Incredible Mexico 1985: Destruction at a Distance

The Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés decided in 1521 to build the new capital of Mexico on the grounds of a legendary city of México-Tenochtitlan, on an island in Lake Texcoco. The astonishing dramatic consequences of this decision became obvious in 1985. On September 19, an earthquake of magnitude 8.5 occurred close to the western coast of Mexico. The earthquake caused an unprecedented catastrophe in Mexico City, more than 350 km from the epicentre! The damage was mainly due to unconsolidated water-saturated lake sediments. The earthquake changed the political and economic situation of Mexico and its consequences are present even today.