A Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake occurred on Tuesday, March 20, 2012
at 18:02:48 UTC time (2:02:48 Eastern Daylight time). The
shaking was significant enough to be measured on the seismometer
at the University of Maine. The quake occurred at a depth of 20
km (12.4 miles) at a depth of 20 km (12.4 miles). The epicenter
was located 322 km (200 miles) south-southeast of Mexico City.
The earthquake is a result of thrust faulting on or near the
plate boundary between the Cocos and North American plates. The
characteristics of the earthquake are thought to be consistent
with subduction zone activity in the area. In the impacted area,
the Cocos plate moves to the northeast at a rate of 60 mm/year
(approx. 0.1 inch/year). Damage appears to be primarily
structural, with no deaths and relatively few injuries reported.