Background on the Region and Relevant Figures
Montemorelos, a municipality in the Mexican state of Nuevo León, has recently experienced seismic activity. Juan Carlos Montalvo Arrieta, an investigator from the Faculty of Earth Sciences at the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL), has been studying a potential geothermal fault in the Galeana area. His research stems from a postgraduate thesis that identified this fault, which has raised concerns about possible larger earthquakes.
Recent Seismic Events
On May 11, a magnitude 4.5 earthquake was recorded near Montemorelos, approximately 18 kilometers from the municipality. This event triggered alarm among more than half of Nuevo León’s municipalities due to the sudden release of energy. In response, sismologists from UANL are examining whether this fault could be responsible for generating more significant seismic activity in the future.
Limited Sismic Monitoring in the Monterrey Metropolitan Area
Montalvo Arrieta pointed out that while the Greater Mexico City area has around 200 real-time seismic monitoring stations, the Monterrey metropolitan area only has six functioning stations. These are located in the Faculty of Earth Sciences at UANL, Linares municipality, and Mederos, south of Monterrey.
The Santo Domingo Fault: A Potential Threat
The Santo Domingo fault, situated in Galeana (southern Nuevo León), could potentially cause larger earthquakes affecting both the Monterrey metropolitan area and Saltillo, Coahuila. This fault was identified following a series of earthquakes in 2023.
Santo Domingo Fault Activity
Montalvo Arrieta led a postgraduate thesis on the Santo Domingo fault, with findings published in an international scientific journal. The fault is segmented into five parts, with the largest stretching 11 kilometers. If one segment activates, it could produce a magnitude 5 earthquake; however, if all five segments rupture simultaneously, the event could reach up to magnitude 7 on the Richter scale.
The Santo Domingo fault is approximately 100 kilometers from the Monterrey metropolitan area and around 70-80 kilometers from Saltillo. This distance is comparable to the 2017 September 19 earthquake’s epicenter between Morelos and Puebla, which caused significant damage in Mexico City despite being over 130 kilometers away.
Scientific Investigation and Historical Context
The scientific community is now interested in determining if the Santo Domingo fault is active. Researchers are analyzing geophysical, topographical, and geological indicators alongside paleoseismological studies to reconstruct the region’s seismic history based on ground traces.
One significant historical reference is the 1841 Punta Santa Elena earthquake near Nuevo León’s borders with Coahuila and Zacatecas. UNAM’s Geophysics Institute found historical references to this event, located near a previously mapped fault, supporting the hypothesis of seismic activity linked to structures in Nuevo León’s northeastern region.
Seismic Risk in Nuevo León
Although Nuevo León is far from tectonic plate boundaries like Cocos or the San Andreas fault—responsible for Mexico’s most destructive earthquakes in 1985 and 2017—recent studies have identified geothermal faults in northeastern Mexico, including one south of Nuevo León that may pose a greater risk than previously anticipated.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the Santo Domingo fault? It’s a geological structure in Galeana, Nuevo León, which could potentially trigger larger earthquakes affecting Monterrey and Saltillo.
- Why are scientists concerned about this fault? Recent seismic events and the discovery of the Santo Domingo fault during postgraduate research have raised concerns about its potential to cause more significant earthquakes.
- How are scientists investigating the fault’s activity? Researchers are analyzing geological, topographical, and geophysical indicators along with paleoseismological studies to understand the fault’s history and current activity.
- What is the significance of the Santo Domingo fault’s distance from Monterrey? The fault is approximately 100 kilometers away from the Monterrey metropolitan area, similar to the 2017 earthquake’s epicenter, which still caused significant damage in Mexico City.
