M4.9 Earthquake 23 km NE of Barcelona, Philippines — March 31, 2024
2024-03-31 21:16:43 UTC (2024-03-31) · approx. 5:16 AM UTC+8 local
Felt by 3 people across nearby locations.
On March 31, 2024 at 21:16 UTC, a magnitude 4.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck 23 km NE of Barcelona, Philippines, at a depth of 52.1 km and coordinates 8.3237°, 126.5627°. This earthquake was detected by 124 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 371, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 338 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.4 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 3 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
126.5627°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.9 earthquake near Barcelona, Philippines?
The magnitude 4.9 earthquake that struck 23 km NE of Barcelona, Philippines on March 31, 2024 at 21:16 UTC had a depth of 52.1 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 8.3237°, 126.5627°, which is 23 km NE of Barcelona, Philippines. View all earthquakes in Philippines.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.9 earthquakes can continue for several days 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 4.9 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000m940). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, March 31, 2024). M4.9 Earthquake 23 km NE of Barcelona, Philippines — March 31, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000m940/