_dangerous_M81_earthquake_hits_Mexico_tsunami_generated\"><\/span>Extremely dangerous M8.1 earthquake hits Mexico, tsunami generated<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>A major earthquake registered by the USGS as 8.1 (upgraded from M8.0) hit near the coast of Chiapas, Mexico at 04:49 UTC on September 8, 2017 (23:49 local time, September 7). The agency is reporting a depth of 69.7 km (43.3 miles). A red alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses was issued. High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread. Past red alerts have required a national or international response.<br \/>\nThe epicenter was located 82.2 km (51.0 miles) SW of El Palmarcito (population 1 135), 97.0 km (60.3 miles) SW of Pijijiapan (population 15 101), and\u00a0 107.2 km (66.6 miles) WSW of Mapastepec (population 16 082), Mexico.<br \/>\nThere are about 72 000 people living within 100 km (62 miles).<br \/>\nSome 23 000 people are estimated to have felt violent shaking, 579 000 severe, 2 144 000 very strong, 6 679 000 strong and 19 460 000 moderate.<br \/>\nBased on all available data, hazardous tsunami waves are forecast for some coasts, PTWC said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_50\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-50\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-50\" src=\"http:\/\/virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/600px-Mexico-earthquake-tsunami-model-september-8-2017-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Mexico earthquake tsunami model september 8-2017\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/600px-Mexico-earthquake-tsunami-model-september-8-2017-300x300.jpg 300w, http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/600px-Mexico-earthquake-tsunami-model-september-8-2017-150x150.jpg 150w, http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/600px-Mexico-earthquake-tsunami-model-september-8-2017-100x100.jpg 100w, http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/600px-Mexico-earthquake-tsunami-model-september-8-2017.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 85vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-50\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mexico earthquake tsunami model september 8-2017<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Tsunami waves reaching more than 3 m (9.9 feet) above the tide level are possible along some coasts of Mexico.<br \/>\nTsunami waves reaching 0.3 to 1 m (1 to 3.3 feet) above the tide level are possible for some coasts of Cook Islands, Ecuador, French Polynesia, Guatemala and Kiribati.<br \/>\nTsunami waves are forecast to be less than 0.3 m (1 feet) above the tide level for the coasts of Colombia, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Hawaii, Honduras, Jarvis Island, Nicaragua, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, Palmyra Island, Panama and Peru.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#top\">To Top<\/a><\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"On_shaky_ground\"><\/span>On shaky ground<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>Last week\u2019s temblor may have relieved pressure in one of two \u201cseismic gaps\u201d in the subduction zone off Mexico\u2019s coast, where tectonic plates grind past one another.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_51\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-51\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-51 size-full\" src=\"http:\/\/virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/600px-In-the-subduction-zone-off-Mexico-coast-where-tectonic-plates-grind-past-one-another.jpg\" alt=\"In the subduction zone off Mexico coast, where tectonic plates grind past one another\" width=\"600\" height=\"292\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/600px-In-the-subduction-zone-off-Mexico-coast-where-tectonic-plates-grind-past-one-another.jpg 600w, http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/600px-In-the-subduction-zone-off-Mexico-coast-where-tectonic-plates-grind-past-one-another-300x146.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 984px) 61vw, (max-width: 1362px) 45vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-51\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">In the subduction zone off Mexico coast, where tectonic plates grind past one another<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He concedes, though, that the quake\u2019s effect on the gap is hard to judge, because of its unusual origin. Most big Mexican earthquakes occur right along the interface between the colliding Cocos and North American plates. But this rupture began 70 kilometers down, within the Cocos plate itself, and rose up before stopping at about 40 kilometers\u2019 depth, likely at the plate interface. \u201cIt\u2019s not the same fault that they\u2019re expecting [to close] the Tehuantepec gap,\u201d says Joann Stock, a seismologist at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.<br \/>\nThat leaves the future risk of the Tehuantepec gap unclear. In fact, Stock says, last week\u2019s quake might have even added stress at the gap and increased chances for future slipping. But, she adds, the depth of the shaking had at least one benefit: The rupture didn\u2019t break through all the way to the ocean floor, which dampened tsunamis. The resulting waves in Chiapas and Oaxaca were only 2 to 3 meters high.<br \/>\nVladimir Kostoglodov, a seismologist at UNAM in Mexico City, says he is fielding requests for data from researchers around the world who want to investigate this \u201cextremely strange\u201d earthquake and its aftermath. \u201cIt\u2019s worth making a big effort to learn what\u2019s happening,\u201d he says. \u201cThis might happen in other subduction zones in other parts of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Sources_of_information\"><\/span>Sources of information<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Websites_https_earthquakeusgsgov_http_earthjaycom\"><\/span><strong>Websites:<\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><em><strong>https:\/\/earthquake.usgs.gov<\/strong><\/em><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\"><em><strong> http:\/\/earthjay.com\/<\/strong><\/em><\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"#top\">To Top<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Introduction The 2017 Chiapas \u00a0earthquake struck at 23:49 CDT on 7 September in the Gulf of Tehuantepec off the southern coast of Mexico, near state of Chiapas, approximately 87 kilometres (54 mi) south of Pijijiapan, with a Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). \u00a0The magnitude was estimated to be Mw 8.1. The earthquake caused some &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/deep-strong-earthquake-in-chiapas-mexico-2017\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;Deep strong earthquake in Chiapas, Mexico. 2017&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":40,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4,5,6],"tags":[22,8,7,11,10,9,21],"class_list":["post-39","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-earthquakes","category-internal-structure","category-mantle","tag-aftershocks","tag-chiapas","tag-earthquakes","tag-internal-structure","tag-mantle","tag-mexico","tag-tsunami"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":155,"href":"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39\/revisions\/155"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.virtualmantle.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}