M4.9 Earthquake 42 km ENE of Santa Maria, Philippines — March 17, 2025
2025-03-17 15:41:51 UTC (2025-03-17) · approx. 11:41 PM UTC+8 local
Felt by 5 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.3 mainshock.
On March 17, 2025 at 15:41 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 42 km ENE of Santa Maria, Philippines, at a depth of 35.0 km and coordinates 8.0892°, 126.8133°. This earthquake was detected by 111 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 371, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 km — 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 5.3 mainshock that occurred 2 days ago 23 km E of Kinablangan, Philippines. 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 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 5 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
126.8133°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Santa Maria, Philippines?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 42 km ENE of Santa Maria, Philippines on March 17, 2025 at 15:41 UTC had a depth of 35.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 8.0892°, 126.8133°, which is 42 km ENE of Santa Maria, Philippines. View all earthquakes in Philippines.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.3 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 4.9 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.3 mainshock that occurred earlier 23 km E of Kinablangan, Philippines. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
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 4.9 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000pzc5). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, March 17, 2025). M4.9 Earthquake 42 km ENE of Santa Maria, Philippines — March 17, 2025. Retrieved May 17, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000pzc5/