M4.5 Earthquake 21 km SSE of Hualien City, Taiwan — August 31, 2024
2024-08-31 18:21:42 UTC (2024-08-31) · approx. 2:21 AM UTC+8 local
Felt by 4 people across nearby locations.
On August 31, 2024 at 18:21 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 21 km SSE of Hualien City, Taiwan, at a depth of 24.5 km and coordinates 23.8035°, 121.6994°. This earthquake was detected by 151 seismic stations with excellent 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.
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 4 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
121.6994°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Hualien City, Taiwan?
The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck 21 km SSE of Hualien City, Taiwan on August 31, 2024 at 18:21 UTC had a depth of 24.5 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 23.8035°, 121.6994°, which is 21 km SSE of Hualien City, 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.
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: us6000nnwq). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, August 31, 2024). M4.5 Earthquake 21 km SSE of Hualien City, Taiwan — August 31, 2024. Retrieved November 9, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000nnwq/