Mexico earthquake was the strongest in a century

Dozens of people have been reported dead

A shallow earthquake with a magnitude of 8.1 and a depth of 69.7 km hit Mexico on Thursday, September 7th, late at night. It was the strongest earthquake the country has experienced in 100 years (the magnitude-8.0 earthquake in 1985 had killed nearly 10,000 people). Its epicenter was in the Pacific Ocean, some 1,000 km southeast of Mexico City and 120 km off the coast and the closest states were those of Chiapas and Oaxaca. It occurred near the Middle America Trench, where the Cocos Plate is sliding under the North American slab. It is estimated that the quake was felt by about 50 million people across the country. Multiple aftershocks were reported, including at least six with tremors measuring above 5.0 in magnitude.

Dozens were killed, mainly in the cities closer to the epicenter, but the death toll may rise as tsunamis are expected to hit the Mexican coast, with authorities having issued a tsunami warning for the coasts of Chiapas and Oaxaca. Luckily, up to now the largest wave recorded on Mexico’s Pacific Coast measured less than four feet, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, while tsunami waves taller than 10 feet (3 meters) are still considered a likely possibility.