Analysis of the Guatemalan earthquake catalog

Abstract In this paper, we study the geographic and temporal distribution of earthquakes in Guatemala, and their magnitudes, from 1526 to October 2022. We utilized the earthquake catalog of the national seismic network of Guatemala, complemented by two additional sources. First, we describe the development of the detection network and the seismic catalog. Second, we analyze the errors in the catalog and determine the quality of the focal locations, examining their distribution in time and space while separating events into shallow and deep earthquakes. Finally, we calculate seismic parameters such as annual rates of earthquakes and magnitude of completeness. The results indicate a strong variability in time and space of errors and seismic parameters that are linked to changes in the detection network. In conclusion, by highlighting the evolution of this catalog and its features, this paper underscores the importance of considering these spatial and temporal variations in future analyses of seismicity and seismic hazard in Guatemala. This topic can be of interest to other countries with similar characteristics in tectonics and detection networks.