5.2

M5.2 Earthquake 10 km WSW of Gob?, JapanDecember 3, 2021

2021-12-03 00:28:28 UTC (2021-12-03) · approx. 9:28 AM UTC+9 local

Felt by 58 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM5.2(mww)
Time00:28 UTC9:28 AM UTC+9
Depth12.1 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates33.834°, 135.077°
Felt by58DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On December 3, 2021 at 00:28 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 10 km WSW of Gob?, Japan, at a depth of 12.1 km and coordinates 33.8337°, 135.0775°.

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

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 33.83°, 135.08°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 58 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M5.2 earthquake near 10 km WSW of Gob?, Japan

Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.2 mww
Depth
12.1 km
shallow crustal
Location
33.8337°N
135.0775°E
Felt Reports
58
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
6.1
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000g8lb
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
451
Azimuthal Gap
61.0°
Min Station Distance
1.005°
RMS Residual
0.59 sec
Last Updated
2025-12-22 22:21:18 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.2 earthquake near Gob?, Japan?

The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck 10 km WSW of Gob?, Japan on December 3, 2021 at 00:28 UTC had a depth of 12.1 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 33.8337°, 135.0775°, which is 10 km WSW of Gob?, 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.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000g8lb). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, December 3, 2021). M5.2 Earthquake 10 km WSW of Gob?, JapanDecember 3, 2021. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000g8lb/