M5.9 earthquake 12 km WNW of Paracelis, Philippines
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck 12 km WNW of Paracelis, Philippines on Thu, Jun 18, 1987, 6:01 PM GMT+8 (10:01 UTC), 43 km (27 mi) below the surface.
Map
Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Magnitude
- 5.9 (Mw, moment), moderate
- Magnitude from
- USGS National Earthquake Information Center
- Local time
- UTC
- 1987-06-18 10:01:07 UTC
- Depth
- 42.8 km (26.6 mi), shallow
- Epicenter
- 17.291° N, 121.356° E
- Region
- Philippines
- Strongest shaking
- VI, strong shaking
- Tsunami flag
- No
- Status
- Reviewed by a seismologist
Magnitude estimates
Different scales measure different things and differ by a few tenths. The USGS marks one as preferred, and it is the one this page uses.
| Mag. | Scale | Computed by | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.9 | Mw, moment | USGS National Earthquake Information Center | Preferred · Reviewed |
| 5.88 | Mw, moment | ISC-GEM global catalog | Final · ±0.1 |
| 5.9 | Mwc, centroid moment | Global CMT project | Preliminary |
What happened
The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.
Eight people killed, five injured, one missing and five houses damaged from landslides. Felt (V RF) in the epicentral area; (IV RF) at Baguio; (III RF) at Manila and Cagayan; (II RF) at Santa and Tuguegarao. CENTROID, MOMENT TENSOR (HRV) Data Used: GDSN L.P.B.: 11S, 31C Centroid Location: Origin Time 10:01: 6.7 0.3 Lat 17.21N 0.04 Lon 121.36E 0.05 Dep 15.0 FIX Half-duration 4.0 Moment Tensor; Scale 10**17 Nm Mrr=1.37 0.30 Mtt=-6.79 0.26 Mff=5.42 0.39 Mrt=-0.13 0.95 Mrf=-1.42 0.63 Mtf=-4.94 0.29 Principal Axes: (T) Val=7.44 Plg=12 Azm=71 (N) Val=1.13 Plg=77 Azm=235 (P) Val=-8.57 Plg=3 Azm=340 Best Double Couple:Mo=8.0*10**17 NP1:Strike=115 Dip=79 Slip=174 NP2:Strike=206 Dip=84 Slip=11
From the USGS event page for usp00035w5. U.S. Geological Survey text and figures are in the public domain.
Shaking
The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.
- Strongest estimated
- VI, strong shaking
- Peak ground acceleration
- 11.1% of gravity
- Peak ground velocity
- 1.8 cm/s
- Map
- Automatic
Did you feel it?
No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.
Fault motion and ground failure
How the rock slipped, from the moment tensor, and the USGS estimate of landslides and liquefaction.
- Landslide alert
- Green
- Liquefaction alert
- Green
Nearest places
Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.
Nearby
Within 100 km, magnitude 2.9 and up: 2 in the 60 days after this one and 0 in the 30 days before it.
After
Earthquakes todayPhilippines earthquakesLive radar here
Sources
From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00035w5 (also filed as gcmtb061887a, gcmt19870618100102, atlas19870618100105, iscgem464614). Read Fri, Oct 2, 2026, 9:05 PM UTC.