In the Seto Naikai 9 kilometer from Hikari, Japan, a MAG-4.7 earthquake occurred in the evening of Saturday August 26th, 2023. The earthquake struck near a very densely populated region.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Seto Naikai, right off the coast of Japan (5 mi offshore), 9 kilometer southwest of Hikari in Yamaguchi. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 82 km.
| Date and Time: | Aug 26, 2023 22:29 (Tokyo Time) - Aug 26, 2023 13:29 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 9 km SW of Hikari, Yamaguchi, Japan. Coordinates 33°53'33"N 131°52'58"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 4.7 Detected by 69 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.067 . |
| Depth: | 82 km (51 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Japan . Located 9 kilometer (6 mi) southwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Hikari (Yamaguchi, Japan) is the nearest significant population center.
Major cities near this earthquake: Hiroshima is located 77 km to the north-east. Busan is located 294 km to the west-northwest. Kitakyushu is located 95 km to the west.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 9 km (6 mi) NE from epicenter |
Hikari Yamaguchi, Japan. |
| 12 km (7 mi) N from epicenter |
Kudamatsu Yamaguchi, Japan. |
| 19 km (12 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Tokuyama Yamaguchi, Japan. |
| 23 km (14 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Yanai Yamaguchi, Japan. |
| 34 km (21 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Hōfu Yamaguchi, Japan. |
| 43 km (27 mi) NE from epicenter |
Iwakuni Yamaguchi, Japan. |
| 47 km (29 mi) NE from epicenter |
Ōtake Hirochima, Japan. |
| 50 km (31 mi) NW from epicenter |
Yamaguchi Yamaguchi, Japan. |
| 50 km (31 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Ogōri-shimogō Yamaguchi, Japan. |
| 55 km (34 mi) SW from epicenter |
Bungo-Takada-shi Ōita, Japan. |
| 56 km (35 mi) NE from epicenter |
Ōno-hara Hirochima, Japan. |
| 58 km (36 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Kitsuki Ōita, Japan. |
| 59 km (37 mi) W from epicenter |
Ube Yamaguchi, Japan. |
| 66 km (41 mi) W from epicenter |
Onoda Yamaguchi, Japan. |
| 66 km (41 mi) NE from epicenter |
Hatsukaichi Hirochima, Japan. |
| 67 km (42 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Hiji Ōita, Japan. |
| 71 km (44 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hagi Yamaguchi, Japan. |
| 72 km (45 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Nakatsu Ōita, Japan. |
| 73 km (45 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Kure Hirochima, Japan. |
| 74 km (46 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Tsurusaki Ōita, Japan. |
| 76 km (47 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Buzen Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 76 km (47 mi) SE from epicenter |
Ōzu Ehime, Japan. |
| 77 km (48 mi) E from epicenter |
Masaki-chō Ehime, Japan. |
| 77 km (48 mi) NE from epicenter |
Hiroshima Hirochima, Japan. |
| 77 km (48 mi) E from epicenter |
Iyo Ehime, Japan. |
| 77 km (48 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Beppu Ōita, Japan. |
| 78 km (48 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Ōita Ōita, Japan. |
| 82 km (51 mi) E from epicenter |
Matsuyama Ehime, Japan. |
| 83 km (52 mi) NW from epicenter |
Nagato Yamaguchi, Japan. |
| 83 km (52 mi) E from epicenter |
Hōjō Ehime, Japan. |
| 84 km (52 mi) W from epicenter |
Kanda Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 85 km (53 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Yukuhashi Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 86 km (53 mi) W from epicenter |
Shimonoseki Yamaguchi, Japan. |
| 86 km (53 mi) S from epicenter |
Usuki Ōita, Japan. |
| 86 km (53 mi) N from epicenter |
Masuda Shimane, Japan. |
| 91 km (57 mi) S from epicenter |
Tsukumiura Ōita, Japan. |
| 95 km (59 mi) W from epicenter |
Kitakyushu Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 96 km (60 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tsukawaki Ōita, Japan. |
| 97 km (60 mi) SE from epicenter |
Uwajima Ehime, Japan. |
| 114 km (71 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Iizuka Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 131 km (81 mi) E from epicenter |
Niihama Ehime, Japan. |
| 134 km (83 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Chikushino-shi Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 139 km (86 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Fukuoka Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 142 km (88 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Kurume Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 147 km (91 mi) S from epicenter |
Nobeoka Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 151 km (94 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Fukuyama Hirochima, Japan. |
| 157 km (98 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Kochi Kōchi, Japan. |
| 164 km (102 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kumamoto Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 164 km (102 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Saga Saga, Japan. |
| 189 km (117 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Kurashiki Okayama, Japan. |
| 205 km (127 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Takamatsu Kagawa, Japan. |
| 206 km (128 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Okayama Okayama, Japan. |
| 217 km (135 mi) NE from epicenter |
Yonago Tottori, Japan. |
| 225 km (140 mi) SW from epicenter |
Nagasaki Nagasaki, Japan. |
| 248 km (154 mi) E from epicenter |
Tokushima Tokushima, Japan. |
| 278 km (173 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Himeji Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 287 km (178 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Kagoshima Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 294 km (183 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Busan 부산광역시, South Korea. |
| 297 km (185 mi) NW from epicenter |
Ulsan Ulsan, South Korea. |
| 300 km (186 mi) NW from epicenter |
Ungsang 경상남도, South Korea. |
Shaking reported by 4 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 4 people have reported shaking in 3 places, all within 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:
- Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan: 2 people.
- Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Japan: 1 person.
- Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan: 1 person.
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
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.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since July 22nd, 2023, when a 4.9 magnitude earthquake hit 136 km (85 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 7 earthquake struck on April 15th, 2016.
In total, 75 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.7 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 2 months.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 4.7. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 82 km (51 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 25/10/23 07:37 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000kr6n
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20230826_0000102
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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