Significant earthquakes of 1998

May 3, 1998 Earthquake: Taiwan

May 3, 1998 · M7.5

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Taiwan on May 3, 1998 at 23:30:21 UTC, 33 km below the surface. It caused a tsunami.

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
May 3, 1998
Time
23:30:21 UTC
Place
Taiwan
Magnitude
7.5 (Mw)
Focal depth
33 km (21 mi)
Epicenter
22.306° N, 125.308° E
Country
Taiwan

The toll

The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.

What the record says

NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.

1998, May 3. Minor local tsunami generated with recorded wave

heights of 4 cm on Miyako-shima and 3 cm on Ishigaki-shima

and at Naha, Okinawa. Felt (III JMA) on Iriomote-shima,

Ishigaki-shima, Miyako-shima and Yonaguni; (I JMA) on Amami

O-shima, Kikai-shima, Okinawa and in the southern part of

Kyushu. Also felt in parts of eastern Taiwan.

(reference #1053)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 1998The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1998Recent earthquakes near hereThis 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 6502.