M4.6 Earthquake 96 km WSW of Itoman, Japan — December 17, 2020
2020-12-17 10:18:35 UTC (2020-12-17) · approx. 6:18 PM UTC+8 local
Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.
On December 17, 2020 at 10:18 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 96 km WSW of Itoman, Japan, at a depth of 69.9 km and coordinates 25.9445°, 126.7221°.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 120 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 899 m — 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 1 citizen response 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
126.7221°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near Itoman, Japan?
The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck 96 km WSW of Itoman, Japan on December 17, 2020 at 10:18 UTC had a depth of 69.9 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 25.9445°, 126.7221°, which is 96 km WSW of Itoman, Japan. View all earthquakes in Japan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.6 earthquakes can continue for several days 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 4.6 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000crs7). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2020, December 17, 2020). M4.6 Earthquake 96 km WSW of Itoman, Japan — December 17, 2020. Retrieved February 27, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000crs7/