By Joseph Toone
Not far afield from San Miguel de Allende in the last week have been 3 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or above and 6 earthquakes between 3.0 and 4.0! A rise in tremors indicates the birth of new volcano and vast confusion in the scientific community.
On Saturday morning a quake originated in the nearby town of San Felipe with aftershocks felt here around 9AM and continuing through the Labor Day weekend. Well, the aftershocks were not felt by me or my dog who is suppose to anticipate such things, but by others more sensitive to platonic movements.
Even at the epicenter the quake it did no significant damage beyond broken windows and fallen objects but still, what’s up?
Scientists are considering the possibility that increased seismic activity could be the precursor to the birth of a new volcano. Earthquakes are associated with the movement of magma that doesn’t always reach the Earth’s surface.
Other tell-tale signs of the birth of a new volcano include sulfur odors, animals migrating to new and unusual locations and dried up vegetation in your garden as the soil temperatures rise.
Aside: On September 19th is the anniversary of the devastating 1985 Mexico City earthquake killing over 5,000 people. Be aware that at the time of quake public buildings must participate in an earthquake drill evacuating all occupants so we know how to leave in an orderly fashion in honor of the victims. It can be very confusing to be grocery shopping and suddenly hear alarms as everyone leaves the premise if you aren’t expecting it.
The oldest volcano in the Americas is just behind the mall called Cerro Palo Huérfano. Once the continents separated off from the island known as Pangea, it was the first volcano to erupt in the America. Long dormant it is a steep hike up what is still very obviously a volcano.
Today San Miguel de Allende is heart of Mexico being where the revolution against Spain started. We’re also Mexico’s most romantic city for being built upon pink quartz which normally prevents us from feeling tremors. If you are at one of the big box stores on the outskirts of town you’ll feel quakes as the vibrations travel in the waters of the nearby lake.
by Joseph Toone
- TripAdvisor’s top tour guide with History and Culture Walking Tours and Joseph Toone Tours.
- Amazon’s best selling author of the San Miguel de Allende Secrets books.
- Author of the Maria Dolls coloring book helping indigenous doll makers.
- Creator of San Miguel de Allende Secrets YouTube channel with over 100 videos and 1,500 views monthly.
- International speaker on the Power of the Feminine in San Miguel de Allende.
