M4.6 Earthquake near La Gloria, Mexico — 21 February 2025
A light earthquake of magnitude 4.6 was recorded near La Gloria, Mexico on , with an epicentre 61 km south-southwest of La Gloria, at a focal depth of 73.8 km. It ranked as the 3rd strongest of 43 earthquakes recorded in Mexico in the preceding 30 days.
Time (UTC): 2025-02-21 23:32:20
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 4.6 (light)
Focal depth: 73.8 km (intermediate)
Epicentre: 15.6422, -94.3535
Location: 61 km SSW of La Gloria, 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 4.6 earthquake radiates roughly 120 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 326, 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 17:14 local solar time at the epicentre, during the afternoon.
This event was deeper than 96% of the 1,035 earthquakes recorded in Mexico in our catalogue and stronger than 90% of them.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 15.6422, -94.3535 — 61 km south-southwest of La Gloria. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.4 earthquake 151 km north-northwest of here on 18 July 2026.
The nearest other settlements in our records are Cabeza de Toro (34 km east-southeast), San Francisco del Mar Viejo (43 km southwest), San Mateo del Mar (50 km west-southwest) and Colonia Juárez (80 km west-northwest).
Why the 74 km depth matters
At 74 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 M4.6 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.
205 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 M4.6 event released about 15,849 times less energy than that event.
3 earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, 1 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 February 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Mexico during February 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.4 earthquake near El Bajío, Mexico — (151 km NNW)
- M4.5 earthquake near La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico — (154 km SE)
- M4.3 earthquake near El Arenal, Mexico — (156 km ESE)
- M4.1 earthquake near Nueva Sesecapa, Mexico — (160 km ESE)
- M4.4 earthquake near El Arenal, Mexico — (162 km SE)
- M5.2 earthquake near El Arenal, Mexico — (167 km SE)
- M4.3 earthquake near Aquiles Serdán, Mexico — (170 km SE)
- M4.2 earthquake near La Esperanza (El Zapotal), Mexico — (172 km SSE)
- M4.5 earthquake near Aquiles Serdán, Mexico — (176 km SE)
- M4.3 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico — (177 km SE)
Other recent earthquakes in Mexico
- M2.2 earthquake near Progreso, B.C., Mexico —
- M4.2 earthquake near Brisas Barra de Suchiate, Mexico —
- M4.5 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico —
- M4.4 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico —
- M1.5 earthquake near Tecate, B.C., Mexico —
- M4.3 earthquake near Puerto Madero, Mexico —
- M1.3 earthquake near Progreso, B.C., Mexico —
- M1.5 earthquake near Progreso, B.C., Mexico —
- M1.4 earthquake near Progreso, B.C., Mexico —
- M1.9 earthquake near Puebla, B.C., Mexico —
Other magnitude 4 earthquakes worldwide
- M4.6 earthquake near Minami-Sōma, Japan —
- M4.5 earthquake near Tomioka, Japan —
- M4.5 earthquake near Mount Hagen, Papua New Guinea —
- M4.4 earthquake near San Antonio de los Cobres, Argentina —
- M4.8 earthquake near Dampit, Indonesia —
- M4.6 earthquake near Ruteng, Indonesia —
- M4.4 earthquake near south of the Fiji Islands —
- M4.6 earthquake near Hengchun, Taiwan —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong was the earthquake near La Gloria?
It measured magnitude 4.6 — a light earthquake. A magnitude 4.6 earthquake radiates roughly 120 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near La Gloria?
The focus was 74 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.
Was the La Gloria earthquake felt at the surface?
At magnitude 4.6 and a focal depth of 74 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.
When did the earthquake near La Gloria happen?
21 February 2025 at 23:32 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 Gloria?
205 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 M4.6 event released about 15,849 times less energy than that event.