M5.9 Earthquake in the Hokkaido, Japan region — August 11, 2023
2023-08-11 00:14:33 UTC (2023-08-11) · approx. 10:14 AM UTC+10 local
Felt by 5 people across nearby locations.
On August 11, 2023 at 00:14 UTC, a magnitude 5.9 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the Hokkaido, Japan region, at a depth of 34.0 km and coordinates 41.1218°, 142.8297°. The earthquake was reported felt by 5 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.7 (light). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 140 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 537, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Mutsu (population 49,220).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.9 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 11 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 7.1 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
Nearest Populated Places
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
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
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 3,058,765 |
| MMI 4 | light | 114,867 |
Earthquake Details
142.8297°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.9 earthquake in the Hokkaido, Japan region?
The magnitude 5.9 earthquake that struck in the Hokkaido, Japan region on August 11, 2023 at 00:14 UTC had a depth of 34.0 km. It was felt by 5 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.7 (light). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 41.1218°, 142.8297°, which is in the Hokkaido, Japan region. The nearest populated place is Mutsu (population 49,220). View all earthquakes in Japan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.9 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 5.9 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000kz5s). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, August 11, 2023). M5.9 Earthquake in the Hokkaido, Japan region — August 11, 2023. Retrieved October 17, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000kz5s/