4.8

M4.8 Earthquake in the Volcano Islands, Japan region — June 4, 2021

2021-06-04 16:48:54 UTC (2021-06-04) · approx. 2:48 AM UTC+10 local

Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM4.8(mb)
Time16:48 UTC≈ 2:48 AM UTC+10
Depth112.4 kmintermediate depth
Coordinates22.272°, 143.824°
Felt by1DYFI response
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On June 4, 2021 at 16:48 UTC, a magnitude 4.8 intermediate depth earthquake struck in the Volcano Islands, Japan region, at a depth of 112.4 km and coordinates 22.2724°, 143.8243°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.2 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 22.27°, 143.82°

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 M4.8 earthquake near Volcano Islands, Japan region

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.8 mb
Depth
112.4 km
intermediate depth
Location
22.2724°N
143.8243°E
Felt Reports
1
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
2.0
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000e9s7
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
355
Azimuthal Gap
51.0°
Min Station Distance
5.028°
RMS Residual
0.91 sec
Last Updated
2021-08-24 21:35:44 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.8 earthquake in the Volcano Islands, Japan region?

The magnitude 4.8 earthquake that struck in the Volcano Islands, Japan region on June 4, 2021 at 16:48 UTC had a depth of 112.4 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 22.2724°, 143.8243°, which is in the Volcano Islands, Japan region. View all earthquakes in Japan.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.8 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 4.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000e9s7). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, June 4, 2021). M4.8 Earthquake in the Volcano Islands, Japan region — June 4, 2021. Retrieved August 24, 2021 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000e9s7/