M6.0 Earthquake near 2025 Taitung, Taiwan Earthquake — 24 December 2025
A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.0 was recorded near 2025 Taitung, Taiwan Earthquake on , at a focal depth of 10.0 km.
Time (UTC): 2025-12-24 09:47:06
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 6.0 (strong)
Focal depth: 10.0 km (shallow)
Epicentre: 22.8505, 121.2070
Location: 2025 Taitung, Taiwan Earthquake
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Not linked
Review status: Reviewed
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Strong earthquakes can cause significant damage in populated areas within roughly 100 km of the epicentre, particularly to older masonry buildings. Landslides and liquefaction become a real risk in susceptible ground.
A magnitude 6.0 earthquake radiates roughly 15,080 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 600, which is below the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 22.8505, 121.2070. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.3 earthquake 6 km north-northeast of here on 24 December 2025.
Why the 10 km depth matters
At 10 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can produce strong, widely felt shaking. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.
What does the tsunami information flag mean?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M6.0 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →
Aftershocks and local seismic history
1 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.3.
150 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.7 event near Yilan on 27 December 2025. This M6.0 event released about 11 times less energy than that event.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the December 2025 worldwide record. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.3 earthquake near Yujing, Taiwan — (6 km NNE)
- M4.5 earthquake near Yujing, Taiwan — (35 km NE)
- M4.9 earthquake near Hualien City, Taiwan — (50 km NNE)
- M4.4 earthquake near Hualien City, Taiwan — (54 km NE)
- M5.1 earthquake near Hualien City, Taiwan — (54 km NNE)
- M4.3 earthquake near Hualien City, Taiwan — (56 km NNE)
- M4.6 earthquake near Yujing, Taiwan — (75 km WNW)
- M4.5 earthquake near Yujing, Taiwan — (78 km WNW)
- M4.5 earthquake near Yujing, Taiwan — (79 km WNW)
- M4.4 earthquake near Hualien City, Taiwan — (82 km NNE)
Other magnitude 6 earthquakes worldwide
- M5.9 earthquake near Colonia, Micronesia —
- M5.8 earthquake near Kermadec Islands region —
- M5.9 earthquake near Kermadec Islands region —
- M5.9 earthquake near Brisas Barra de Suchiate, Mexico —
- M5.8 earthquake near Ust’-Kamchatsk Staryy, Russia —
- M5.8 earthquake near Oula Xiuma, China —
- M5.8 earthquake near Atka, Alaska —
- M5.8 earthquake near Atka, Alaska —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 6.0 earthquake?
Strong earthquakes can cause significant damage in populated areas within roughly 100 km of the epicentre, particularly to older masonry buildings. Landslides and liquefaction become a real risk in susceptible ground. A magnitude 6.0 earthquake radiates roughly 15,080 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near 2025 Taitung?
At 10 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.
Was the M6.0 earthquake near 2025 Taitung felt?
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can produce strong, widely felt shaking. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.
What does the USGS tsunami field mean for this event?
The USGS record does not carry a link to NOAA tsunami information. That field is not an all-clear and does not state whether a tsunami occurred. In this case, a damaging tsunami would be less likely because at M6.0 it falls below the magnitude 6.5 threshold that generally applies before a submarine earthquake displaces enough water to generate a damaging tsunami; it occurred inland rather than beneath the sea floor. For an active coastal alert, use tsunami.gov or your local warning authority.
Have there been aftershocks?
1 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 4.3.
How often do earthquakes happen near 2025 Taitung?
150 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 6.7 event near Yilan on 27 December 2025. This M6.0 event released about 11 times less energy than that event.