8.0mw

1985 Mexico City Earthquake

19.09.1985 13:17 UTC Depth 27.9 km 1985 Michoacan, Mexico Earthquake
Sensitivity zones: strong — up to 183.9 km moderate — up to 459.6 km weak — up to 1021.4 km

About this earthquake

The rupture lay off the Pacific coast, 350 km from Mexico City, but the soft lakebed soils beneath the capital amplified the shaking dozens of times, collapsing hundreds of multi-storey buildings. The disaster became the classic case of soil resonance and changed building codes worldwide.

Fatalities: ≈10,000 (estimates up to 45,000) Wikipedia article ↗ All largest earthquakes in history →

Sensitivity zones

Approximate radii, derived from magnitude and hypocentre depth, within which shaking is typically felt:

  • strong — up to 183.9 km
  • moderate — up to 459.6 km
  • weak — up to 1021.4 km

"I felt it" reports

No reports yet. Did you feel this one? Be the first to tell!

Earthquakes nearby