4.7

M4.7 Earthquake 9 km SW of Hikari, Japan — August 26, 2023

2023-08-26 13:29:33 UTC (2023-08-26) · approx. 10:29 PM UTC+9 local

Felt by 4 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM4.7(mb)
Time13:29 UTC≈ 10:29 PM UTC+9
Depth81.5 kmintermediate depth
Coordinates33.892°, 131.883°
Felt by4DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On August 26, 2023 at 13:29 UTC, a magnitude 4.7 intermediate depth earthquake struck 9 km SW of Hikari, Japan, at a depth of 81.5 km and coordinates 33.8925°, 131.8827°. This earthquake was detected by 71 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 341, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 169 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.1 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 33.89°, 131.88°

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.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M4.7 earthquake near 9 km SW of Hikari, Japan

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
4.7 mb
Depth
81.5 km
intermediate depth
Location
33.8925°N
131.8827°E
Felt Reports
4
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
3.4
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000kr6n
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
341
Stations Used
71
Azimuthal Gap
66.0°
Min Station Distance
1.668°
RMS Residual
0.85 sec
Last Updated
2023-10-28 19:15:38 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 4.7 earthquake near Hikari, Japan?

The magnitude 4.7 earthquake that struck 9 km SW of Hikari, Japan on August 26, 2023 at 13:29 UTC had a depth of 81.5 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 33.8925°, 131.8827°, which is 9 km SW of Hikari, Japan. View all earthquakes in Japan.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.7 earthquakes can continue for several days 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 4.7 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Actions

View on USGSDid You Feel It?

Location

Japan
View all Japan earthquakes

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000kr6n). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, August 26, 2023). M4.7 Earthquake 9 km SW of Hikari, Japan — August 26, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000kr6n/