Reviewed by USGSPhilippines109y ago
M7.2 earthquake 22 km ESE of Bobon, Philippines
Wednesday, January 1, 1919, 01:33:50 UTC · 6.808°N, 126.526°E
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck 22 km ESE of Bobon, Philippines on Wednesday, January 1, 1919, 01:33:50 UTC, at a depth of 35.0 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M7.9 on March 14, 1913.
- Magnitude
- 7.2
- Major · mw
- Depth
- 35 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- VI
- Strong (ShakeMap)
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeColoured lines: estimated shaking intensity (USGS ShakeMap)
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
985 kilotons of TNT
That is about 65 times the Hiroshima bomb. It released about 2,065 times the energy of a magnitude 5.0.
Tectonic setting
79 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Philippine Sea and Sunda plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
35 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
No “Did You Feel It?” reports have been published for this event yet. If you felt it, you can add your report on the USGS website.
I felt it — report to USGS ↗USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No PAGER estimate is available for this event.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 200 km
USGS has not published any M2.5+ earthquake within 200 km in the 30 days after this event.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 23 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.947 km ESE of Kalbay, PhilippinesMarch 14, 1913 · 157 km SW of this epicenter
- 7.774 km ENE of Barcelona, PhilippinesJuly 12, 1911 · 195 km N of this epicenter
- 7.6101 km SE of Sarangani, PhilippinesDecember 16, 1910 · 245 km S of this epicenter
- 7.270 km ENE of La Paz, PhilippinesApril 25, 1913 · 275 km N of this epicenter
- 7.110 km W of Bigaan, PhilippinesJuly 20, 1907 · 172 km N of this epicenter
- 6.937 km S of Daliao, PhilippinesJanuary 31, 1917 · 229 km SW of this epicenter
- 6.94 km ESE of Panikian, PhilippinesFebruary 7, 1918 · 55 km W of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 16 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 149 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1913M7.8
Sangihe Island
14 Mar 1913 · 168 km away · intensity IX
138 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1917M6.4
S Mindanao: Glan,Glan Padidu,Tuyan
31 Jan 1917 · 191 km away · intensity IX
7 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1870
Mindanao: Davao,Blanco
4 Nov 1870 · 126 km away
4 deathsModerate damage ($1–5M)
- 1911M7.8
Mindanao: Talacogon,Davao,Butuan
12 Jul 1911 · 251 km away · intensity X
Severe damage ($5–24M)tsunami
- 1871
W Mindanao: Cotabato,Polloc Harbor
8 Dec 1871 · 265 km away · intensity IX
Severe damage ($5–24M)
- 1903M7.8
Davao Gulf
28 Dec 1903 · 62 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.