Mexico's Seismicity and the Seismic Alert System: Experiences

Mexico is located at the interaction of 5 tectonic plates, and is a seismically active country. In the last 123 years, there have been 218 earthquakes with magnitudes equal or larger than M6.5 within or nearby to Mexico. Some of these earthquakes have produced extensive damage and many casualties, like the 1985 earthquake with an estimated 10 thousand victims. The major earthquakes occur at the subduction zone, near the coast, at about 300 Km from Mexico City, where seismic waves are amplified due to the sedimentary basin under the city. Because this distance, the possibility to detect, and evaluate the size of an earthquake, and send a notification to Mexico City, was stablished since about 25 years ago. The Seismic Alert System is only one component of a successful alerting system. It has taken many years, and several important earthquakes to improve the alerting system and the social acceptance of this important tool that could save lives.

Join us as UCL WRC welcomes Dr. Carlos Miguel Valdés González (Department of Seismology, Institute of Geophysics, National University of Mexico [UNAM]) for an afternoon presentation and discussion.

The Event:

The event will take place on UCL's campus, however the event will be hybrid, so do select an online-only ticket at checkout to join us, wherever you are in the world! Zoom links for registered attendees will be sent in good time prior to the event to the email address used when booking an online ticket.