19th century earthquakes in Mexico: three cases, three comparative studies

Abstract

This paper is a comparative study of the three strongest 19th century earthquakes in Mexico and their effects and impact mainly in Mexico City. The research is based on historical sources and previous investigations already published for two of the seismic events (8 March 1800 and 19 June 1858), with newly retrieved and analysed data for the 7 April 1845 earthquake. Primary and secondary sources include reports on damage to city buildings, streets and neighbourhoods and allowed a detailed analysis of the national and local effects, impacts and responses to each of the three earthquakes, whose comparison allows a better understanding of specific aspects related to the investigation of historical earthquakes in Mexico.