In the South China Sea 12 kilometer from San Fernando, The Philippines, a significant MAG-5.2 earthquake occurred in the morning of Saturday May 24th, 2025.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the South China Sea, right off the coast of The Philippines (6 mi offshore), 12 kilometer northwest of San Fernando in Ilocos. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 35 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | May 24, 2025 10:36AM (Manila Time) - May 24, 2025 02:36 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 12 km NW of San Fernando, Ilocos, The Philippines. Coordinates 16°41'36"N 120°14'20"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 20 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.069 . |
| Depth: | 35 km (22 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in The Philippines . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is San Fernando in Ilocos, The Philippines. San Fernando is located 12 kilometer (7 mi) northwest of the epicenter.
Major cities near this earthquake: Quezon City is located 243 km to the south-southeast. Manila is located 246 km to the south-southeast. Caloocan City is located 240 km to the south-southeast.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 12 km (7 mi) SE from epicenter |
San Fernando Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 21 km (13 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Bauang Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 35 km (22 mi) NE from epicenter |
Tagudin Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 35 km (22 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Aringay Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 36 km (22 mi) NE from epicenter |
Santa Maria Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 46 km (29 mi) SE from epicenter |
La Trinidad Cordillera, The Philippines. |
| 49 km (30 mi) SE from epicenter |
Baguio Cordillera, The Philippines. |
| 59 km (37 mi) SE from epicenter |
Itogon Cordillera, The Philippines. |
| 61 km (38 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Mankayan Cordillera, The Philippines. |
| 69 km (43 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Agoo Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 71 km (44 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Mangaldan Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 73 km (45 mi) S from epicenter |
Dagupan Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 74 km (46 mi) S from epicenter |
Binmaley Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 75 km (47 mi) S from epicenter |
Lingayen Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 77 km (48 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Manaoag Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 77 km (48 mi) S from epicenter |
Calasiao Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 77 km (48 mi) S from epicenter |
Domalanoan Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 79 km (49 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Santa Barbara Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 84 km (52 mi) SE from epicenter |
Guiset East Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 87 km (54 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Urdaneta Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 99 km (62 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Bambang Cagayan Valley, The Philippines. |
| 99 km (62 mi) N from epicenter |
Vigan Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 100 km (62 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Bayombong Cagayan Valley, The Philippines. |
| 102 km (63 mi) E from epicenter |
Solano Cagayan Valley, The Philippines. |
| 113 km (70 mi) S from epicenter |
Camiling Central Luzon, The Philippines. |
| 120 km (75 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Paniqui Central Luzon, The Philippines. |
| 140 km (87 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Tarlac City Central Luzon, The Philippines. |
| 140 km (87 mi) E from epicenter |
Santiago Cagayan Valley, The Philippines. |
| 143 km (89 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Talavera Central Luzon, The Philippines. |
| 155 km (96 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Cabanatuan City Central Luzon, The Philippines. |
| 156 km (97 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Capas Central Luzon, The Philippines. |
| 167 km (104 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Mabalacat City Central Luzon, The Philippines. |
| 172 km (107 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Laoag Ilocos, The Philippines. |
| 172 km (107 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Gapan Central Luzon, The Philippines. |
| 174 km (108 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Santol Central Luzon, The Philippines. |
| 176 km (109 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Angeles City Central Luzon, The Philippines. |
| 181 km (112 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Arayat Central Luzon, The Philippines. |
| 185 km (115 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Bulaon Central Luzon, The Philippines. |
| 188 km (117 mi) NE from epicenter |
Tuguegarao Cagayan Valley, The Philippines. |
| 191 km (119 mi) SSE from epicenter |
San Fernando Central Luzon, The Philippines. |
| 226 km (140 mi) SSE from epicenter |
San Jose del Monte Central Luzon, The Philippines. |
| 240 km (149 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Caloocan City National Capital Region, The Philippines. |
| 243 km (151 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Quezon City National Capital Region, The Philippines. |
| 246 km (153 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Manila National Capital Region, The Philippines. |
| 249 km (155 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Antipolo Calabarzon, The Philippines. |
| 250 km (155 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Mandaluyong City National Capital Region, The Philippines. |
| 250 km (155 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Pasig City National Capital Region, The Philippines. |
| 253 km (157 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Makati City National Capital Region, The Philippines. |
| 253 km (157 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Pasay National Capital Region, The Philippines. |
| 257 km (160 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Taguig National Capital Region, The Philippines. |
| 262 km (163 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Las Piñas National Capital Region, The Philippines. |
Shaking reported by 27 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 27 people have reported shaking in 22 places, all within Philippines.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Baguio, Cordillera, Philippines: 3 people.
- Tuding, Cordillera, Philippines: 2 people.
- Manila, National Capital Region, Philippines: 2 people.
- San Miguel, Ilocos, Philippines: 2 people.
- Arayat, Central Luzon, Philippines: 1 person.
- San Jacinto, Ilocos, Philippines: 1 person.
- Montalban, Southern Tagalog, Philippines: 1 person.
- Cainta, Southern Tagalog, Philippines: 1 person.
- Biñan (Pagsanjan, Laguna), Southern Tagalog, Philippines: 1 person.
- Bacoor, Southern Tagalog, Philippines: 1 person.
Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 1 smaller aftershock. A 3.1 magnitude earthquake hit 8 hrs later 81 km (50 mi) south-southwest of this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
May 24, 2025 10:36AM (Manila Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.1 |
8 hrs later May 24, 2025 06:12PM (Manila Time) | 81 km (50 mi) SSW from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since April 27th, 2025, when a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit 296 km (184 mi) further north-northeast. An even stronger magnitude 7 earthquake struck on July 27th, 2022.
In total, 33 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 4 months.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 35 km (22 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 17/06/25 00:28 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000q18d
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250524_0000022
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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