M7.3 - OFFSHORE HONDURAS
Magnitude | 7.3 - Richter scale |
|---|---|
Depth | 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program Km |
Location | OFFSHORE HONDURAS LAT 16.733, LON -86.22 |
Date-Time | May 28, 2009 08:24:45 UTC |
Source | USGS NEIC (WDCS-D) |
Event ID(s) | us2009heak |
Distances from major cities | |
|---|---|
125 km (75 miles) NNE of La Ceiba, Honduras |
Tectonic Summary
The location and focal mechanism of the Honduras earthquake of May 28, 2009, imply that the shock occurred as the result of left-lateral strike-slip faulting on the Swan Islands Transform Fault, a segment of the boundary between the North America and Caribbean plates. In this region the plate boundary accommodates about 20 mm/y slip.
Previous strong earthquakes along the North America/Caribbean plate boundary include the destructive Guatemala earthquake of February 4, 1976, M 7.5, which produced more than 23,000 fatalities. The 1976 earthquake occurred on the Motagua fault, a segment of the plate boundary that lies in southern Guatemala, several hundred kilometers southwest of the plate boundary that ruptured in the May 28, 2009 shock.
Earthquake Information for Central America
Earthquake Information for Honduras
