M5.7 Earthquake 12 km W of Talisay, Philippines — September 26, 2021
2021-09-26 17:12:05 UTC (2021-09-26) · approx. 1:12 AM UTC+8 local
Felt by 211 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 5.2 (strong).
On September 26, 2021 at 17:12 UTC, a magnitude 5.7 intermediate depth earthquake struck 12 km W of Talisay, Philippines, at a depth of 83.0 km and coordinates 13.8941°, 120.5097°. The earthquake was reported felt by 211 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 5.2 (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 Laurel (population 9,720).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 5 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 5.2 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
Nearest Populated Places
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 5.2 (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 211 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 | 10,247,987 |
| MMI 4 | light | 31,837,332 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 833,347 |
Earthquake Details
120.5097°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.7 earthquake near Talisay, Philippines?
The magnitude 5.7 earthquake that struck 12 km W of Talisay, Philippines on September 26, 2021 at 17:12 UTC had a depth of 83.0 km. It was felt by 211 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 5.2 (strong). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 13.8941°, 120.5097°, which is 12 km W of Talisay, Philippines. The nearest populated place is Laurel (population 9,720). View all earthquakes in Philippines.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.7 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 5.7 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000fen1). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, September 26, 2021). M5.7 Earthquake 12 km W of Talisay, Philippines — September 26, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000fen1/