Magnitude 4.9 earthquake shakes Leyte, felt in Cebu

This is the map by Phivolcs showing where the earthquake hit in Leyte Province at past 2 a.m. today, January 16, 2025, which was issued by Phivolcs in its 2:58 a.m. in the agency’s earthquake information bulletin. |Phivolcs.dost.gov.ph

CEBU CITY, Philippines — An intensity III earthquake was felt in Cebu in the early morning hours of Thursday, January 16.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), this was after a magnitude 4.9 earthquake shook Calubian town in Leyte Province at past 2:03 a.m. 

The epicenter of the earthquake was located 11.60 degrees north and 124.4 degrees east of Calubian town at a depth of 7 kilometers.

READ:

EXPLAINER: Earthquake terms you need to know

Tsunami alert lifted after magnitude 6.6 earthquake hits southwest Japan

Senate approves Phivolcs modernization bill

This was according to Phivolcs in its 2:58 a.m. earthquake information bulletin.

A magnitude is used to describe how strong an earthquake is at its focus or center. Phivolcs defines magnitude as ‘proportional to the energy released by an earthquake at the focus’.

Intensity, on the other hand, refers to the strength perceived and felt by people. In the country, Phivolcs is the one who would determine the intensity of an earthquake. 

Intensities are also ranked in Roman numerals with the higher numerals being closer to the center of the earthquake.

Phivolcs described the earthquake as tectonic in origin, which means that the earthquake occurred due to the sudden movement along faults and plate boundaries.

According to the United States Geological Survey in its website, a fault is a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock.

Phivolcs also said in its 2:58 a.m. earthquake information bulletin, that no aftershock would be expected from the earthquake that rocked Leyte today.