5.2

M5.2 Earthquake 1 km ENE of Saito, JapanJuly 29, 2024

2024-07-29 16:25:31 UTC (2024-07-29) · approx. 1:25 AM UTC+9 local

Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM5.2(mww)
Time16:25 UTC1:25 AM UTC+9
Depth66.1 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates32.088°, 131.419°
Felt by1DYFI response
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On July 29, 2024 at 16:25 UTC, a magnitude 5.2 shallow crustal earthquake struck 1 km ENE of Saito, Japan, at a depth of 66.1 km and coordinates 32.0876°, 131.4191°. This earthquake was detected by 151 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 416, placing it among routine seismic activity.

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 32.09°, 131.42°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 1 citizen response 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 1 km ENE of Saito, Japan

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.2 mww
Depth
66.1 km
shallow crustal
Location
32.0876°N
131.4191°E
Felt Reports
1
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
3.8
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000ngq6
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
416
Stations Used
151
Azimuthal Gap
63.0°
Min Station Distance
1.131°
RMS Residual
0.74 sec
Last Updated
2024-10-11 19:39:06 UTC

Common Questions

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

The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that struck 1 km ENE of Saito, Japan on July 29, 2024 at 16:25 UTC had a depth of 66.1 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 32.0876°, 131.4191°, which is 1 km ENE of Saito, 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: us6000ngq6). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, July 29, 2024). M5.2 Earthquake 1 km ENE of Saito, JapanJuly 29, 2024. Retrieved October 11, 2024 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000ngq6/