The earthquake that shook the port of Manzanillo made the sea rise today September 19, it is reported that the magnitude was of 7.7.
The earthquake happened this Monday afternoon, and it activated the seismic alert for a possible tsunami on the Mexican Pacific coast, however, it was cleared by the authorities that a Tsunami did not take place.
At around 3:54 p.m., the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) reported a “sea level rise” registered in Manzanillo, Colima.
According to the UNAM report, the maximum amplitude recorded was over one meter: 124 centimeters
“Monitoring stations in the region near the earthquake in the Mexican Pacific recorded a sea level rise. The Manzanillo station detected a maximum amplitude of 124 centimeters,” UNAM reported through its Twitter profile.
Tsunami has been ruled out
Despite the swell variations, the formation of a tsunami has been ruled out so far. Civil Protection of Colima reported that there is no possibility of this event occurring, “although swell variations are expected, we reiterate to avoid approaching the beaches,” it wrote on its social networks.
According to information from the Mexican government, an earthquake is the main cause of tsunamis. For an earthquake to cause a tsunami, the seabed must be abruptly moved vertically pushing the ocean out of its normal equilibrium.
When this immense mass of water tries to regain its equilibrium, waves are generated. The size of the tsunami is determined by the magnitude of the vertical deformation of the seafloor. Not all earthquakes generate tsunamis, but only those of considerable magnitude, which occur under the seabed and are capable of deforming it.
