The USGS initially calculated the quake's magnitude at 7.5, but later downgraded it to 7.2. It said the quake was centred 22 miles (36 kilometres) northwest of the town of Tecpan de Galeana, and was 15 miles (24 kilometres) deep.
In many cases of earthquakes in Mexico, it can take time to receive word from remote areas near the epicenter, where damage could be more extensive. There were no early reports of serious damage or injuries near the epicenter in Tecpan de Galeana.
Friday's quake occurred along a section of the Pacific Coast known as the Guerrero Seismic Gap, a 125-mile (200-kilometre) section where tectonic plates meet and have been locked, meaning huge amounts of energy are being stored up with potentially devastating effects, said USGS seismologist Gavin Hayes.
The last large quake that occurred along the section was a magnitude-7.6 temblor in 1911, Hayes said.
He said scientists will be watching the area more intensely because moderate quakes such as Friday's can destabilize the surrounding sections of seismic plate and increase the chance of a more powerful temblor.
The USGS says the Guerrero Gap has the potential to produce a quake as strong as magnitude 8.4, potentially much more powerful than the magnitude-8.1 quake that killed 9,500 people and devastated large sections of Mexico City in 1985. The 1985 quake was centred 250 miles (400 kilometres) from the capital on the Pacific Coast.
Mexico City itself is vulnerable even to distant earthquakes because much of it sits atop the muddy sediments of drained lake beds that quiver as quake waves hit.
Miriam Matz, 45, gathered her suitcases and her teenage daughter to temporarily move out the apartment in the Morelos housing towers in downtown Mexico City where she has lived for five years, after brickwork and concrete slabs fell off the side of the 15-story tower, and long snaking cracks appeared on some walls during Friday's earthquake.
The sidewalk in front of the building was littered with bits of brick, glass and smashed concrete, and the area was roped off with yellow police tape.
Authorities have not forced residents to evacuate, but Matz said she would leave for safety's sake.
"We are going to spend a night or two at my sister's house, in case there are any aftershocks," she said.
In many cases of earthquakes in Mexico, it can take time to receive word from remote areas near the epicenter, where damage could be more extensive. There were no early reports of serious damage or injuries near the epicenter in Tecpan de Galeana.
Friday's quake occurred along a section of the Pacific Coast known as the Guerrero Seismic Gap, a 125-mile (200-kilometre) section where tectonic plates meet and have been locked, meaning huge amounts of energy are being stored up with potentially devastating effects, said USGS seismologist Gavin Hayes.
The last large quake that occurred along the section was a magnitude-7.6 temblor in 1911, Hayes said.
He said scientists will be watching the area more intensely because moderate quakes such as Friday's can destabilize the surrounding sections of seismic plate and increase the chance of a more powerful temblor.
The USGS says the Guerrero Gap has the potential to produce a quake as strong as magnitude 8.4, potentially much more powerful than the magnitude-8.1 quake that killed 9,500 people and devastated large sections of Mexico City in 1985. The 1985 quake was centred 250 miles (400 kilometres) from the capital on the Pacific Coast.
Mexico City itself is vulnerable even to distant earthquakes because much of it sits atop the muddy sediments of drained lake beds that quiver as quake waves hit.
Miriam Matz, 45, gathered her suitcases and her teenage daughter to temporarily move out the apartment in the Morelos housing towers in downtown Mexico City where she has lived for five years, after brickwork and concrete slabs fell off the side of the 15-story tower, and long snaking cracks appeared on some walls during Friday's earthquake.
The sidewalk in front of the building was littered with bits of brick, glass and smashed concrete, and the area was roped off with yellow police tape.
Authorities have not forced residents to evacuate, but Matz said she would leave for safety's sake.
"We are going to spend a night or two at my sister's house, in case there are any aftershocks," she said.
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