M5.0 Earthquake 178 km ESE of Sarangani, Philippines — December 28, 2020
2020-12-28 04:46:17 UTC (2020-12-28) · approx. 12:46 PM UTC+8 local
On December 28, 2020 at 04:46 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 intermediate depth earthquake struck 178 km ESE of Sarangani, Philippines, at a depth of 96.3 km and coordinates 4.5718°, 126.8416°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
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
Earthquake Details
126.8416°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Sarangani, Philippines?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 178 km ESE of Sarangani, Philippines on December 28, 2020 at 04:46 UTC had a depth of 96.3 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 4.5718°, 126.8416°, which is 178 km ESE of Sarangani, Philippines. View all earthquakes in Philippines.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
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 5.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000d3kr). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 28, 2020). M5.0 Earthquake 178 km ESE of Sarangani, Philippines — December 28, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000d3kr/