M5.5 Earthquake 53 km N of Miyako, Japan — December 12, 2020
2020-12-12 07:18:54 UTC (2020-12-12) · approx. 4:18 PM UTC+9 local
Felt by 15 people across nearby locations.
On December 12, 2020 at 07:18 UTC, a magnitude 5.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 53 km N of Miyako, Japan, at a depth of 44.0 km and coordinates 40.1213°, 142.0551°. The earthquake was reported felt by 15 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.9 (light). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. The nearest populated place is Misawa (population 42,805).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.8 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 15 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 | 3,951,006 |
| MMI 4 | light | 368,464 |
Earthquake Details
142.0551°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.5 earthquake near Miyako, Japan?
The magnitude 5.5 earthquake that struck 53 km N of Miyako, Japan on December 12, 2020 at 07:18 UTC had a depth of 44.0 km. It was felt by 15 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.9 (light). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 40.1213°, 142.0551°, which is 53 km N of Miyako, Japan. The nearest populated place is Misawa (population 42,805). View all earthquakes in Japan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.5 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 5.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000cqhy). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 12, 2020). M5.5 Earthquake 53 km N of Miyako, Japan — December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 22, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000cqhy/