M5.2 Earthquake 46 km SSW of Hualien City, Taiwan — March 21, 2023
2023-03-21 01:45:20 UTC (2023-03-21) · approx. 9:45 AM UTC+8 local
Felt by 12 people across nearby locations.
On March 21, 2023 at 01:45 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 46 km SSW of Hualien City, Taiwan, at a depth of 8.3 km and coordinates 23.6144°, 121.3650°. This earthquake was detected by 76 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 420, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.3 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 12 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
121.3650°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Hualien City, Taiwan?
The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck 46 km SSW of Hualien City, Taiwan on March 21, 2023 at 01:45 UTC had a depth of 8.3 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 23.6144°, 121.3650°, which is 46 km SSW of Hualien City, Taiwan. View all earthquakes in Taiwan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.2 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks 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 5.2 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000jlkc). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, March 21, 2023). M5.2 Earthquake 46 km SSW of Hualien City, Taiwan — March 21, 2023. Retrieved May 26, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000jlkc/