M5.1 Earthquake 31 km E of Nichinan, Japan — May 2, 2022
2022-05-02 07:08:13 UTC (2022-05-02) · approx. 4:08 PM UTC+9 local
Felt by 4 people across nearby locations.
On May 2, 2022 at 07:08 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 31 km E of Nichinan, Japan, at a depth of 28.0 km and coordinates 31.6372°, 131.7001°. This earthquake was detected by 183 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 402, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.1 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 674 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.0 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 4 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Earthquake Details
131.7001°E
Technical Information
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near Nichinan, Japan?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck 31 km E of Nichinan, Japan on May 2, 2022 at 07:08 UTC had a depth of 28.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 31.6372°, 131.7001°, which is 31 km E of Nichinan, Japan. View all earthquakes in Japan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.1 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks 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 5.1 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000h6bp). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, May 2, 2022). M5.1 Earthquake 31 km E of Nichinan, Japan — May 2, 2022. Retrieved July 9, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000h6bp/