Explore the
seismic history
of Mexico
View catalog
1460
1480
1507
1512
1530
1533
Knowing history allows us to interpret the present and foresee the future. Earthquakes are no stranger to this premise.
Unlike the human condition, geological phenomena, including seismic cycles, are often measured in thousands or millions of years. In the case of seismic activity, it is important to know our past, since the records of tremors with instruments specifically designed for this purpose date only from the beginning of the 20th century. Before this date, only information available to know that they occurred is found in reports and chronicles of the effects caused by these phenomena. In Mexico, the description of earthquakes begins in the 15th century, where pre-Hispanic codices report important earthquakes with glyphs that include a toponym that indicates the place where they were occurred and give additional information about the damage and other natural phenomena associated with them.
The catalog is the result of the effort to systematically study the seismic history of Mexico.
This work began between Dr. Gerardo Suárez, author of this catalog, and Virginia García Acosta. This effor culminated in the publication of the book Los sismos en la historia de México (The earthquakes in the history of Mexico). The design of the catalog and the interpretation of the information was inititated during an academic stay of Dr. Suárez at the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) in Milan, Italy.
Why do we do it?
The objective of this free digital platform is to make the seismic history of Mexico available to scholars in various disciplines and the general public. We hope this catalog will be useful for researchers, students, teachers, historians, sociologists, anthropologists, architects, engineers, urban planners, risk managers, and decision-makers. The information contained here can be used for scientific studies, seismic risk analysis, public policy development, and education. We invite the academic community and the general public to explore, use, and share this resource. Together, we can learn from the past to build a more resilient future in the face of earthquakes. Additionally, this digital platform will allow for the continuous updating and expansion of the catalog, incorporating new findings and contributions from the community. We thank all the individuals and institutions that have contributed to the realization of this project.
The objective of this free digital platform is to make the seismic history of Mexico available to scholars in various disciplines and the general public. We include all the information compiled by Virginia García Acosta and Gerardo Suárez along with an interpretation of the earthquakes, all in a structured database. Additionally, we incorporate information on historical earthquakes recently compiled by other authors.
Likewise, we hope to encourage new research and receive contributions that expand the information contained in this catalog, which we will especially appreciate and, if applicable, always integrate by giving the corresponding credit.
Contact us if you have any questions or information to add
How to cite the catalog?
Suárez, G. (2021). Catalog of Historical Earthquakes in Mexico, https://sismoshistoricos.ssn.unam.mx, doi: Pending
Acknowledgments
The systematic study of the seismic history of Mexico began between Dr. Gerardo Suárez, author of this catalog, and Virginia García Acosta, which culminated with the publication of the book "Los Sismos en la Historia de México (The earthquakes in the History of Mexico)". The design of the catalog and the interpretation of the information was initiated during an academic stay of the author at the Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) in Milan, Italy. Drs. Max Stucchi and Paola Albini are thanked for their friendship, hospitality, and support, as well as for the collaboration of their experts Mario Locati and Andrea Rovida. The always timely and kind advice of Jesús Pérez Santana of the Servicio Sismológico Nacional (National Seismological Service, Mexico) and the collaboration of Gema Caballero-Jiménez, Carlos Chico, Julio A. Jiménez, Astrid López, Azalea Monroy and Daniel Ruiz Barón. The figures of the Telleriano-Remensis codex are thanks to Raimundo García Álvarez. Seismic zoning is according to F. Ramón Zúñiga y co-autores, J. Seismol. (2017) 21:1295-1322, DOI 10.1007/s10950-017-9666-0. The Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología de México (CONACYT) is gratefully acknowledged for its support under the sponsorship of project number 082821 and the PAPIIT project IG101823 of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
