M5.3 Earthquake 98 km SSE of Shizunai-furukawach?, Japan — October 19, 2021
2021-10-19 12:36:37 UTC (2021-10-19) · approx. 10:36 PM UTC+10 local
Felt by 7 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M6.0 mainshock.
On October 19, 2021 at 12:36 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 98 km SSE of Shizunai-furukawach?, Japan, at a depth of 38.4 km and coordinates 41.5122°, 142.8248°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.7 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 6.0 mainshock that occurred 27 days ago 32 km SSW of Honchō, Japan. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 0 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for weeks to months as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.
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 7 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
142.8248°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Shizunai-furukawach?, Japan?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 98 km SSE of Shizunai-furukawach?, Japan on October 19, 2021 at 12:36 UTC had a depth of 38.4 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 41.5122°, 142.8248°, which is 98 km SSE of Shizunai-furukawach?, Japan. View all earthquakes in Japan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.3 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M6.0 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 5.3 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 6.0 mainshock that occurred earlier 32 km SSW of Honchō, Japan. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
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 5.3 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000fvv2). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, October 19, 2021). M5.3 Earthquake 98 km SSE of Shizunai-furukawach?, Japan — October 19, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000fvv2/