The Veracruz earthquake of 28 August 1973

Abstract

The earthquake, which caused widespread damage in parts of the States of Puebla and Veracruz in southeast Mexico, registered 7. 0 on the Richter Magnitude Scale, according to the Caltech Seismological Laboratory. The earthquake occurred at 3:51 (local time) on the morning of 28 August 1973. The center of destructive shaking was in the vicinity of Serdan in the State of Puebla (19N97W). The National Earthquake Information Service reports the earthquake as occurring at 09:50:41.6 GMT with the instrumental epicenter at 18.275N96.584W, and the hypocenter at a depth of approximately 100km. The most seismic region of Mexico is along the southwest coast. Earthquakes in the region of Orizaba have been relatively infrequent; the most recent serious ground shaking occurred June 17, 1928 when a magnitude 7. 8 shock had its epicenter at 16N98W, some 250km south of Serdan. However, large earthquakes 100-300km south of Serdan have occurred relatively frequently.