Strong and shallow M6.2 earthquake hits the Gulf of California

A strong and shallow earthquake, registered by the USGS as M6.2, hit the Gulf of California at 10:02 UTC on November 4, 2022. The agency is reporting a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles). EMSC is reporting M6.1 at a depth of 30 km (18.6 miles).

The epicenter was located about 83.5 km (51.9 miles) SSW of Bahía de Kino (population 6 050), Mexico and 89.2 km (55.4 miles) N of Santa Rosalía (population 11 7656), Mexico.

11 000 people are estimated to have felt moderate shaking and 1 332 000 light.

The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.

Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake-resistant construction. The predominant vulnerable building types are mud wall and adobe block with concrete bond beam construction.

Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking

Selected cities exposed

Regional seismicity

Featured image credit: TW/SAM, Google