Mag. 8 & 7 Earthquakes - Mexico 08/09/2017 & 19/09/2017

  • Thread starter StevieTNZ
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In summary: Mexican quake in 100 yearsThey all seem to be forgetting about the M8.0/8.1 in 1985 that devastated Mexico City that killed more than 5000 peopleand did horrific damage
  • #1
StevieTNZ
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  • #2
StevieTNZ said:
I see this as breaking news: https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/96665395/strong-earthquake-hits-off-coast-of-mexico
Everything is fluid at the moment, so updates and revisions will be forthcoming. A tsunami threat for NZ is being assessed.
ya just beat me to it

was about to post

M 8.0 - 96km SW of Pijijiapan, Mexico

Time: 2017-09-08 04:49:17 (UTC)
Location: 15.029°N 93.807°W
Depth: 35.0 km

upload_2017-9-8_15-38-58.png
tis still coming in on my seismo ...

http://www.sydneystormcity.com/seismograms.htm
 
  • #3
Upgraded to 8.2 now. Also, there was something about a 6.1mag earthquake in the northern pacific island?
 
  • #4
StevieTNZ said:
Upgraded to 8.2 now. Also, there was something about a 6.1mag earthquake in the northern pacific island?

where did you get the 8.2 from ?

USGS are saying 8.1

M 8.1 - 87km SW of Pijijiapan, MexicoI'm surprised that it is even a M8 considering how small the amplitude on my seismograph is
Dave
 
  • #7
davenn said:
ahhh OK ... always pays to go to the source
all media outlets are notoriously bad with their reporting :rolleyes:
Yahoo is determined to be the most inaccurate. One of their RSS feeds was saying that it was 8.4.
 
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  • #8
4 hours later and there is still low level signal coming in on my seismo
 
  • #10
To me it looks like an ordinary lightning storm in summer. More interesting is the tsunami warning. Could it really travel thus far?
 
  • #11
fresh_42 said:
More interesting is the tsunami warning. Could it really travel thus far?
In fact I've just seen this: "Tidal gauges are providing evidence of the first waves arriving at Chatham Islands and East Cape, consistent with GNS Science predictions."
But they are small waves, and no evacuation orders have been given.
 
  • #12
StevieTNZ said:
In fact I've just seen this: "Tidal gauges are providing evidence of the first waves arriving at Chatham Islands and East Cape, consistent with GNS Science predictions."
But they are small waves, and no evacuation orders have been given.
Although there are no major barriers on the surface between Mexico and NZ, I would think that the Marianne trench would play a major role for deep sea waves, i.e. I'd expected them to dive there and get scattered. But I've never had a course on fluid dynamics, so this might be wrong. Could be an interesting thread.
 
  • #13
StevieTNZ said:
In the video on the 2nd link, does anyone know what causes the sky to light up as it did after the quake? Is that activity correlated with quakes?

fresh_42 said:
To me it looks like an ordinary lightning storm in summer.

if you look closely, you will see the flashes are originating on the ground and then lighting up the clouds above

Simple and easy explanation ... arcing of electrical systems and explosions of transformers etc in substations
as the power lines are swinging all over place and contacting each other
fresh_42 said:
More interesting is the tsunami warning. Could it really travel thus far?

tsunamis regularly cross the Pacific Ocean with ease :smile:

fresh_42 said:
Although there are no major barriers on the surface between Mexico and NZ, I would think that the Marianne trench would play a major role for deep sea waves,
I assume you mean the Mariana Trench

It won't affect how the tsunami arrives in NZDave
 
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  • #14
raw and processed seismograms from my recorder

170908  UT M8.0 offshr Mexico zhi.GIF


170908.045502.zhi.gif.gif
Dave
 
  • #15
A classic example of a unilateral rupture ( rupture on the fault starts in one place and goes in one direction only)

upload_2017-9-11_13-39-45.png
also been noting in the media that they are all saying that this is the largest Mexican quake in 100 years
They all seem to be forgetting about the M8.0/8.1 in 1985 that devastated Mexico City that killed more than 5000 people
and did horrific damage

many references on the www
https://www.bing.com/search?q=1985+...&src=IE-SearchBox&FORM=IENTTR&conversationid=Dave
 
Last edited:
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  • #16
Great information, everyone.
 
  • #17
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  • #19
StevieTNZ said:
I'll let Dave post any graphs his instruments have picked up, to start a new thread.

we will keep it in here since the thread title accounts for it

M 7.1 - 5km ENE of Raboso, Mexico

Time: 2017-09-19 18:14:39 (UTC)
Location: 18.584°N 98.399°W
Depth: 51.0 km

a raw seismogram of the M7.1 from my recorder... I haven't had a chance to process it yet
note the much smaller amplitude compared to the M8.1 up the thread post#14

zhi.gif
only 120km SSE of downtown Mexico City

mexico quake.jpg
Dave
 
  • #21
Updated aftershock zone for the M8.1

Events M4.5 and greater for the 8th Sept to 24th Sept

still clearly showing a unilateral rupture in the nor-westerly direction

8.1 mexico and 6.1 ashk.jpg


cheers
Dave
 

1. What caused the magnitude 8 and 7 earthquakes in Mexico in 2017?

The magnitude 8 earthquake on September 8, 2017 was caused by the movement of the Cocos and North American tectonic plates. This movement created a fault line that resulted in the earthquake. The magnitude 7 earthquake on September 19, 2017 was caused by the movement of the Caribbean and North American plates, creating another fault line.

2. How were these earthquakes measured?

The magnitude of an earthquake is measured using the Richter scale, which assigns a numerical value to the amount of energy released by the earthquake. A magnitude 8 earthquake releases 10 times more energy than a magnitude 7 earthquake.

3. Were there any warning signs before these earthquakes occurred?

Earthquakes cannot be predicted with absolute certainty, but there were some warning signs before these earthquakes occurred. The region had experienced smaller earthquakes in the months leading up to the magnitude 8 and 7 earthquakes. This is often an indication that the tectonic plates are building up stress and could potentially release it in a larger earthquake.

4. What were the effects of these earthquakes on the surrounding areas?

The magnitude 8 earthquake caused significant damage in southern Mexico, including collapsed buildings and infrastructure. The magnitude 7 earthquake also caused damage, particularly in Mexico City where buildings swayed and many collapsed. The earthquakes also triggered landslides and tsunamis, causing further destruction.

5. Is there a way to predict or prevent earthquakes?

As mentioned before, earthquakes cannot be predicted with certainty. Scientists are constantly studying and monitoring fault lines and tectonic plate movements to better understand the potential for earthquakes. However, there is currently no way to prevent an earthquake from occurring. The best way to mitigate the effects of earthquakes is through building codes and disaster preparedness measures.

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