M5.5 Earthquake in the Volcano Islands, Japan region — May 1, 2022
2022-05-01 21:57:49 UTC (2022-05-01) · approx. 7:57 AM UTC+10 local
Aftershock of the M5.6 mainshock.
On May 1, 2022 at 21:57 UTC, a magnitude 5.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the Volcano Islands, Japan region, at a depth of 54.0 km and coordinates 23.6503°, 142.7068°. The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 122 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 465, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 3 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 3.8 km — 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 5.6 mainshock that occurred 27 days ago in the Volcano Islands, Japan region. 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.
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
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 472 |
Earthquake Details
142.7068°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.5 earthquake in the Volcano Islands, Japan region?
The magnitude 5.5 earthquake that struck in the Volcano Islands, Japan region on May 1, 2022 at 21:57 UTC had a depth of 54.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 23.6503°, 142.7068°, 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 5.5 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks and gradually diminish over time.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.6 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 5.5 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.6 mainshock that occurred earlier in the Volcano Islands, Japan region. Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes triggered by stress changes from the mainshock.
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 5.5 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000h69c). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, May 1, 2022). M5.5 Earthquake in the Volcano Islands, Japan region — May 1, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000h69c/