World Map › Major Earthquakes Since 1900 › 1985
Historic Earthquake
1985 Mexico City Earthquake
19 September 1985 · Michoacan, Mexico City · Mexico
On 19 September 1985 at 13:17 UTC, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck Mexico (Michoacan, Mexico City), at a depth of 28 km. It occurred on the North American Plate, 96 km from its boundary with the Cocos Plate (subduction zone). It killed at least 9,500 people and injured 30,000. It is the 39th deadliest and the 100th most powerful of the earthquakes recorded since 1900.
- Date
- 19 September 1985
- Time
- 13:17 UTC
- Magnitude
- 8.1
- Depth
- 28 km
- Maximum Intensity
- IX (Mercalli)
- Deaths
- 9,500
- Injuries
- 30,000
- Estimated Damage
- 4.0 billion US dollars
- Tsunami
- See the tsunami (3.0 m wave)
- Plate
- North American Plate
- Country
- Mexico
- Nearest Volcano
- Colima (186 km)
Nearby Major Earthquakes
Other major earthquakes recorded within 300 km.
- 19951995 Colima-Jalisco Earthquake · M 8.050 deaths
- 1932Central · M 7.775 deaths
- 1932Central, Colima · M 7.8
- 19321932 Jalisco Earthquake · M 8.1400 deaths
- 1921Near Coast of Jalisco · M 7.7
- 19111911 Guerrero Earthquake · M 7.6
- 19111911 Michoacán Earthquake · M 7.6
- 19071907 Guerrero Earthquake · M 8.38 deaths
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Significant Earthquake Database (doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K) · Wikidata · Bird (2003), PB2002 · Natural Earth