M6.0 Earthquake 10 km NE of Yujing, Taiwan — January 20, 2025
2025-01-20 16:17:26 UTC (2025-01-20) · approx. 12:17 AM UTC+8 local
Felt by 243 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.2 (very strong).
On January 20, 2025 at 16:17 UTC, a magnitude 6.0 shallow crustal earthquake struck 10 km NE of Yujing, Taiwan, at a depth of 16.0 km and coordinates 23.1816°, 120.5448°. The earthquake was reported felt by 243 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.2 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 151 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 748, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Yujing (population 16,597).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 15 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 8.3 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
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 6.2 (very strong), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Strong shaking felt by everyone. Heavy furniture may move. Books fall from shelves. Plaster and chimneys may crack. Damage is generally slight in well-built structures.
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 243 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
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 4,538,155 |
| MMI 4 | light | 7,955,283 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 3,734,069 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 568,686 |
Earthquake Details
120.5448°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.0 earthquake near Yujing, Taiwan?
The magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck 10 km NE of Yujing, Taiwan on January 20, 2025 at 16:17 UTC had a depth of 16.0 km. It was felt by 243 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.2 (very strong). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 23.1816°, 120.5448°, which is 10 km NE of Yujing, Taiwan. The nearest populated place is Yujing (population 16,597). View all earthquakes in Taiwan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.0 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months 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 6.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000pl8h). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, January 20, 2025). M6.0 Earthquake 10 km NE of Yujing, Taiwan — January 20, 2025. Retrieved May 8, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000pl8h/