January 25, 1972 Earthquake: Taiwan

Name: January 25, 1972 Earthquake: Taiwan
Start: 1972-01-25
Location: Taiwan

January 25, 1972 · M7.7

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Taiwan on January 25, 1972 at 03:41:23 UTC, 33 km below the surface.

Map

Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.

The earthquake

Date: January 25, 1972
Time: 03:41:23 UTC
Place: Taiwan
Magnitude: 7.7 (Ms)
Focal depth: 33 km (21 mi)
Tsunami: None recorded
Epicenter: 23.000° N, 122.200° E
Country: Taiwan

The toll

Damage: Limited (under about $1 million)

Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.

What the record says

NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.

January 25, 1972, 03:41:23.7 UTC, 23 N, 122.2 E, magnitude 5.9 mb, 7.0 MS, felt on Taiwain, (II JMA) southern Ryukyu Islands and (III RF) on Northern Luzon, Philippine islands. (reference #1053)

January 25, 1972, 03:41:23.7 UTC, Taiwan, 23.O N, 122.2 E, depth 33 km, magnitude 6.8 mb, 7.7 MS. (reference #1229)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 1972 The 1900s Every quake the USGS located in 1972 Recent earthquakes near here This day in weather history

Sources

Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 4591.