The 2014 M7.2 Earthquake Near Coyuquilla Norte, Mexico

On 18 April 2014 at 14:27 local time, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck 9 km east-northeast of Coyuquilla Norte in the state of Guerrero, Mexico. The event occurred at a depth of 24 km. This earthquake represents the sole strong event (M7.0 or greater) recorded in the region since 1 January 2000. Coyuquilla Norte lies along Mexico’s Pacific coast within the Guerrero seismic gap, a segment of the Middle America Trench characterized by the subduction of the Cocos Plate beneath the North American Plate. Convergence rates in this area average 5–7 cm per year, producing megathrust earthquakes and associated intraslab seismicity. The 24 km focal depth is consistent with events occurring near the plate interface or within the subducting slab. The broader geological framework of southern Mexico features a tectonically active margin shaped by Cenozoic subduction. The region experiences both interplate thrust earthquakes and normal-faulting events within the slab. Historical records document recurrent large earthquakes along the Guerrero coast, reflecting the cyclic accumulation and release of strain along the subduction interface. The 2014 event produced strong ground shaking across parts of Guerrero and adjacent states, prompting standard seismic monitoring and post-event assessments by national authorities. No other M7+ earthquakes have occurred within the immediate vicinity since the start of the 21st century, underscoring the significance of this rupture in the local seismic record.

References

USGS Earthquake Catalog (event parameters and regional seismicity data)
Servicio Sismológico Nacional (Mexico) – regional tectonic summaries