M5.2 Earthquake 50 km SE of Yilan, Taiwan — February 8, 2021
2021-02-08 16:58:03 UTC (2021-02-08) · approx. 12:58 AM UTC+8 local
Felt by 29 people across nearby locations.
On February 8, 2021 at 16:58 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 50 km SE of Yilan, Taiwan, at a depth of 29.8 km and coordinates 24.4058°, 122.0654°. The earthquake was reported felt by 29 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.9 (light). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Yilan (population 94,188).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.3 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Taiwan, a region characterized by the collision of the Luzon volcanic arc with the Eurasian continental margin, where the Philippine Sea Plate converges at 80 mm per year. View all earthquakes in Taiwan.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Nearest Populated Places
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 29 citizen responses 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
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 16,340,603 |
| MMI 4 | light | 938,423 |
Earthquake Details
122.0654°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Yilan, Taiwan?
The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck 50 km SE of Yilan, Taiwan on February 8, 2021 at 16:58 UTC had a depth of 29.8 km. It was felt by 29 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.9 (light). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 24.4058°, 122.0654°, which is 50 km SE of Yilan, Taiwan. The nearest populated place is Yilan (population 94,188). View all earthquakes in Taiwan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.2 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Has Taiwan had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Taiwan was the M7.6 Chi-Chi earthquake of September 21, 1999. Today's magnitude 5.2 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000dfmm). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, February 8, 2021). M5.2 Earthquake 50 km SE of Yilan, Taiwan — February 8, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000dfmm/