Mexico and Guatemala rocked by earthquakes

There were two earthquakes today in the same general area in Central America.  And while they were not strong enough to cause any major damages, they moved the earth enough to raise some brows.  But as Marion Ali found out, this week has been a pretty busy one.

Marion Ali, Reporting

Their magnitudes were not the 7.0 that rocked Haiti on January twelfth but since Sunday, there have been three earthquakes near Belize in Central America; two of them occurred today.  The first, a five point six, happened at about eight minutes to five this morning in Chiapas Mexico.  The second, a five point four, occurred a hundred and ten miles north northwest of Guatemala City, happened just over four hours later at nine-fifteen.  But forecaster Frank Tench says the earthquake prone Central American isthmus has been eventful with three shakers in as many days.

Frank Tench, Forecaster, National Met Service

“The Guatemala/Mexico region is part of a very active tectonic zone so earthquakes are very possible in that part of Central America.  To really forecast when another earthquake is going to occur is still a very difficult science. The first one this morning occurred at a depth of about twenty-nine point eight miles and the second one occurred at a depth of about six point two miles.”

Marion Ali

“Do those say anything at all whatsoever?”

Frank Tench

Frank Tench

“Well it would mean that the second one was more like a reaction or a repercussion from the first one because the first one occurred at a much deeper depth and the second one at a much shallower depth.  The fortunate thing is that both these earthquakes occurred over land.  If they had occurred over water and in such short space of time there probably would have been the need for a tsunami alert or warning.”

Like the quake today, the one on Sunday also occurred in the same area as the one last year that rendered many homes in southern Belize structurally unsafe.  But what does all this mean for Belize?  Tench says it’s hard to tell but being ready for a big one shouldn’t be far from thought.

Frank Trench

“There was another earthquake early Sunday morning north of Honduras along the fault line which is exactly where the one that caused structural damage last May.  There was one earlier this week. That was a four point nine magnitude and it occurred at a depth of twenty-two point four miles below the earth’s surface.  Three earthquakes in the space of less than a week in the same general area; my only suggestion would be for the Belizean public to be on the alert. Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador are all earthquake territory and these things can happen at any time.”

Unlike Mexico and Guatemala, Belize does not have earthquake monitoring equipment but so far, we’ve been lucky to have been spared the big one.  Marion Ali for News Five.