5.3

M5.3 Earthquake 63 km E of Ishinomaki, JapanJuly 5, 2022

2022-07-05 20:10:25 UTC (2022-07-05) · approx. 5:10 AM UTC+9 local

Felt by 11 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM5.3(mww)
Time20:10 UTC5:10 AM UTC+9
Depth73.6 kmintermediate depth
Coordinates38.439°, 142.032°
Felt by11DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On July 5, 2022 at 20:10 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 intermediate depth earthquake struck 63 km E of Ishinomaki, Japan, at a depth of 73.6 km and coordinates 38.4394°, 142.0322°. This earthquake was detected by 250 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 437, placing it among routine seismic activity.

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.

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 38.44°, 142.03°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 11 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 M5.3 earthquake near 63 km E of Ishinomaki, Japan

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.3 mww
Depth
73.6 km
intermediate depth
Location
38.4394°N
142.0322°E
Felt Reports
11
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
4.8
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000i03g
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
437
Stations Used
250
Azimuthal Gap
24.0°
Min Station Distance
2.463°
RMS Residual
0.78 sec
Last Updated
2022-09-13 06:22:45 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Ishinomaki, Japan?

The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 63 km E of Ishinomaki, Japan on July 5, 2022 at 20:10 UTC had a depth of 73.6 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 38.4394°, 142.0322°, which is 63 km E of Ishinomaki, 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.

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.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000i03g). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, July 5, 2022). M5.3 Earthquake 63 km E of Ishinomaki, JapanJuly 5, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000i03g/