The Center for Instrumentation and Seismic Registration of Mexico (Cires) reported an earthquake of magnitude 4.5 on the Richter scale near Puerto Vallarta, at 5:21 p.m. local time (23:21 UTC) on November 2, 2021. With a depth of 15 kilometers, it was perceived lightly by some residents in Puerto Vallarta.
Mexicans are used to this type of event since the country is located in an area of high seismicity. It is worth remembering the great impact of the earthquakes of 1985 and 2017, which caused great damage throughout the Aztec territory. However, there are records of even more destructive movements in the history of this Latin American nation.
The strongest earthquake recorded in the history of Mexico had its epicenter in Oaxaca. On March 28, 1787, the earth shook with a force of 8.6 on the Richter scale. The land not only vibrated but also the sea showed its fury with a tsunami that penetrated up to 6 kilometers beyond the coastline.
Far from considering it an isolated event, the Center for Instrumentation and Seismic Registration (Cires) estimates the possibility that the country will face a similar situation in the near future. In the studies carried out in 2009 to analyze the event, it was concluded that earthquakes of a similar magnitude may develop in the area located between the coasts of Mexico and Central America. There, in the so-called Brecha de Guerrero, there is great geological potential to cause catastrophes of such proportions.
But even smaller earthquakes can cause great damage. An example of the above was the seismic events of 1985 and 2017. In those opportunities, the lives of the residents of Mexico City were upset, while both the Government and private citizens rebuilt buildings and infrastructure.
The one of September 19, 1985, occurred at 7:19 local hours (13:19 GMT) with a magnitude of 8.2 Richter and with its epicenter in the state of Guerrero. Tens of thousands of people were killed. Since that earthquake, many thought that something like this would not happen again. But it happened again exactly 32 years later on September 19, 2017.
The one in 2017 occurred between the states of Puebla and Morelos at 1:14 p.m. local time (18:30 GMT). The balance of human victims reached 369 deaths.
The Center for Instrumentation and Seismic Registration of Mexico (Cires) reported an earthquake of magnitude 4.5 on the Richter scale near Puerto Vallarta . . .
