1902 Guatemala earthquake

1902 CE.

Shown on the map at 14.833°, -91.517°.

The 1902 Guatemala earthquake occurred on April 18 at 8:23 pm with a moment magnitude of 7.5 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). The rupture was initiated at a depth of 25 km (16 mi) and the duration was 1 to 2 minutes. The foreshock and aftershock sequence of this incident were major. Before the main shock, there was an earthquake swarm which persisted for three months, and the tremors afterward lasted for more than two weeks. With hindsight, it is clear that this swarm and the mainshock were clear indicators of the awakening of the long-dormant Volcán Santa María, located 97 km (60 mi) to the northwest, which led to the historic explosive eruption of 1902 which occurred 6 months later in October. A majority of churches in western Guatemala and eastern Chiapas were either severely devastated or abolished. The number of people killed was between 800 and 2,000. A strange occurrence of heavy rains, lightning, and thunder took place shortly before the earthquake. A few weeks before the earthquake, there was rain every afternoon for several days straight.

Text from the Wikipedia article 1902 Guatemala earthquake, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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