A significant M5.2 earthquake struck in the Philippine Sea 280 kilometer from Hamamatsu, Japan in the evening of Saturday September 7th, 2024.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Philippine Sea, 250 kilometers (156 mi) off the coast of Japan, 280 kilometer south of Hamamatsu in Shizuoka. The center of this earthquake had a deep depth of 384 km.
| Date and Time: | Sep 7, 2024 22:42 (Tokyo Time) - Sep 7, 2024 13:42 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 280 km south of Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan. Coordinates 32°11'3"N 137°45'47"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 14 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.083 . |
| Depth: | 384 km (239 mi) A deep 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 . Located 234 kilometer (145 mi) south-east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Kushimoto (Wakayama, Japan) is the nearest significant population center.
Major cities near this earthquake: Hamamatsu is located 280 km to the north. Toyohashi is located 289 km to the north. Toyokawa is located 295 km to the north.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 234 km (145 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kushimoto Wakayama, Japan. |
| 239 km (149 mi) NW from epicenter |
Shingū Wakayama, Japan. |
| 255 km (158 mi) NW from epicenter |
Owase Mie, Japan. |
| 270 km (168 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Toba Mie, Japan. |
| 272 km (169 mi) N from epicenter |
Ōyama Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 274 km (170 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Ise Mie, Japan. |
| 278 km (173 mi) N from epicenter |
Arai Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 280 km (174 mi) N from epicenter |
Tahara Aichi, Japan. |
| 280 km (174 mi) NW from epicenter |
Shirahama Wakayama, Japan. |
| 280 km (174 mi) N from epicenter |
Hamamatsu Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 280 km (174 mi) N from epicenter |
Iwata Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 281 km (175 mi) N from epicenter |
Sagara Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 281 km (175 mi) N from epicenter |
Kosai Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 282 km (175 mi) N from epicenter |
Kikugawa Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 282 km (175 mi) NW from epicenter |
Tanabe Wakayama, Japan. |
| 286 km (178 mi) N from epicenter |
Fukuroi Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 288 km (179 mi) N from epicenter |
Kakegawa Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 289 km (180 mi) N from epicenter |
Toyohashi Aichi, Japan. |
| 291 km (181 mi) N from epicenter |
Hamakita Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 291 km (181 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Toyohama Aichi, Japan. |
| 293 km (182 mi) N from epicenter |
Kozakai-chō Aichi, Japan. |
| 295 km (183 mi) N from epicenter |
Toyokawa Aichi, Japan. |
| 295 km (183 mi) N from epicenter |
Kanaya Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 295 km (183 mi) N from epicenter |
Shimada Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 295 km (183 mi) N from epicenter |
Mori Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 298 km (185 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Shimoda Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 299 km (186 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Ishiki Aichi, Japan. |
| 299 km (186 mi) N from epicenter |
Gamagōri Aichi, 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:
- Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan: 1 person.
- Komae, Tokio, 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.
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.
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 18th, 2024, when a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit 285 km (177 mi) further east-northeast. An even stronger magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck on July 27th, 2019.
In total, 31 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 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 4 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 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Not this earthquake. This earthquake occurred at a depth of 384 km (239 mi). Earthquakes this deep in the earth are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 16/09/24 14:28 (). 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 us6000nqat
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20240907_0000119
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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