On Wednesday Morning an Unusually powerful M5.8 Earthquake struck in the Sea of Japan 123km from Nakhodka (Russia).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on June 27th, 2023. Last updated August 26th, 2023.

In the Sea of Japan 123 kilometer from Nakhodka, Russia, an unusually powerful Magnitude 5.8 earthquake occurred in the morning of Wednesday June 28th, 2023. Roughly 1.3 million people may have felt this earthquake.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the Sea of Japan, 89 kilometers (55 mi) off the coast of Russia, 123 kilometer south-east of Nakhodka in Primorskiy (Maritime) Kray. The center of this earthquake had a deep depth of 442 km.

Date and Time:	Jun 28, 2023 09:38 (Vladivostok Time) - Jun 27, 2023 23:38 Universal Time.
Location:	123 km SE of Nakhodka, Primorskiy (Maritime) Kray, Russia. Coordinates 42°5'1"N 133°59'39"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.8 Detected by 49 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.044 .
Depth:	442 km (275 mi) A deep depth.
Max. Intensity:	III Weak On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 at depths deeper than 100km are very unlikely to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.

Roughly 1.3 million people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 1.3 million people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

An estimated 90 people were exposed to level III. At this level, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected. The majority of people (roughly 1.3 million) live in an area exposed to level II, where very weak shaking and no damage is expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Russia .

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Russia . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Vrangel’ in Primorskiy (Maritime) Kray, Russia. Vrangel’ is located 104 kilometer (65 mi) south-east of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Vrangel’ is estimated to be around level II on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (very weak shaking, no damage).

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Vladivostok is located 207 km to the west-northwest and experienced an intensity of II (very weak shaking, no damage). Nakhodka is located 123 km to the northwest and experienced an intensity of II (very weak shaking, no damage). Chongjin is located 350 km to the west (intensity unknown, possibly low).

A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured for this earthquake is II.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 1 person

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in Japan.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan: 1 person.

Risk of aftershocks?

This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.

Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.

It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.

This is the strongest earthquake in 6 years

Earthquakes of this strength are not so common in the region, but it's not the first time. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since July 12th, 2017, when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 237 km (148 mi) further southwest. That was also the heaviest earthquake to hit the region in the past 10 years.

In total, 1 earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every 10 years.

Tsunami very unlikely

For a serious tsunami to occur, earthquakes usually need to have a magnitude of at least 6.5 and occur at a shallow depth of maximum 100km. Neither are the case with this earthquake. However always stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.

Tsunami Risk Factors

Sources

Last updated 26/08/23 17:17 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000knj0
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20230627_0000204
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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