1985 Mexico Earthquake
Michoacán, Mexico — September 19, 1985
The 1985 Mexico City earthquake devastated large parts of the capital despite the epicenter being 350 km away. The city's soft lake-bed sediments amplified seismic waves dramatically — a phenomenon that would recur in 2017. The disaster fundamentally reshaped Mexico's civil protection systems and drove profound social and political change.
Earthquake Facts
Magnitude
M8
Date
Sep 19, 1985
Depth
27.9 km
Deaths
9,500
Latitude
18.190°
Longitude
-102.533°
Tsunami
No
Region
Mexico
Tectonic Cause
Subduction of the Cocos Plate beneath the North American Plate along the Middle America Trench. The unique geological composition of Mexico City's substrate amplified ground motion dramatically.
Aftermath in Pictures
Photos from Wikimedia Commons — open licenses (CC / Public Domain)
Images sourced from Wikimedia Commons under open licenses. Attribution required where specified. Click any image to enlarge.
Related Earthquakes in Mexico
Sources & Further Reading
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