The United States Geological Survey Recorded
a Magnitude 5.4 Earthquake at a depth of 79.4 km about 15 km to the east of the municipality of La Gomera in Esculinta
Department in southern Guatemala, slightly before 5.35 am local time
(slightly 11.35 am GMT) on Friday 16 December 2016. This event was felt
across much of central and southern Guatemala, as well as parts of El Salvador, though there are no reports
of any damage or casualties; which is roughly what would be expected
from an Earthquake of this size at this depth; the quake is big enough
to be felt over a wide area, but most of its energy has dissipated
before the shock-waves reach the surface.
The approximate location of the 16 December 2016 Guatemala Earthquake. USGS.
Guatemala
is located on the southern part of the Caribbean Plate, close to its
boundary with the Cocos Plate, which underlies part of the east Pacific.
The Cocos Plate is being pushed northwards by expansion of the crust
along the East Pacific Rise, and is subducted beneath the Caribbean
Plate along the Middle American Trench, which runs parallel to the south
coast of Guatemala and neighbouring countries, passing under Central
America as it sinks into the Earth's interior. This is not a smooth
process, the plates tend to stick together, breaking apart again once
the pressure from the northward movement of the Cocos Plate builds up to
much, triggering Earthquakes.
Witness
accounts of Earthquakes can help geologists to understand these events,
and the structures that cause them. The international non-profit
organisation Earthquake Report is interested in hearing from people who may have felt this event; if you felt this quake then you can report it to Earthquake Report here.
See also...
