M4.4 Earthquake near La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico — 26 October 2025
A light earthquake of magnitude 4.4 was recorded near La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico on , with an epicentre 57 km south-southwest of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), at a focal depth of 86.8 km. It ranked as the 3rd strongest of 21 earthquakes recorded in Mexico in the preceding 30 days.
Time (UTC): 2025-10-26 13:29:34
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 4.4 (light)
Focal depth: 86.8 km (intermediate)
Epicentre: 14.9676, -93.3594
Location: 57 km SSW of La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico
Country: Mexico
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Reviewed
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Light earthquakes are widely felt near the epicentre and can rattle windows, dishes and hanging objects. Damage is uncommon and usually limited to cracked plaster or fallen loose items.
A magnitude 4.4 earthquake radiates roughly 60 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 298, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.
What the magnitude scale actually measures →
When it happened locally
That is about 07:16 local solar time at the epicentre, around dawn.
This event was deeper than 97% of the 1,065 earthquakes recorded in Mexico in our catalogue and stronger than 81% of them.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 14.9676, -93.3594 — 57 km south-southwest of La Esperanza (El Zapotal). The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.2 earthquake 38 km south-southeast of here on 14 September 2026.
The nearest other settlements in our records are Aquiles Serdán (51 km south), El Arenal (52 km south), El Carmen (68 km north-northeast) and El Palmarcito (96 km west-southwest).
Why the 87 km depth matters
At 87 km this was an intermediate-depth earthquake. Energy from events at this depth spreads out before it reaches the surface, which usually means weaker shaking near the epicentre than a shallow quake of the same magnitude, but shaking felt across a wider area.
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size is often felt across the surrounding area. Its intermediate depth normally reduces peak shaking near the epicentre compared with a shallow event of the same magnitude.
Read more on how focal depth changes what you feel →
What does the tsunami information flag mean?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M4.4 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →
Aftershocks and local seismic history
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.
241 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.4 event near Puerto Madero on 17 July 2026. This M4.4 event released about 31,623 times less energy than that event.
27 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 0 of them in the past 30 days.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the October 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Mexico during October 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.2 earthquake near El Arenal, Mexico — (38 km SSE)
- M4.9 earthquake near El Arenal, Mexico — (43 km SSE)
- M4.3 earthquake near Aquiles Serdán, Mexico — (51 km S)
- M4.4 earthquake near El Arenal, Mexico — (52 km S)
- M4.1 earthquake near Nueva Sesecapa, Mexico — (56 km ENE)
- M4.3 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico — (57 km SSE)
- M4.6 earthquake near La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico — (69 km SSW)
- M4.6 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico — (72 km S)
- M4.2 earthquake near El Arenal, Mexico — (73 km ENE)
- M4.3 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico — (73 km S)
Other recent earthquakes in Mexico
- M4.9 earthquake near El Arenal, Mexico —
- M2.7 earthquake near Primo Tapia, B.C., Mexico —
- M4.5 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico —
- M2.1 earthquake near Puebla, B.C., Mexico —
- M1.3 earthquake near Progreso, B.C., Mexico —
- M4.8 earthquake near El Colomo, Mexico —
- M1.3 earthquake near Tecate, B.C., Mexico —
- M4.1 earthquake near Buenos Aires, Mexico —
- M4.2 earthquake near Plan de Ayala, Mexico —
- M4.4 earthquake near La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico —
Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide
- M4.2 earthquake near Noda, Japan —
- M4.6 earthquake near Izu Islands, Japan —
- M4.7 earthquake near Bengkulu, Indonesia —
- M4.6 earthquake near Banda Aceh, Indonesia —
- M4.5 earthquake near Calama, Chile —
- M4.7 earthquake near Tambolaka, Indonesia —
- M4.7 earthquake near Ruteng, Indonesia —
- M4.3 earthquake near Ōarai, Japan —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong was the earthquake near La Esperanza (El Zapotal)?
It measured magnitude 4.4 — a light earthquake. A magnitude 4.4 earthquake radiates roughly 60 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near La Esperanza (El Zapotal)?
The focus was 87 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.
Was the La Esperanza (El Zapotal) earthquake felt at the surface?
At magnitude 4.4 and a focal depth of 87 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.
When did the earthquake near La Esperanza (El Zapotal) happen?
26 October 2025 at 13:29 UTC.
Was there a tsunami?
No. The USGS record carries no tsunami-information link for this event.
Have there been aftershocks?
No further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event.
How often do earthquakes happen near La Esperanza (El Zapotal)?
241 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.4 event near Puerto Madero on 17 July 2026. This M4.4 event released about 31,623 times less energy than that event.