A 6.4 magnitude quake struck southern Taiwan, with an epicentre 35 kilometres deep, the USGS said.
No tsunami warning was immediately issued.
The quake on Thursday, which hit about 70 kilometres from the main southern city of Kaohsiung, was felt as far away as the capital Taipei in the north of the island.
Taiwan is regularly hit by earthquakes as the island lies near the junction of two tectonic plates.
A 7.6-magnitude quake killed around 2,400 people in September 1999.
