M4.9 Earthquake 79 km S of Sarangani, Philippines — August 15, 2020
2020-08-15 10:53:18 UTC (2020-08-15) · approx. 6:53 PM UTC+8 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.3 mainshock.
On August 15, 2020 at 10:53 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 intermediate depth earthquake struck 79 km S of Sarangani, Philippines, at a depth of 139.4 km and coordinates 4.6843°, 125.5347°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.3 mainshock that occurred 18 days ago 96 km S of Sarangani, Philippines. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 0 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
The epicenter is located in Philippines, a region characterized by the Manila Trench and Philippine Trench subduction systems, where the Philippine Sea Plate overrides the Eurasian Plate. The nearest mapped fault system is the Philippine Fault. View all earthquakes in Philippines.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
125.5347°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Sarangani, Philippines?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 79 km S of Sarangani, Philippines on August 15, 2020 at 10:53 UTC had a depth of 139.4 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 4.6843°, 125.5347°, which is 79 km S of Sarangani, Philippines. View all earthquakes in Philippines.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.3 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 4.9 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.3 mainshock that occurred earlier 96 km S of Sarangani, Philippines. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
Has Philippines had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Philippines was the M8.0 Mindanao earthquake of August 17, 1976. Today's magnitude 4.9 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000bf5g). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, August 15, 2020). M4.9 Earthquake 79 km S of Sarangani, Philippines — August 15, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000bf5g/