M5.3 Earthquake 50 km E of Tomioka, Japan — December 27, 2024
2024-12-27 19:10:05 UTC (2024-12-27) · approx. 4:10 AM UTC+9 local
Felt by 3 people across nearby locations.
On December 27, 2024 at 19:10 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 50 km E of Tomioka, Japan, at a depth of 45.5 km and coordinates 37.3695°, 141.5863°. This earthquake was detected by 173 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 433, 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 3 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
141.5863°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Tomioka, Japan?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 50 km E of Tomioka, Japan on December 27, 2024 at 19:10 UTC had a depth of 45.5 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 37.3695°, 141.5863°, which is 50 km E of Tomioka, 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.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000pfz8). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2024, December 27, 2024). M5.3 Earthquake 50 km E of Tomioka, Japan — December 27, 2024. Retrieved March 8, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000pfz8/