M4.8 Earthquake 58 km NNE of Hengchun, Taiwan — December 22, 2022
2022-12-22 04:36:30 UTC (2022-12-22) · approx. 12:36 PM UTC+8 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On December 22, 2022 at 04:36 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 58 km NNE of Hengchun, Taiwan, at a depth of 17.8 km and coordinates 22.4644°, 121.0166°. This earthquake was detected by 34 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 355, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 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 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
121.0166°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Hengchun, Taiwan?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 58 km NNE of Hengchun, Taiwan on December 22, 2022 at 04:36 UTC had a depth of 17.8 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 22.4644°, 121.0166°, which is 58 km NNE of Hengchun, Taiwan. View all earthquakes in Taiwan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 earthquakes can continue for several days 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 4.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000jb0d). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, December 22, 2022). M4.8 Earthquake 58 km NNE of Hengchun, Taiwan — December 22, 2022. Retrieved February 28, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000jb0d/