EMSC · September 12, 2026

Magnitude 3.8 earthquake — 15 km NNE of Santa Rosa de Lima, Mexico

A magnitude 3.8 earthquake was recorded near 15 km NNE of Santa Rosa de Lima, Mexico on Sep 12, 2026, 02:59 PM (local time at the epicentre — CST, UTC-6), at a depth of about 16.4 km, according to EMSC.

EMSCShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-09-13 03:15 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 3.8 · m
Location
15 km NNE of Santa Rosa de Lima, Mexico
Local time at the epicentre
Sep 12, 2026, 02:59 PM — CST, UTC-6
Time (UTC)
2026-09-12 20:59 UTC
Depth
16.4 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates
15.949, -97.678
Felt reports
No “Did You Feel It?” reports submitted
Tsunami
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Review status
Reviewed by a seismologist
Catalog
EMSC (Centro Sismológico Euromediterráneo)

Open the official catalog record

Epicentre and nearby recent earthquakes

The highlighted circle is this earthquake. Smaller circles are other events recorded nearby in the last 30 days.

What the shaking was like

Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.

No intensity estimate was published for this event, which is usual for small earthquakes far from populated areas.

Who lives nearby

About 22,868 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 292,765 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
Santa Rosa de Lima14.8 km NNE2,200
San José del Progreso16.5 km N4,110
La Luz20.4 km NNE2,444
Río Grande26.8 km ENE12,943
Santa María Acatepec28.4 km NE1,171
Santiago Jocotepec32.5 km NE1,767
José María Morelos38.9 km NW2,331
Santa María Chicometepec39.6 km NW1,480
Santiago Jamiltepec40.1 km NNW10,107
San Marcos Zacatepec40.5 km ENE1,034

Earthquake history in this area

12 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5+ have been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in Mexico.

Other earthquakes near this epicentre

30 other events within 100 km in the last 30 days.

Be first to know about the next earthquake near 15 km NNE of Santa Rosa de Lima, Mexico

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 15 km NNE of Santa Rosa de Lima, Mexico earthquake?

Magnitude 3.8 (m), at a depth of 16.4 km. Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.

Exactly when did it happen?

Sep 12, 2026, 02:59 PM (local time at the epicentre — CST, UTC-6). In universal time: 2026-09-12 20:59 UTC.

Was it felt?

No “Did You Feel It?” reports were submitted for this event. Small earthquakes usually pass unnoticed except very close to the epicentre.

Was there a tsunami warning?

No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.

Which towns are closest to the epicentre?

The closest is Santa Rosa de Lima, 14.8 km NNE (population 2,200).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 7.7 (2 km ESE of San Agustín Loxicha, Mexico, 1978), and 30 further events were recorded within 100 km in the last 30 days.

How do I get alerts for the next earthquake here?

Install the free SeismoWatch Android app, draw a box over this area, set a minimum magnitude, and turn alerts on.

About this page

Event data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and, in Venezuela, FUNVISIS. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.