A significant Magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck in the East China Sea 13 kilometer from Kanoya, Japan in the early morning of Saturday November 11th, 2023.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the East China Sea, right off the coast of Japan (2 mi offshore), 13 kilometer southwest of Kanoya in Kagoshima. The center of this earthquake had an intermediate depth of 108 km.
| Date and Time: | Nov 11, 2023 05:50 (Tokyo Time) - Nov 10, 2023 20:50 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 13 km SW of Kanoya, Kagoshima, Japan. Coordinates 31°17'3"N 130°46'13"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 27 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.06 . |
| Depth: | 108 km (67 mi) An intermediate depth. |
| 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. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Japan . Kanoya in Kagoshima, Japan is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 13 kilometer (8 mi) southwest of Kanoya.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Kagoshima is located 38 km to the northwest. Fukuoka is located 260 km to the north. Kumamoto is located 169 km to the north.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 13 km (8 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kanoya Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 13 km (8 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Ibusuki Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 23 km (14 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Tarumizu Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 38 km (24 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kagoshima Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 38 km (24 mi) NE from epicenter |
Shibushi Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 43 km (27 mi) W from epicenter |
Makurazaki Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 46 km (29 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Kaseda-shirakame Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 47 km (29 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Sueyoshichō-ninokata Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 48 km (30 mi) N from epicenter |
Hamanoichi Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 50 km (31 mi) N from epicenter |
Kokubu-matsuki Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 50 km (31 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Kushima Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 51 km (32 mi) NW from epicenter |
Ijūin Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 51 km (32 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Kajiki Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 57 km (35 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Miyakonojō Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 65 km (40 mi) SSE from epicenter |
Nishinoomote Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 67 km (42 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Nichinan Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 68 km (42 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kushikino Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 74 km (46 mi) NW from epicenter |
Satsumasendai Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 80 km (50 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kobayashi Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 88 km (55 mi) N from epicenter |
Ōkuchi-shinohara Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 93 km (58 mi) NE from epicenter |
Miyazaki Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 97 km (60 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Izumi Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 98 km (61 mi) NW from epicenter |
Akune Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 104 km (65 mi) N from epicenter |
Hitoyoshi Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 109 km (68 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Minamata Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 109 km (68 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Tsuma Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 117 km (73 mi) NE from epicenter |
Takanabe Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 122 km (76 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kawaminami Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 124 km (77 mi) NW from epicenter |
Ushibukamachi Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 137 km (85 mi) N from epicenter |
Honmachi Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 143 km (89 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Hondomachi-hondo Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 152 km (94 mi) N from epicenter |
Matsubase Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 156 km (97 mi) N from epicenter |
Uto Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 167 km (104 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Nobeoka Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 169 km (105 mi) N from epicenter |
Kumamoto Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 171 km (106 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Shimabara Nagasaki, Japan. |
| 178 km (111 mi) N from epicenter |
Ōzu Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 183 km (114 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Nagasaki Nagasaki, Japan. |
| 186 km (116 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Isahaya Nagasaki, Japan. |
| 186 km (116 mi) N from epicenter |
Tamana Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 190 km (118 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Obita Nagasaki, Japan. |
| 197 km (122 mi) N from epicenter |
Ōmuta Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 198 km (123 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Ōmura Nagasaki, Japan. |
| 221 km (137 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Saga Saga, Japan. |
| 227 km (141 mi) N from epicenter |
Kurume Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 230 km (143 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Ōita Ōita, Japan. |
| 231 km (144 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Sasebo Nagasaki, Japan. |
| 232 km (144 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Beppu Ōita, Japan. |
| 260 km (162 mi) N from epicenter |
Fukuoka Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 274 km (170 mi) NE from epicenter |
Uwajima Ehime, Japan. |
| 278 km (173 mi) NE from epicenter |
Nakamura Kōchi, Japan. |
| 286 km (178 mi) N from epicenter |
Kitakyushu Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 297 km (185 mi) N from epicenter |
Shimonoseki Yamaguchi, Japan. |
Shaking reported by 2 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 2 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:
- Kanoya, Kagoshima, Japan: 1 person.
- Ōtsu, Shiga, Japan: 1 person.
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.
The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk
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 September 10th, 2023, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 257 km (160 mi) further south-southwest. An even stronger magnitude 7 earthquake struck on April 15th, 2016.
In total, 45 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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.
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
| 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 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 108 km (67 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 29/11/23 22:48 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000la7u
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20231110_0000396
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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