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| Puebla–Morelos earthquake | |
|---|---|
| Name | Puebla–Morelos earthquake |
| Date | 2017-09-19 |
| Time | 13:14:40 UTC |
| Magnitude | 7.1 M_w |
| Depth | 51 km |
| Location | near Puebla and Morelos, Mexico |
| Affected | Mexico |
| Casualties | 370–450 fatalities |
Puebla–Morelos earthquake was a major seismic event that struck central Mexico on 19 September 2017 with a moment magnitude of 7.1, producing widespread destruction across the states of Puebla, Morelos, and Mexico City. The shock occurred on the anniversary of the 1985 Mexico City earthquake and during the bicentennial commemorations of Mexican War of Independence, deepening public shock and prompting nationwide emergency mobilization involving agencies such as the Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil and the Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional. It followed an active seismic period that included the August 2017 [off Chiapas earthquake] and intersected with long-term studies by institutions like the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México and the Seismological Service of Mexico.
The event occurred within the complex convergent boundary where the Cocos Plate subducts beneath the North American Plate along the Middle America Trench, a region responsible for the 1985 rupture and recurrent large earthquakes that have shaped Mexican seismic hazard assessments by the Comisión Federal de Electricidad and research groups at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Nearby structural features include the Oaxaca Basin, the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, and crustal faults affecting the Sierra Madre del Sur. Stress accumulation along the plate interface and within the overriding plate has produced both interplate thrust events and intraplate normal or strike-slip earthquakes documented by the International Seismological Centre and the United States Geological Survey.
The mainshock was preceded by a series of foreshocks in September 2017 and followed by numerous aftershocks cataloged by the Seismological Service of Mexico and the United States Geological Survey. Seismograms recorded at stations operated by the Instituto de Geofísica, UNAM showed rupture characteristics consistent with a thrust mechanism at an intermediate depth, while focal mechanism solutions were compared with historic events such as the 1985 and 1957 earthquakes analyzed in studies from the Geological Society of America and the American Geophysical Union. Wave propagation across the Valley of Mexico and resonance effects in soft lacustrine deposits explained the amplified shaking experienced in Mexico City and influenced building response documented by teams from Stanford University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Casualties numbered in the hundreds, with fatalities and injuries reported by state authorities in Puebla, Morelos, Oaxaca, Guerrero, and the capital, Mexico City. Historic structures such as churches and colonial buildings in Puebla and cultural heritage sites overseen by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia sustained damage, while modern high-rises and residential complexes in Tlalpan and Iztapalapa experienced structural failures documented by engineering teams from the Colegio de Ingenieros Civiles de México and international observers from the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction. Hospitals including facilities run by the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social and the Secretaría de Salud reported disruptions, and schools inspected by the Secretaría de Educación Pública were closed pending structural assessments.
Search-and-rescue operations mobilized units from the Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional, the Secretaría de Marina, municipal brigades, and volunteer groups such as the Topos de Tlatelolco; international offers of assistance involved teams coordinated by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Temporary shelters were set up by the Sistema Nacional para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia and local authorities in plazas and sports facilities, while logistics and supply distribution involved the Petróleos Mexicanos fuel provisions and transportation managed by the Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes. Reconstruction plans engaged federal programs under the Secretaría de Desarrollo Agrario, Territorial y Urbano and local governments in Cuernavaca and Atlixco, with insurance claims handled through private firms and the Comisión Nacional de Seguros y Fianzas.
Critical infrastructure damage affected power systems managed by the Comisión Federal de Electricidad, telecommunications networks operated by companies like Telmex and AT&T Mexico, and roadways overseen by the Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Transportes. Disruptions to manufacturing in industrial parks in Puebla and supply chains involving the Automotive industry had short-term economic effects studied by analysts at the Banco de México and the World Bank. Cultural tourism suffered as heritage sites protected by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia closed for repairs, impacting municipal budgets in Cholula and Taxco and prompting fiscal measures debated in the Chamber of Deputies (Mexico).
Post-event investigations by researchers at the Instituto de Geofísica, UNAM, the Seismological Service of Mexico, and international collaborators from institutions such as the California Institute of Technology and the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre produced analyses of source parameters, ground-motion records, and site effects. Findings influenced updates to the Mexican Seismic Hazard Model and building codes promulgated by the Normas Técnicas Complementarias and informed risk reduction strategies advocated by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery. Long-term monitoring enhancements included densification of seismic networks by the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana and deployment of GNSS stations linked to the Centro Nacional de Prevención de Desastres, advancing understanding of subduction processes, rupture propagation, and urban seismic vulnerability.
Category:2017 earthquakes Category:Earthquakes in Mexico