5.1

M5.1 Earthquake 61 km E of Onagawa Chō, JapanFebruary 12, 2025

2025-02-12 21:04:28 UTC (2025-02-12) · approx. 6:04 AM UTC+9 local

Felt by 2 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM5.1(mb)
Time21:04 UTC6:04 AM UTC+9
Depth38.4 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates38.364°, 142.143°
Felt by2DYFI responses
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS

On February 12, 2025 at 21:04 UTC, a magnitude 5.1 shallow crustal earthquake struck 61 km E of Onagawa Chō, Japan, at a depth of 38.4 km and coordinates 38.3638°, 142.1429°. This earthquake was detected by 256 seismic stations with excellent 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.

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 38.36°, 142.14°

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.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M5.1 earthquake near 61 km E of Onagawa Chō, Japan

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

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.1 mb
Depth
38.4 km
shallow crustal
Location
38.3638°N
142.1429°E
Felt Reports
2
DYFI responses
Community Intensity
2.7
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us7000pd8m
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
401
Stations Used
256
Azimuthal Gap
47.0°
Min Station Distance
2.562°
RMS Residual
0.67 sec
Last Updated
2025-05-02 16:26:16 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.1 earthquake near Onagawa Chō, Japan?

The magnitude 5.1 earthquake that struck 61 km E of Onagawa Chō, Japan on February 12, 2025 at 21:04 UTC had a depth of 38.4 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 38.3638°, 142.1429°, which is 61 km E of Onagawa Chō, 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.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000pd8m). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, February 12, 2025). M5.1 Earthquake 61 km E of Onagawa Chō, JapanFebruary 12, 2025. Retrieved May 2, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000pd8m/