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Small Quakes Shake Southern Mexico

UNAM scientists describe the events as routine subduction-driven activity, urging preparedness because earthquakes cannot be precisely predicted.

Overview

  • The Servicio Sismológico Nacional logged multiple shallow microsismos off Chiapas on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 4–5, with magnitudes mostly between 3.6 and 3.9 and focal depths commonly near 10 km.
  • Local and federal authorities reported no damage or injuries after the Chiapas events and said life and services continued normally in nearby towns.
  • One event northwest of Cintalapa was much deeper at about 145 km, a depth that made it barely perceptible at the surface according to SSN technical data.
  • Separate regional monitoring recorded a tectonically unrelated sequence in Salta, Argentina, where INPRES reported a M4.7 quake at about 6 km depth followed by a M4.6 replica felt across the Valles Calchaquíes.
  • UNAM, Cenapred and Protección Civil emphasize that seismicity in Mexico is year-round, that past date coincidences are chance and memory bias, and that the practical focus should be on building maintenance, drills and verified official information.