4.5

M4.5 Earthquake 17 km NE of Iwaki, JapanApril 14, 2022

2022-04-14 18:25:31 UTC (2022-04-14) · approx. 3:25 AM UTC+9 local

Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM4.5(mb)
Time18:25 UTC3:25 AM UTC+9
Depth68.1 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates37.177°, 141.005°
Felt by1DYFI response
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On April 14, 2022 at 18:25 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 17 km NE of Iwaki, Japan, at a depth of 68.1 km and coordinates 37.1773°, 141.0048°.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 767 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 37.18°, 141.00°

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 M4.5 earthquake near 17 km NE of Iwaki, Japan

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.5 mb
Depth
68.1 km
shallow crustal
Location
37.1773°N
141.0048°E
Felt Reports
1
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
2.7
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000h2bg
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
312
Azimuthal Gap
128.0°
Min Station Distance
2.330°
RMS Residual
0.53 sec
Last Updated
2022-06-20 22:08:25 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Iwaki, Japan?

The magnitude 4.5 earthquake that struck 17 km NE of Iwaki, Japan on April 14, 2022 at 18:25 UTC had a depth of 68.1 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 37.1773°, 141.0048°, which is 17 km NE of Iwaki, Japan. View all earthquakes in Japan.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.5 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 4.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000h2bg). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, April 14, 2022). M4.5 Earthquake 17 km NE of Iwaki, JapanApril 14, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000h2bg/