M5.6 Earthquake 54 km E of Cortes, Philippines — September 20, 2020
2020-09-20 22:13:15 UTC (2020-09-20) · approx. 6:13 AM UTC+8 local
On September 20, 2020 at 22:13 UTC, a magnitude 5.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 54 km E of Cortes, Philippines, at a depth of 9.0 km and coordinates 9.2643°, 126.6862°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Tago (population 6,300).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 4 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 4.4 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
Nearest Populated Places
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
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 | 4,438,699 |
| MMI 4 | light | 304,025 |
Earthquake Details
126.6862°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.6 earthquake near Cortes, Philippines?
The magnitude 5.6 earthquake that struck 54 km E of Cortes, Philippines on September 20, 2020 at 22:13 UTC had a depth of 9.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 9.2643°, 126.6862°, which is 54 km E of Cortes, Philippines. The nearest populated place is Tago (population 6,300). View all earthquakes in Philippines.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.6 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks 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 5.6 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000bql2). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, September 20, 2020). M5.6 Earthquake 54 km E of Cortes, Philippines — September 20, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000bql2/