Taiwan earthquakes

M4.2 earthquake 38 km S of Yilan, Taiwan

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck 38 km S of Yilan, Taiwan on Tue, Aug 15, 1978, 12:50 AM GMT+8 (16:50 UTC), 17 km (11 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M4.8 42 km S of Hualien City, Taiwan. This one was a foreshock.

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Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 4.2 (mb), light
Local time: Tue, Aug 15, 1978, 12:50 AM GMT+8
UTC: 1978-08-14 16:50:12 UTC
Depth: 17.0 km (10.6 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 24.410° N, 121.742° E
Region: Taiwan
Tsunami flag: No
Status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Stations used: 14

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 13 in the 60 days after this one and 2 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today Taiwan earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0000w2b (also filed as iscgemsup678035). Read Wed, Sep 23, 2026, 3:20 AM UTC.