5.0

M5.0 Earthquake in the Hokkaido, Japan regionJune 19, 2023

2023-06-19 04:50:45 UTC (2023-06-19) · approx. 2:50 PM UTC+10 local

Felt by 5 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM5.0(mww)
Time04:50 UTC2:50 PM UTC+10
Depth72.6 kmintermediate depth
Coordinates42.502°, 142.823°
Felt by5DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On June 19, 2023 at 04:50 UTC, a magnitude 5.0 intermediate depth earthquake struck in the Hokkaido, Japan region, at a depth of 72.6 km and coordinates 42.5016°, 142.8235°. This earthquake was detected by 121 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 386, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.0 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 477 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.7 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

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 42.50°, 142.82°

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 5 citizen responses 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 M5.0 earthquake near Hokkaido, Japan region

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.0 mww
Depth
72.6 km
intermediate depth
Location
42.5016°N
142.8235°E
Felt Reports
5
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
3.1
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000k9ic
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
386
Stations Used
121
Azimuthal Gap
69.0°
Min Station Distance
0.546°
RMS Residual
0.55 sec
Last Updated
2023-08-26 20:54:23 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.0 earthquake in the Hokkaido, Japan region?

The magnitude 5.0 earthquake that struck in the Hokkaido, Japan region on June 19, 2023 at 04:50 UTC had a depth of 72.6 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 42.5016°, 142.8235°, which is in the Hokkaido, Japan region. View all earthquakes in Japan.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.0 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 5.0 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000k9ic). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, June 19, 2023). M5.0 Earthquake in the Hokkaido, Japan regionJune 19, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000k9ic/