By Paola Velasco
If we reflect on lyrics of the national anthem of Mexico, “…and the center of the earth trembles at the loud roar of the cannon,” written by Jaime Nunó in 1854, it is not surprising that we Mexicans have a close relationship with earthquakes, particularly on September 19.
That’s right. Once again Mexico rocked on September 19, a date marked by tragedy and fear: this is the third tremor to shake the country on the same day. The other two were in 1985 and 2017. Of course, there are all kinds of speculation and theories about why. What is certain is that the probability of this happening again exists, but is very low.
The National Seismological System of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) said that the coincidence deserves to be studied «with seriousness and methodology,” since in science there are always new questions to answer.
This runs contrary to the esoteric theories that multiplied on social networks to “explain” this phenomenon. Network users launched memes and humorous comments about the coincidence of three earthquakes on the same date. References to the «earthquake season” and modifying the month to“Septremor” abounded.
Although earthquakes in Mexico have been recorded at different times of the year, the fact that three of the largest have occurred on this date and at least another two on September 7 have left an imprint on the collective memory that September is «earthquake season.”
In the last 50 years, 13 major earthquakes have been recorded on different dates and in different parts of Mexico.
References: www.unam.mx
