M5.0 Earthquake 7 km SW of Tingloy, Philippines — December 16, 2022
2022-12-16 11:00:46 UTC (2022-12-16) · approx. 7:00 PM UTC+8 local
Felt by 3 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.3 mainshock.
On December 16, 2022 at 11:00 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 intermediate depth earthquake struck 7 km SW of Tingloy, Philippines, at a depth of 139.7 km and coordinates 13.6187°, 120.8179°. This earthquake was detected by 106 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 386, placing it among routine seismic activity.
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.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.3 mainshock that occurred 29 days ago 7 km ENE of Mamburao, 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 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
120.8179°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake near Tingloy, Philippines?
The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck 7 km SW of Tingloy, Philippines on December 16, 2022 at 11:00 UTC had a depth of 139.7 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 13.6187°, 120.8179°, which is 7 km SW of Tingloy, 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.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.3 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 5.0 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.3 mainshock that occurred earlier 7 km ENE of Mamburao, 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 5.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000j9pe). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, December 16, 2022). M5.0 Earthquake 7 km SW of Tingloy, Philippines — December 16, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000j9pe/