5.5

M5.5 Earthquake 126 km WNW of Naha, JapanJune 19, 2022

2022-06-19 09:55:19 UTC (2022-06-19) · approx. 5:55 PM UTC+8 local

Felt by 1 person across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM5.5(mww)
Time09:55 UTC5:55 PM UTC+8
Depth7.0 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates26.717°, 126.543°
Felt by1DYFI response· max MMI 3.9
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS· green PAGER
green Alertno significant casualties or damage expected

On June 19, 2022 at 09:55 UTC, a magnitude 5.5 shallow crustal earthquake struck 126 km WNW of Naha, Japan, at a depth of 7.0 km and coordinates 26.7173°, 126.5426°. The earthquake was reported felt by 1 personacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.9 (light). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 113 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 466, placing it among routine seismic activity. The nearest populated place is Tomigusuku (population 55,715).

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.

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

Nearest Populated Places

Tomigusukupop. 55,715
MMI 3.3 (light)
Nahapop. 300,795
MMI 3.2 (light)
Ginowanpop. 91,800
MMI 3.2 (light)
Okinawapop. 125,483
MMI 3.1 (light)
Ishikawapop. 22,412
MMI 3.1 (light)
Chatanpop. 27,844
MMI 3.1 (light)
Map showing earthquake epicenter at 26.72°, 126.54°

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.

USGS ShakeMap intensity contours for the M5.5 earthquake near 126 km WNW of Naha, Japan

Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS

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 M5.5 earthquake near 126 km WNW of Naha, Japan

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

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)DescriptionPopulation exposed
MMI 3weak1,257,325
MMI 4light8,818

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.5 mww
Depth
7.0 km
shallow crustal
Location
26.7173°N
126.5426°E
Felt Reports
1
DYFI responses
Intensity (MMI)
3.9
light
Community Intensity
6.1
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000hiil
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
466
Stations Used
113
Azimuthal Gap
37.0°
Min Station Distance
1.551°
RMS Residual
0.48 sec
Last Updated
2022-08-28 03:18:42 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.5 earthquake near Naha, Japan?

The magnitude 5.5 earthquake that struck 126 km WNW of Naha, Japan on June 19, 2022 at 09:55 UTC had a depth of 7.0 km. It was felt by 1 person with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.9 (light). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 26.7173°, 126.5426°, which is 126 km WNW of Naha, Japan. The nearest populated place is Tomigusuku (population 55,715). 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.

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.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000hiil). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2022, June 19, 2022). M5.5 Earthquake 126 km WNW of Naha, JapanJune 19, 2022. Retrieved August 28, 2022 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000hiil/