M4.7 Earthquake near Nueva Italia de Ruiz, Mexico — 22 May 2025
A light earthquake of magnitude 4.7 was recorded near Nueva Italia de Ruiz, Mexico on , with an epicentre 1 km east-southeast of Nueva Italia de Ruiz, at a focal depth of 108.8 km. It ranked as the 4th strongest of 58 earthquakes recorded in Mexico in the preceding 30 days.
Time (UTC): 2025-05-22 06:51:31
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 4.7 (light)
Focal depth: 108.8 km (intermediate)
Epicentre: 19.0205, -102.0750
Location: 1 km ESE of Nueva Italia de Ruiz, 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 4.7 earthquake radiates roughly 169 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 340, 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 00:03 local solar time at the epicentre, in the early hours of the morning.
This event was deeper than 98% of the 1,035 earthquakes recorded in Mexico in our catalogue and stronger than 91% of them.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 19.0205, -102.0750 — 1 km east-southeast of Nueva Italia de Ruiz. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.6 earthquake 13 km northeast of here on 07 April 2026.
The nearest other settlements in our records are Santa Casilda (13 km northeast), Las Cañas (47 km south), Aguililla (78 km southwest) and Aratichanguío (97 km east-southeast).
Why the 109 km depth matters
At 109 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 M4.7 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; its 109 km focal depth is too great to deform the sea floor significantly; 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.
13 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.2 event near Coalcomán de Vázquez Pallares on 12 January 2025. This M4.7 event released about 178 times less energy than that event.
No other earthquakes have been recorded within 100 km of this epicentre in the past year, which makes this a genuinely isolated event.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the May 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in Mexico during May 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.6 earthquake near Santa Casilda, Mexico — (13 km NE)
- M4.1 earthquake near Las Cañas, Mexico — (47 km S)
- M4.4 earthquake near Aguililla, Mexico — (78 km SW)
- M4.1 earthquake near Aratichanguío, Mexico — (97 km ESE)
- M4.9 earthquake near Coalcomán de Vázquez Pallares, Mexico — (108 km WSW)
- M6.2 earthquake near Coalcomán de Vázquez Pallares, Mexico — (113 km WSW)
- M4.7 earthquake near Zirándaro de los Chávez, Mexico — (135 km ESE)
- M4.4 earthquake near Zapotiltic, Mexico — (151 km WNW)
- M4.3 earthquake near El Habillal, Mexico — (155 km SW)
- M4.8 earthquake near Aquila, Mexico — (172 km WSW)
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
- M4.9 earthquake near Isangel, Vanuatu —
- M4.7 earthquake near Cafayate, Argentina —
- M4.7 earthquake near Mutsu, Japan —
- M5.0 earthquake near southeast of the Loyalty Islands —
- M4.9 earthquake near Bonin Islands, Japan —
- M4.8 earthquake near Lixoúri, Greece —
- M4.7 earthquake near Port-Olry, Vanuatu —
- M4.7 earthquake near Sipí, Colombia —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong was the earthquake near Nueva Italia de Ruiz?
It measured magnitude 4.7 — a light earthquake. A magnitude 4.7 earthquake radiates roughly 169 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near Nueva Italia de Ruiz?
The focus was 109 km below the surface, which counts as intermediate.
Was the Nueva Italia de Ruiz earthquake felt at the surface?
At magnitude 4.7 and a focal depth of 109 km, the depth spreads the energy out, so shaking is weaker overhead but reaches further.
When did the earthquake near Nueva Italia de Ruiz happen?
22 May 2025 at 06:51 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 Nueva Italia de Ruiz?
13 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.2 event near Coalcomán de Vázquez Pallares on 12 January 2025. This M4.7 event released about 178 times less energy than that event.