A major earthquake struck the Baja California region on Mexico’s Pacific coast late this morning.
Monday 5th April 2010
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck 26 km south-west of Guadalupe Victoria, Baja California, Mexico at 10:41 New Zealand Standard Time this morning. The quake, which was close to Mexico’s border with the United States of America, was 10 km deep.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre reported the quake as magnitude 7.3, also at 10 km. As the quake was located onshore, inland from the coast and of lower seventh magnitude in strength, a tsunami was not generated.
Geoscience Australia reported the quake as magnitude 7.0 at a depth of 50 km. They estimate that it would have caused damage within 100 km of the epicentre, and would have been felt up to 1200 km away. The quake was felt in Los Angeles in the United States.
Aftershocks, including three of magnitude five, have been reported at several locations near the main event in Baja California, and in Sonora, Mexico and Southern California.
[Compiled from data supplied by the U.S. Geological Survey and its contributing agencies; the U.S. National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, and Geoscience Australia.]