Philippines earthquakes

M6.2 earthquake 50 km ENE of Pilar, Philippines

A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck 50 km ENE of Pilar, Philippines on Fri, Dec 8, 1989, 6:23 PM GMT+8 (10:23 UTC), 44 km (27 mi) below the surface.

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Map

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

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The earthquake

Magnitude: 6.2 (Mw, moment), strong
Magnitude from: USGS National Earthquake Information Center
Local time: Fri, Dec 8, 1989, 6:23 PM GMT+8
UTC: 1989-12-08 10:23:12 UTC
Depth: 43.7 km (27.2 mi), shallow
Epicenter: 10.094° N, 126.495° E
Region: Philippines
Strongest shaking: V, moderate 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
6.2	Mw, moment	USGS National Earthquake Information Center	Preferred · Reviewed
6.14	Mw, moment	ISC-GEM global catalog	Final · ±0.1
6.1	Mwc, centroid moment	Global CMT project	Preliminary

What happened

The USGS’s account of the effects of this earthquake.

CENTROID, MOMENT TENSOR (HRV) Data Used: GDSN L.P.B.: 12S, 29C Centroid Location: Origin Time 10:23:15.7 0.3 Lat 9.47N 0.04 Lon 126.13E 0.03 Dep 15.0 FIX Half-duration 4.1 Moment Tensor; Scale 10**18 Nm Mrr=1.34 0.03 Mtt=0.31 0.04 Mff=-1.65 0.05 Mrt=-0.88 0.11 Mrf=0.92 0.14 Mtf=-0.02 0.04 Principal Axes: (T) Val=2.03 Plg=60 Azm=206 (N) Val=-0.09 Plg=24 Azm=346 (P) Val=-1.94 Plg=17 Azm=84 Best Double Couple:Mo=2.0*10**18 NP1:Strike=205 Dip=35 Slip=135 NP2:Strike=335 Dip=66 Slip=64

From the USGS event page for usp00042vc. 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: V, moderate shaking
Peak ground acceleration: 5.5% of gravity
Peak ground velocity: 1.6 cm/s
Map: Automatic

USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter — Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 3.2 and up: 20 in the 60 days after this one and 8 in the 30 days before it.

After

Before

Earthquakes today Philippines earthquakes Live radar here

Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp00042vc (also filed as gcmtb120889c, gcmt19891208102311, atlas19891208102311, iscgem383295). Read Thu, Oct 1, 2026, 2:26 PM UTC.