The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 2.8 Earthquake at a depth of 13.4 km in northern Baja California State, Mexico, roughly 24 km to the west of Mexicali and 9 km south of the border with the United States, slightly after 2.05 am local time (slightly after 9.05 am GMT) on Saturday 28 September 2013. This is not a large quake, and is unlikely to have caused any damage or casualties, but was probably felt locally.
The approximate location of the 28 September 2013 Baja California Earthquake. Google Maps.
The boundary between the Pacific and North American Plates runs beneath the Gulf of California, with Beja California lying on the Pacific Plate and the Mexican mainland on the North American. The Pacific Plate is moving northwest with regard to the North American Plate, while the North American Plate is moving southeast relative to the Pacific Plate. This creates a transform plate margin along the center of the Gulf of California, as the two plates slide past one-another, a margin that continues northward under California as the San Andreas Fault. The plates do not move past one-another smoothly, but continuously stick together then break apart as the pressure builds up, leading to regular Earthquakes beneath the Gulf of California and in the surrounding area.
See also Magnitude 2.5 Earthquake on the San Diego/Riverside County boundary, southern California, Magnitude 2.8 Earthquake in San Benito County, California, Magnitude 2.6 Earthquake near the Grand Canyon in Arizona, Two Earthquakes in Riverside County, southern California and Magnitude 2.6 Earthquake in Kern County, California.
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