M4.8 Earthquake 22 km NNW of Santa Monica, Philippines — March 16, 2025
2025-03-16 01:10:28 UTC (2025-03-16) · approx. 9:10 AM UTC+8 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On March 16, 2025 at 01:10 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 22 km NNW of Santa Monica, Philippines, at a depth of 63.1 km and coordinates 10.2207°, 125.9927°. This earthquake was detected by 85 seismic stations with excellent 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 Philippines, a region characterized by the Manila Trench and Philippine Trench subduction systems, where the Philippine Sea Plate overrides the Eurasian Plate. The nearest mapped fault system is the Philippine Fault. View all earthquakes in Philippines.
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
125.9927°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake near Santa Monica, Philippines?
The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck 22 km NNW of Santa Monica, Philippines on March 16, 2025 at 01:10 UTC had a depth of 63.1 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 10.2207°, 125.9927°, which is 22 km NNW of Santa Monica, Philippines. View all earthquakes in Philippines.
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 Philippines had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Philippines was the M8.0 Mindanao earthquake of August 17, 1976. Today's magnitude 4.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000pz3n). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, March 16, 2025). M4.8 Earthquake 22 km NNW of Santa Monica, Philippines — March 16, 2025. Retrieved May 17, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000pz3n/