A significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean 74 kilometer from Hachinohe, Japan in the early afternoon of Friday October 18th, 2024.
Felt the earthquake? Share this article: 
Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 54 kilometers (33 mi) off the coast of Japan, 74 kilometer east-southeast of Hachinohe in Aomori. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 63 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Oct 18, 2024 13:38 (Tokyo Time) - Oct 18, 2024 04:38 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 74 km ESE of Hachinohe, Aomori, Japan. Coordinates 40°17'47"N 142°19'38"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 16 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.078 . |
| Depth: | 63 km (39 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 . Hachinohe in Aomori, Japan is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 74 kilometer (46 mi) east-southeast of Hachinohe.
Major cities near this earthquake: Sendai is located 258 km to the south-southwest. Hachinohe is located 74 km to the west-northwest. Morioka is located 120 km to the southwest.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 74 km (46 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Hachinohe Aomori, Japan. |
| 79 km (49 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Miyako Iwate, Japan. |
| 90 km (56 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Misawa Aomori, Japan. |
| 98 km (61 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Yamada Iwate, Japan. |
| 120 km (75 mi) SW from epicenter |
Morioka Iwate, Japan. |
| 120 km (75 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Kamaishi Iwate, Japan. |
| 128 km (80 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Tōno Iwate, Japan. |
| 131 km (81 mi) W from epicenter |
Hanawa Akita, Japan. |
| 133 km (83 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Shizukuishi Iwate, Japan. |
| 145 km (90 mi) NW from epicenter |
Mutsu Aomori, Japan. |
| 145 km (90 mi) SW from epicenter |
Hanamaki Iwate, Japan. |
| 146 km (91 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Ōfunato Iwate, Japan. |
| 147 km (91 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Aomori Aomori, Japan. |
| 150 km (93 mi) W from epicenter |
Ōdate Akita, Japan. |
| 153 km (95 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Kuroishi Aomori, Japan. |
| 153 km (95 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kitakami Iwate, Japan. |
| 154 km (96 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Namioka Aomori, Japan. |
| 160 km (99 mi) W from epicenter |
Hirosaki Aomori, Japan. |
| 160 km (99 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kanegasaki Iwate, Japan. |
| 165 km (103 mi) SW from epicenter |
Mizusawa Iwate, Japan. |
| 167 km (104 mi) W from epicenter |
Takanosu Akita, Japan. |
| 169 km (105 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Goshogawara Aomori, Japan. |
| 175 km (109 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Shimokizukuri Aomori, Japan. |
| 183 km (114 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Ōmagari Akita, Japan. |
| 184 km (114 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Ichinoseki Iwate, Japan. |
| 187 km (116 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yokote Akita, Japan. |
| 195 km (121 mi) W from epicenter |
Noshiro Akita, Japan. |
| 199 km (124 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Akita Akita, Japan. |
| 200 km (124 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yuzawa Akita, Japan. |
| 206 km (128 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Tennō Akita, Japan. |
| 212 km (132 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hakodate Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 220 km (137 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kamiiso Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 224 km (139 mi) NW from epicenter |
Honchō Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 225 km (140 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Furukawa Miyagi, Japan. |
| 227 km (141 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Ishinomaki Miyagi, Japan. |
| 229 km (142 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Yamoto Miyagi, Japan. |
| 244 km (152 mi) SW from epicenter |
Shinjō Yamagata, Japan. |
| 245 km (152 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Tomiya Miyagi, Japan. |
| 247 km (153 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Rifu Miyagi, Japan. |
| 247 km (153 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Shiogama Miyagi, Japan. |
| 251 km (156 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Muroran Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 258 km (160 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Sendai Miyagi, Japan. |
| 262 km (163 mi) SW from epicenter |
Sakata Yamagata, Japan. |
| 265 km (165 mi) SW from epicenter |
Higashine Yamagata, Japan. |
| 267 km (166 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Tomakomai Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 274 km (170 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tendō Yamagata, Japan. |
| 275 km (171 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Iwanuma Miyagi, Japan. |
| 277 km (172 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tsuruoka Yamagata, Japan. |
| 277 km (172 mi) SW from epicenter |
Sagae Yamagata, Japan. |
| 285 km (177 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yamagata Yamagata, Japan. |
| 286 km (178 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Chitose Hokkaido, Japan. |
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:
- Misawa, Aomori, 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.
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 July 28th, 2024, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 143 km (89 mi) further south-east. An even stronger magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck on March 16th, 2022.
In total, 117 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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 month.
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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 63 km (39 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 18/10/24 07:08 (). 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 us6000nzgv
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20241018_0000043
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
Share this article:
