M5.2 Earthquake 73 km ENE of Mutsu, Japan — July 26, 2021
2021-07-26 02:16:15 UTC (2021-07-26) · approx. 11:16 AM UTC+9 local
Felt by 5 people across nearby locations.
On July 26, 2021 at 02:16 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 73 km ENE of Mutsu, Japan, at a depth of 55.9 km and coordinates 41.4815°, 142.0615°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.2 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 951 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.3 km — 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 5 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
142.0615°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Mutsu, Japan?
The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck 73 km ENE of Mutsu, Japan on July 26, 2021 at 02:16 UTC had a depth of 55.9 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 41.4815°, 142.0615°, which is 73 km ENE of Mutsu, Japan. View all earthquakes in Japan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.2 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks 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 5.2 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000ez24). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, July 26, 2021). M5.2 Earthquake 73 km ENE of Mutsu, Japan — July 26, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000ez24/