M4.8 Earthquake 27 km NNE of Hualien City, Taiwan — September 21, 2024
2024-09-21 10:51:09 UTC (2024-09-21) · approx. 6:51 PM UTC+8 local
Felt by 10 people across nearby locations.
On September 21, 2024 at 10:51 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 27 km NNE of Hualien City, Taiwan, at a depth of 31.6 km and coordinates 24.2143°, 121.6895°. This earthquake was detected by 79 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 358, 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 10 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
121.6895°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Hualien City, Taiwan?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 27 km NNE of Hualien City, Taiwan on September 21, 2024 at 10:51 UTC had a depth of 31.6 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 24.2143°, 121.6895°, which is 27 km NNE of Hualien City, Taiwan. View all earthquakes in Taiwan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 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: us6000ntgm). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, September 21, 2024). M4.8 Earthquake 27 km NNE of Hualien City, Taiwan — September 21, 2024. Retrieved November 23, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000ntgm/