M6.1 Earthquake 27 km E of Yilan, Taiwan — December 10, 2020
2020-12-10 13:19:58 UTC (2020-12-10) · approx. 9:19 PM UTC+8 local
Felt by 189 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 5.1 (strong).
On December 10, 2020 at 13:19 UTC, a magnitude 6.1 intermediate depth earthquake struck 27 km E of Yilan, Taiwan, at a depth of 71.0 km and coordinates 24.7818°, 122.0243°. The earthquake was reported felt by 189 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 5.1 (strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Yilan (population 94,188).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 21 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 9.7 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 5.1 (strong), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Moderate shaking that everyone in the area would feel. Sleeping people are awakened. Dishes and windows may break. Unstable objects may be knocked over.
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 189 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 | 5,709,723 |
| MMI 4 | light | 16,045,902 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 1,291,878 |
Earthquake Details
122.0243°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.1 earthquake near Yilan, Taiwan?
The magnitude 6.1 earthquake that struck 27 km E of Yilan, Taiwan on December 10, 2020 at 13:19 UTC had a depth of 71.0 km. It was felt by 189 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 5.1 (strong). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 24.7818°, 122.0243°, which is 27 km E of Yilan, Taiwan. The nearest populated place is Yilan (population 94,188). View all earthquakes in Taiwan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.1 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 6.1 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000cpqz). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 10, 2020). M6.1 Earthquake 27 km E of Yilan, Taiwan — December 10, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000cpqz/