4.6

M4.6 Earthquake 4 km E of Tokorozawa, JapanNovember 19, 2021

2021-11-19 23:57:23 UTC (2021-11-19) · approx. 8:57 AM UTC+9 local

Felt by 172 people across surrounding communities.

MagnitudeM4.6(mb)
Time23:57 UTC8:57 AM UTC+9
Depth109.5 kmintermediate depth
Coordinates35.799°, 139.515°
Felt by172DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On November 19, 2021 at 23:57 UTC, a magnitude 4.6 intermediate depth earthquake struck 4 km E of Tokorozawa, Japan, at a depth of 109.5 km and coordinates 35.7987°, 139.5146°.

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

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 35.80°, 139.51°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 172 citizen responses 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 M4.6 earthquake near 4 km E of Tokorozawa, Japan

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.6 mb
Depth
109.5 km
intermediate depth
Location
35.7987°N
139.5146°E
Felt Reports
172
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
4.1
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000fvlx
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
396
Azimuthal Gap
68.0°
Min Station Distance
0.815°
RMS Residual
0.82 sec
Last Updated
2022-01-29 22:55:03 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.6 earthquake near Tokorozawa, Japan?

The magnitude 4.6 earthquake that struck 4 km E of Tokorozawa, Japan on November 19, 2021 at 23:57 UTC had a depth of 109.5 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 35.7987°, 139.5146°, which is 4 km E of Tokorozawa, 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.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000fvlx). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2021, November 19, 2021). M4.6 Earthquake 4 km E of Tokorozawa, JapanNovember 19, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000fvlx/