M5.1 Earthquake 68 km ENE of Hengchun, Taiwan — February 17, 2021
2021-02-17 18:38:48 UTC (2021-02-17) · approx. 2:38 AM UTC+8 local
Felt by 3 people across nearby locations.
On February 17, 2021 at 18:38 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 68 km ENE of Hengchun, Taiwan, at a depth of 15.6 km and coordinates 22.2255°, 121.3607°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.0 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 3 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
Earthquake Details
121.3607°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near Hengchun, Taiwan?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck 68 km ENE of Hengchun, Taiwan on February 17, 2021 at 18:38 UTC had a depth of 15.6 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 22.2255°, 121.3607°, which is 68 km ENE of Hengchun, Taiwan. View all earthquakes in Taiwan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.1 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 5.1 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000dify). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, February 17, 2021). M5.1 Earthquake 68 km ENE of Hengchun, Taiwan — February 17, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000dify/