M5.1 Earthquake 86 km NE of Miyako, Japan — January 3, 2023
2023-01-03 07:08:35 UTC (2023-01-03) · approx. 5:08 PM UTC+10 local
Felt by 2 people across nearby locations. Aftershock of the M5.5 mainshock.
On January 3, 2023 at 07:08 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 86 km NE of Miyako, Japan, at a depth of 35.0 km and coordinates 40.2108°, 142.6435°. This earthquake was detected by 112 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 401, 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.
This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.5 mainshock that occurred 26 days ago 47 km ENE of Noda, Japan. 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 2 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
142.6435°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near Miyako, Japan?
The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck 86 km NE of Miyako, Japan on January 3, 2023 at 07:08 UTC had a depth of 35.0 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 40.2108°, 142.6435°, which is 86 km NE of Miyako, 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.
Is this the same earthquake as the M5.5 one earlier?
No. This magnitude 5.1 earthquake is an aftershock of the larger magnitude 5.5 mainshock that occurred earlier 47 km ENE of Noda, Japan. 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 5.1 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000j1s3). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, January 3, 2023). M5.1 Earthquake 86 km NE of Miyako, Japan — January 3, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000j1s3/