M4.5 Earthquake 247 km ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan — December 26, 2020
2020-12-26 19:42:58 UTC (2020-12-26) · approx. 5:42 AM UTC+10 local
Felt by 2 people across nearby locations.
On December 26, 2020 at 19:42 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 247 km ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan, at a depth of 10.0 km and coordinates 37.5232°, 143.8807°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 767 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Japan, a region characterized by the intersection of four tectonic plates — Pacific, Philippine Sea, Eurasian, and North American — creating multiple subduction zones. The nearest mapped fault system is the Japan Trench. View all earthquakes in Japan.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 2 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
143.8807°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Ishinomaki, Japan?
The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck 247 km ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan on December 26, 2020 at 19:42 UTC had a depth of 10.0 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 37.5232°, 143.8807°, which is 247 km ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan. View all earthquakes in Japan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.5 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.
Has Japan had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Japan was the M9.1 Tohoku earthquake of March 11, 2011. Today's magnitude 4.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000d399). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 26, 2020). M4.5 Earthquake 247 km ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan — December 26, 2020. Retrieved March 6, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000d399/