In the Philippine Sea 48 kilometer from Minato, Japan, a Magnitude 4.8 earthquake occurred in the morning of Wednesday November 1st, 2023. The earthquake struck near a very densely populated region.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Philippine Sea, right off the coast of Japan (6 mi offshore), 48 kilometer south of Minato in Wakayama. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 40 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Nov 1, 2023 07:34 (Tokyo Time) - Oct 31, 2023 22:34 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 48 km south of Minato, Wakayama, Japan. Coordinates 33°47'14"N 135°3'22"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 4.8 Detected by 11 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.093 . |
| Depth: | 40 km (25 mi) A quite shallow 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 . Gobō in Wakayama, Japan is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 15 kilometer (9 mi) southwest of Gobō.
Major cities near this earthquake: Osaka is located 109 km to the north-northeast. Kobe is located 101 km to the north. Kyoto is located 151 km to the north-northeast.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 15 km (9 mi) NE from epicenter |
Gobō Wakayama, Japan. |
| 29 km (18 mi) E from epicenter |
Tanabe Wakayama, Japan. |
| 30 km (19 mi) ESE from epicenter |
Shirahama Wakayama, Japan. |
| 40 km (25 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Anan Tokushima, Japan. |
| 43 km (27 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kainan Wakayama, Japan. |
| 48 km (30 mi) N from epicenter |
Minato Wakayama, Japan. |
| 50 km (31 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Komatsushimachō Tokushima, Japan. |
| 51 km (32 mi) N from epicenter |
Wakayama Wakayama, Japan. |
| 55 km (34 mi) NW from epicenter |
Tokushima Tokushima, Japan. |
| 57 km (35 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Iwade Wakayama, Japan. |
| 61 km (38 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Fukura Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 62 km (39 mi) NW from epicenter |
Narutochō-mitsuishi Tokushima, Japan. |
| 64 km (40 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Sumoto Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 65 km (40 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Ishii Tokushima, Japan. |
| 72 km (45 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Kamojimachō-jōgejima Tokushima, Japan. |
| 74 km (46 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Izumisano Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 78 km (48 mi) NE from epicenter |
Hashimoto Wakayama, Japan. |
| 78 km (48 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kaizuka Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 81 km (50 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kishiwada Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 85 km (53 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Izumiōtsu Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 85 km (53 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Izumi Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 86 km (53 mi) NE from epicenter |
Gojō Nara, Japan. |
| 86 km (53 mi) E from epicenter |
Shingū Wakayama, Japan. |
| 88 km (55 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Takaishi Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 94 km (58 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Tondabayashichō Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 96 km (60 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Sakai Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 97 km (60 mi) N from epicenter |
Akashi Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 97 km (60 mi) NE from epicenter |
Gose Nara, Japan. |
| 98 km (61 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Matsubara Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 101 km (63 mi) N from epicenter |
Kobe Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 105 km (65 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Yao Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 106 km (66 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Nishinomiya-hama Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 109 km (68 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Amagasaki Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 109 km (68 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Osaka Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 111 km (69 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Takamatsu Kagawa, Japan. |
| 111 km (69 mi) N from epicenter |
Kakogawachō-honmachi Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 115 km (71 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Itami Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 116 km (72 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Suita Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 116 km (72 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Takarazuka Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 117 km (73 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Toyonaka Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 119 km (74 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Himeji Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 121 km (75 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Neyagawa Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 121 km (75 mi) NE from epicenter |
Nara-shi Nara, Japan. |
| 124 km (77 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Ibaraki Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 126 km (78 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Hirakata Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 129 km (80 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Takatsuki Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 141 km (88 mi) NW from epicenter |
Okayama Okayama, Japan. |
| 143 km (89 mi) W from epicenter |
Kochi Kōchi, Japan. |
| 148 km (92 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kurashiki Okayama, Japan. |
| 151 km (94 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kyoto Kyoto, Japan. |
| 154 km (96 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Ōtsu Shiga, Japan. |
| 163 km (101 mi) W from epicenter |
Niihama Ehime, Japan. |
| 174 km (108 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Fukuyama Hirochima, Japan. |
| 194 km (121 mi) NE from epicenter |
Yokkaichi Mie, Japan. |
| 205 km (127 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Tottori Tottori, Japan. |
| 230 km (143 mi) NE from epicenter |
Nagoya Aichi, Japan. |
| 240 km (149 mi) NE from epicenter |
Gifu-shi Gifu, Japan. |
| 263 km (163 mi) NW from epicenter |
Matsue Shimane, Japan. |
| 265 km (165 mi) W from epicenter |
Iwakuni Yamaguchi, Japan. |
| 266 km (165 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Hamamatsu Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 275 km (171 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Fukui-shi Fukui, Japan. |
Shaking reported by 3 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 3 people have reported shaking in 2 places 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:
- Ōsaka, Ōsaka, Japan: 2 people.
- Akashi, Hyōgo, 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.
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 June 20th, 2023, when a 5 magnitude earthquake hit 94 km (58 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck on July 27th, 2019.
In total, 37 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.8 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 3 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 4.8. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 40 km (25 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 05/12/23 02:48 (). 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 us7000l7y5
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20231031_0000218
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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