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Strong mag. 6.1 earthquake - Taiwan Region on Thursday, 10 December 2020 at 13:19 (GMT) - information

Strong mag. 6.1 Earthquake - - 26 km E of Yilan, Taiwan, on Thursday, Dec 10, 2020, at 09:19 pm (Taipei time)

A very strong magnitude 6.1 earthquake occurred in the Philippine Sea near the coast of  Taiwan in the evening of Thursday, Dec 10, 2020 at 9.19 pm local time (Asia/Taipei GMT +8). The quake had a shallow depth of 67 km (42 mi) and was felt widely in the area. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would.

Strong mag. 6.1 Earthquake - - 26 km E of Yilan, Taiwan, on Thursday, Dec 10, 2020, at 09:19 pm (Taipei time) Strong mag. 6.1 Earthquake - - 26 km E of Yilan, Taiwan, on Thursday, Dec 10, 2020, at 09:19 pm (Taipei time)
Strong magnitude 6.1 earthquake at 67 km depth
10 Dec 13:26 UTC: First to report: GFZ after 6 minutes.
10 Dec 13:27: Magnitude recalculated from 6.2 to 6.1. Hypocenter depth recalculated from 61.0 to 67.0 km (from 38 to 42 mi). Epicenter location corrected by 3.2 km (2 mi) towards ENE.
10 Dec 13:32: Epicenter location corrected by 7.5 km (4.7 mi) towards NE.
Update Thu, 10 Dec 2020, 13:30

Significant 6.1 quake hits near Yilan, Taiwan

6.1 quake Taiwan Region 10 Dec 9:19 pm (GMT +8)
6.1 quake Taiwan Region 10 Dec 9:19 pm (GMT +8)
The German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ) reported a magnitude 6.1 quake in Taiwan near Yilan, Taiwan, only 10 minutes ago. The earthquake hit in the evening on Thursday 10 December 2020 at 9:19 pm local time at a moderately shallow depth of 67 km. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their report.
A second report was later issued by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), which listed it as a magnitude 5.9 earthquake.
Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake was probably felt by many people in the area of the epicenter. It should not have caused significant damage, other than objects falling from shelves, broken windows, etc.
In Yilan (pop. 94,200) located 30 km from the epicenter, Keelung (pop. 397,500) 57 km away, Taipei (pop. 7,871,900) 65 km away, Banciao (pop. 543,300) 68 km away, Daxi (pop. 84,500) 79 km away, Taoyuan City (pop. 402,000) 82 km away, Hualien City (pop. 350,500) 91 km away, Hsinchu (pop. 404,100) 109 km away, and Puli (pop. 86,400) 135 km away, the quake should have been felt as light shaking.
VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update magnitude and depth if these change and follow up if other significant news about the quake become available. If you're in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.
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Earthquake details

Date & timeDec 10, 2020 13:19:58 UTC
Local time at epicenterThursday, Dec 10, 2020, at 09:19 pm (Asia/Taipei GMT +8)
StatusConfirmed
Magnitude6.1
Depth67.0 km
Epicenter latitude / longitude24.73°N / 122.1°E Philippine Sea, Taiwan
Also near: Japan 90 km (56 mi) away
Seismic antipode24.73°S / 57.9°W Paraguay
Shaking intensityModerate shaking near epicenter
Felt39 reports
Primary data sourceGFZ (German Research Centre for Geosciences)
Nearest volcanoKueishantao (23 km / 14 mi)
Weather at epicenter at time of quakeOvercast Clouds 21.7°C (71 F), humidity: 99%, wind: 9 m/s (18 kts) from NE
Estimated seismic energy released8.9 x 1013 joules (24.8 gigawatt hours, equivalent to 21301 tons of TNT or 1.3 atomic bombs!) | about seismic energy
Interactive map
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Nearby places

The closest larger town where the quake might have been felt is Taipei, the capital of  Taiwan with 7,900,000 inhabitants, in 67 km (42 mi) distance northwest of the epicenter. People likely experienced moderate shaking there. Several smaller towns and villages are located closer to the epicenter and might have experienced stronger shaking.
The following table shows some of the places that might have been affected (or not) by the shaking.
Distance Place Max. shaking intensity(*) Region Country
35 km (22 mi)
W of epicenter
Yilan
(pop: 94,200)
V: Moderate
Taiwan
57 km (36 mi)
NW of epicenter
Keelung
(pop: 397,500)
V: Moderate
Taiwan
67 km (42 mi)
NW of epicenter
Taipei
(pop: 7,871,900)
V: Moderate
Taiwan
71 km (44 mi)
NW of epicenter
Banciao
(pop: 543,300)
IV: Light
New Taipei, Taipei
84 km (52 mi)
W of epicenter
Daxi
(pop: 84,500)
IV: Light
Taoyuan, Taiwan
86 km (54 mi)
W of epicenter
Taoyuan City
(pop: 402,000)
IV: Light
Taoyuan, Taiwan
98 km (61 mi)
SW of epicenter
Hualien City
(pop: 350,500)
IV: Light
Hualien, Taiwan
115 km (71 mi)
W of epicenter
Hsinchu
(pop: 404,100)
IV: Light
Taiwan
143 km (89 mi)
SW of epicenter
Puli
(pop: 86,400)
IV: Light
Nantou, Taiwan
297 km (185 mi)
SW of epicenter
Kaohsiung City
(pop: 1,519,700)
III: Weak
Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung
Notes:
(*) Shaking intensity according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) and estimated using seismic models.

User-reports for this quake (41)

We received 41 reports for this quake.
User reports estimate the perceived ground shaking intensity according to the MMI (Modified Mercalli Intensity) scale.
Contribute:
Leave a comment if you find a particular report interesting or want to add to it.
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Send your own user report!
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Taipei / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Another day im Taiwan | 5 users found this interesting.  
Da'an District, Sec 3, Roosevelt Rd / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 10-15 s : First time experiencing earthquake in Taiwan. It started with a rocking to and fro motion before it became | 3 users found this interesting.  
Taipei city Xinyi / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : The feeling of dizzyness is what hits first and then a short time when one is trying to understand what is going on. This shake was pretty heavy, we could see our own building moving from side to side. | 3 users found this interesting.  
Hsinchu City Taiwan / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging : It was terrible and made me shakes too. | 4 users found this interesting.  
Taipei, Da'an District / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : We were alarmed, and we woke up. Nothing actually broke though. I would say it was between the descriptions for light and moderate shaking.  
Taipei City, Songshan District, Minsheng East Rd. / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : lamps on ceiling swinging, water in pond gushing over edge, stronger vibration than usual quakes. However: no damages  
Taipei. Muzha / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s
BeiAn Street, Taipei City / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : It's quite alarming and it felt so long  
Taipei. Muzha / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s
hong kong / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s
Luodong Taiwan / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 20-30 s
Mioali / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump
Taipei city, NTUST / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / 15-20 s
portmoody / not felt / horizontal (sideways) swinging : no  
Taipei / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 15-20 s : Taking bus back from work in Taipei near Taipei 101.  
Taipei. Muzha / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s
Sanxia District / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 10-15 s
Taipei City / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s
taipei / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 10-15 s
Taipei / Very strong shaking (MMI VII)
Taipei / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s
Hong Kong / not felt
Xiamen / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s
taichung / Light shaking (MMI IV)
Taipei / Moderate shaking (MMI V)
Hsinchu City / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 15-20 s
Hsinchu, Taiwan / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s
Taipei / Moderate shaking (MMI V)
Taipei, Shih lin district / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s
Nanching shanmin / Very strong shaking (MMI VII)
Zhunan Township / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s
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What is Intensity and the Mercalli Intensity Scale?


The amount of shaking that occurs on the surface due to an earthquake is called the intensity. It is commonly measured on the so-called Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale (MMI) ranging from 1 (not felt) to 10 (extreme shaking), and given in Roman numerals as I,II,...IX, X, and often displayed with color codes ranging from light blue to dark red.
Earthquake intensity depends mainly on the magnitude and depth of the quake as well as the distance from the epicenter: The further away, the less shaking intensity occurs.
Read more about the MMI scale!

Compare Quake Data

Data for the same earthquake as reported by different agencies

The more agencies report about the same quake and post similar data, the more confidence you can have in the data. It takes normally up to a few hours until earthquake parameters are calculated with near-optimum precision.
Mag Depth Time GMT
2020-12-10
Epicenter Agency
6.1 67 km
42 mi
13:19:58 - 26 km E of Yilan, Taiwan GFZ (German Research Centre for Geosciences)
6.2 71 km
44 mi
13:19:58 6.1 TAIWAN
2.4 km (1.5 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
EMSC (European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre)
6.3 60 km
37 mi
13:19:59 Taiwan
19 km (12 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
BMKG (Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency of Indonesia)
6.1 73 km
45 mi
13:19:58 25 Km E of Yilan, Taiwan
9.8 km (6.1 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
USGS (United States Geological Survey)
6.2 70 km
43 mi
13:19:58 Taiwan Region
4.5 km (2.8 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
GeoAu (Geoscience Australia )
6.1 82 km
51 mi
13:19:59 Taiwan Region [Sea: Taiwan]
5.4 km (3.3 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
INGV (Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia)
5.8 80 km
50 mi
13:19:58 台湾宜兰县海域, Taiwan
11 km (6.9 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
CEIC (China Earthquake Networks Center)
6.3 0 km
0 mi
13:20:00 Taiwan Region
15 km (9.5 mi) epicenter difference with GFZ
PHIVOLCS (Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology)

Seismograms

Seismic station: Taipei, Taiwan (TATO/IU network) | Distance from quake: 67 km / 41 mi | Show on map | Station Info
Seismic station Taipei, Taiwan: vertical movement plot around time of quake (source: IRIS/BUD)
Seismogram (vertical component) around time of quake. Thin dotted red line indicates time of quake. Seismic waves arrive some time later, depending on distance. Bandpass filter applied: 0.1-10.0 Hz. Source: IRIS Buffer of Uniform Data (BUD) webtool
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5 aftershocks for this quake

For this earthquake, 5 aftershocks have been detected so far. The strongest was a magnitude 5.0 quake that hit 5 hours after the mainshock in 20 km (13 mi) distance, in Taiwan Region on Friday, Dec 11, 2020 on 02:15 am (Taipei local time GMT +8).
The most recent aftershock occurred 3 years ago TAIWAN REGION and had a magnitude of 4.6.

What are aftershocks?


Larger earthquakes (above magnitude 5 or so) such as this one are usually followed by smaller ones known as aftershocks that occur in the same area during the days, weeks, months or even years after the main shock.
[More info]

What about this quake?


Based on its magnitude, the fault that was active during the quake likely ruptured beneath a surface of approx. 126 km2 (=49 sqare miles) as a first-order estimate. The length of the rupture zone thus was probably around 19 km (12 mi).
[More info]


Recorded aftershocks, latest first (5 quakes)

Date and Time GMTMag
Depth
DistanceRegionDetails
Mar 4, 2021 10:24 pm (GMT +8)
3 years ago
12 weeks after main shock
4.6

10 km
19 km (12 mi)
E of main shock
TAIWAN REGIONMore
Jan 25, 2021 07:39 pm (GMT +8)
3 years ago
7 weeks after main shock
4.0

95 km
20 km (13 mi)
NE of main shock
台湾宜兰县海域, TaiwanMore
Jan 9, 2021 07:35 pm (Taipei)
3 years ago - felt
4 weeks after main shock
4.8

72 km
5.7 km (3.5 mi)
N of main shock
TAIWAN REGIONMore
Dec 15, 2020 02:45 am (Taipei)
3 years ago
4 days after main shock
4.4

72 km
5.5 km (3.4 mi)
SW of main shock
Taiwan RegionMore
Dec 11, 2020 02:15 am (Taipei)
3 years ago - felt
5 hours after main shock
5.0

66 km
20 km (13 mi)
S of main shock
Taiwan RegionMore
Dec 10, 2020 09:19 pm (Taipei)
3 years ago - felt
6.1

67 km
0 km - This quakePhilippine Sea, 35 km E of Yilan, Taiwan
Main Shock (this quake)
More

Map of aftershocks

Earthquake statistics

Average number of earthquakes

Based on data from the past 14 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 72 quakes on average per year in the area near the epicenter of this quake (within 100 km/61 mi):
  • Mag. 7 or higher: 0.06 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 15.6 years)
  • Mag. 6 or higher: 0.86 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 1.2 years)
  • Mag. 5 or higher: 7.1 quakes per year
  • Mag. 4 or higher: 64 quakes per year (or 5.4 quakes per month)
  • Mag. 3 or higher: 89 quakes per year (or 7.5 quakes per month)
  • Mag. 2 or higher: 153 quakes per year (or 12.7 quakes per month)
  • Mag. 1 or higher: 173 quakes per year (or 14.4 quakes per month)
The area where this quake occurred has a very high level of seismic activity. It has had at least 8 quakes above magnitude 7 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 15 to 20 years.

Number of quakes per year

Previous quakes in the same area of this earthquake

Map of earlier quakes in the area of this quake

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