4.4

M4.4 Earthquake 4 km SSE of Yotsukaid?, Japan — January 21, 2021

2021-01-21 22:04:24 UTC (2021-01-21) · approx. 7:04 AM UTC+9 local

MagnitudeM4.4(mb)
Time22:04 UTC≈ 7:04 AM UTC+9
Depth63.9 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates35.616°, 140.185°
Felt by1DYFI response
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On January 21, 2021 at 22:04 UTC, a magnitude 4.4 shallow crustal earthquake struck 4 km SSE of Yotsukaid?, Japan, at a depth of 63.9 km and coordinates 35.6157°, 140.1848°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.4 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 60 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 655 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.3 mainshock that occurred 1 day ago 0 km NNE of Yōkaichiba, Japan. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 0 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 35.62°, 140.18°

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 M4.4 earthquake near 4 km SSE of Yotsukaid?, Japan

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.4 mb
Depth
63.9 km
shallow crustal
Location
35.6157°N
140.1848°E
Felt Reports
1
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
2.7
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000d28g
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
298
Azimuthal Gap
101.0°
Min Station Distance
1.848°
RMS Residual
0.73 sec
Last Updated
2021-03-27 21:06:00 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.4 earthquake near Yotsukaid?, Japan?

The magnitude 4.4 earthquake that struck 4 km SSE of Yotsukaid?, Japan on January 21, 2021 at 22:04 UTC had a depth of 63.9 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.4 earthquakes can continue for several days and gradually diminish over time.

Is this the same earthquake as the M5.3 one earlier?

No. This magnitude 4.4 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.3 mainshock that occurred earlier 0 km NNE of Yōkaichiba, Japan. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.

Understanding This Data

Magnitude 4.4 earthquakes are often felt but rarely cause damage.

Learn more about magnitude →

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000d28g). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, January 21, 2021). M4.4 Earthquake 4 km SSE of Yotsukaid?, Japan — January 21, 2021. Retrieved March 27, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000d28g/