Tesistán geological fault causes recent earthquakes in Zapopan

Zapopan, Jalisco.- Doors, windows and walls are centered; a sound associated with an explosion is heard and the ground shakes once, like a jerk. So neighbors of the northwest of Zapopan describe the tremors recorded in the last week, which originated from the Tesistán geological fault.

On the night of October 26, the National Seismological Service (SSN) recorded two low-magnitude events (both 3.5 degrees); while on October 29 the residents felt a similar movement, but did not detect it as an earthquake.

The movements are the product of the geological fault located east of the highway to San Cristóbal de la Barranca, one of the two that have been detected since 2015 in Tesistán, explained Carlos Suárez Plascencia, head of the Department of Geography and Territorial Planning of the University of Guadalajara (UdeG).

The events have only been perceived in certain neighborhoods such as La Cima, Arcos de Zapopan, Santa Margarita, Jardines Universidad, Valle Real and others located to the west and north of the Municipality.

The The only damage reported was a shallow crack and wide on the pavement of Calle Obelisco, in Colonia Girasoles Elite.

However, despite the brief geographic influence and low magnitude, the risk could be greater for infrastructure, warned the specialist.

“They are structures of a few kilometers. The tremors are of low magnitude, but they are very superficial, so we have a release of energy very close to the surface and that generates significant damage“, he exposed.

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A characteristic of recent tremors is the explosion-like sound. Suárez Plascencia has an explanation for the phenomenon.

“When they manifest (the faults) people hear noises, as it is very superficial (the tremor) sounds like very large machinery. The breaking breaks the rock, the energy that accumulates is released; it is kinetic energy, energy in motion that is transformed into sound,” he added.

Although it is not possible to anticipate a large tremor -like the one on September 19-, Suárez Plascencia said it is positive that gusts of small earthquakes happenalso known as “seismic swarms”.

“Me I prefer to have 100 earthquakes of 2 or 3 (degrees) than one of 5 or 6, because every time it trembles in a small way, the energy is released; a larger earthquake is less likely,” he said.

Nevertheless, recommended to the population of the north and west of Zapopan:

Periodically review the structure of the dwellings.
Check that they are well built.
Carry out repairs or adaptations in vulnerable points.

The largest earthquake that caused the Tesistán fault was recorded on May 11, 2016, it was 4.8 degrees.

Geological Faults in Jalisco

According to Carlos Suárez Plascencia, these are the places in Jalisco with presence of faults in the earth’s crust leading to increased seismic activity.