M4.5 Earthquake 87 km ENE of Hengchun, Taiwan — March 30, 2023
2023-03-30 20:15:52 UTC (2023-03-30) · approx. 4:15 AM UTC+8 local
Felt by 2 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.5 mainshock.
On March 30, 2023 at 20:15 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 87 km ENE of Hengchun, Taiwan, at a depth of 11.7 km and coordinates 22.2207°, 121.5548°. This earthquake was detected by 62 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 312, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 767 m — 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 5.5 mainshock that occurred 7 days ago 108 km NE of Hengchun, Taiwan. 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 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 2 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
121.5548°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Hengchun, Taiwan?
The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck 87 km ENE of Hengchun, Taiwan on March 30, 2023 at 20:15 UTC had a depth of 11.7 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 22.2207°, 121.5548°, which is 87 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 4.5 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.5 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 4.5 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.5 mainshock that occurred earlier 108 km NE of Hengchun, Taiwan. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
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 4.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000k0yr). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, March 30, 2023). M4.5 Earthquake 87 km ENE of Hengchun, Taiwan — March 30, 2023. Retrieved June 3, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000k0yr/