M6.5 Earthquake 96 km SE of Lugu, Taiwan — September 17, 2022
2022-09-17 13:41:17 UTC (2022-09-17) · approx. 9:41 PM UTC+8 local
Felt by 146 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.7 (very strong).
On September 17, 2022 at 13:41 UTC, a magnitude 6.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 96 km SE of Lugu, Taiwan, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 23.1191°, 121.4138°. The earthquake was reported felt by 146 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.7 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 178 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 749, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Taitung (population 0).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 18 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 6.7 (very strong), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Strong shaking felt by everyone. Heavy furniture may move. Books fall from shelves. Plaster and chimneys may crack. Damage is generally slight in well-built structures.
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 146 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 | 1,375,694 |
| MMI 4 | light | 12,848,895 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 2,085,795 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 74,172 |
| MMI 7 | very strong | 11,356 |
Earthquake Details
121.4138°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.5 earthquake near Lugu, Taiwan?
The magnitude 6.5 earthquake that struck 96 km SE of Lugu, Taiwan on September 17, 2022 at 13:41 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. It was felt by 146 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.7 (very strong). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 23.1191°, 121.4138°, which is 96 km SE of Lugu, Taiwan. The nearest populated place is Taitung (population 0). View all earthquakes in Taiwan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.5 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 6.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000i8ui). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, September 17, 2022). M6.5 Earthquake 96 km SE of Lugu, Taiwan — September 17, 2022. Retrieved April 11, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000i8ui/