Earthquakes of magnitude 7.5 and above in Mexico and Central America from 1900 to 1969

Map of 14 locations in Mexico and Central America

A dated run of the largest seismic events recorded in Mexico, Central America and Panama across the first seven decades of the twentieth century, from the churches brought down in western Guatemala in 1902 to the Guerrero coast in 1957. Several are documented only by catalogue positions and origin times; others left contemporary accounts of collapsed towns, tsunamis and casualty counts. All are historical, and the coordinates mark where each shock originated.

Places in this collection

  • 1957 Guerrero earthquake — The epicentre is catalogued east-northeast of Apantla in Guerrero, inland of the Pacific coast and near Tierra Blanca. The record is the or…
  • 1950 Guanacaste earthquake — The epicentre is catalogued in Guanacaste Province in north-western Costa Rica, near Cañas, with an intermediate focus well below the surfa…
  • 1942 Guatemala earthquake — The shock occurred at 17:37 local time on 6 August, with the epicentre along Guatemala's southern coast near La Gomera in Escuintla. It cau…
  • 1941 Coalcomán earthquake — The epicentre is catalogued east-southeast of Coalcomán de Vázquez Pallares in Michoacán, inland from the Pacific coast near Coahuayana Vie…
  • 1939 Costa Rica earthquake — The epicentre is catalogued a few kilometres from Atenas in Alajuela Province, in central Costa Rica. Compiled lists for the year record no…
  • 1934 Panama earthquake — The event is catalogued east-southeast of Burica, on the Panama and Costa Rica border region, and is listed as causing limited damage and a…
  • 1931 Oaxaca earthquake — The epicentre is placed a few kilometres from San Miguel Suchixtepec in the Sierra Sur of Oaxaca, with catalogues also referencing nearby S…
  • 1928 San Miguel Panixtlahuaca earthquake — The epicentre is catalogued in the coastal ranges of Oaxaca, at San Miguel Panixtlahuaca, with the origin logged early on the Tuesday morni…
  • 1915 Chalatenango earthquake — The shock is catalogued about 13 km from Chalatenango in northern El Salvador, close to the Honduran border. The record held for it is the…
  • 1911 Michoacán earthquake — The epicentre is catalogued west of Arteaga in Michoacán, near Las Vigas. The record consists of the catalogue position, origin time and de…
  • 1909 Guerrero earthquake — The shock is catalogued on the Guerrero coast, with the epicentre placed near Llano de la Puerta and San Andrés Playa Encantada. The surviv…
  • 1907 Oaxaca earthquake — The epicentre is placed about 2 km from Teojomulco in Oaxaca, and the event carries a maximum intensity of VIII in compiled lists for that…
  • 1902 Chiapas earthquake — The shock is catalogued in central Chiapas, with the epicentre placed near San Pedro Buenavista. The record for this event is limited to th…
  • 1902 Guatemala earthquake — The shock struck western Guatemala and eastern Chiapas at 8:23 pm local time on 18 April, reaching a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII. Mo…

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