A significant MAG-5.2 earthquake struck in the Philippine Sea 31 kilometer from Miyazaki, Japan in the night of Tuesday January 14th, 2025.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Philippine Sea, right off the coast of Japan (12 mi offshore), 31 kilometer east-northeast of Miyazaki. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 35 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jan 14, 2025 01:14 (Tokyo Time) - Jan 13, 2025 16:14 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 31 km ENE of Miyazaki, Japan. Coordinates 32°3'51"N 131°41'51"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 134 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.05 . |
| Depth: | 35 km (22 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 . Located 20 kilometer (12 mi) east-southeast of the epicenter of this earthquake, Takanabe (Miyazaki, Japan) is the nearest significant population center.
Major cities near this earthquake: Miyazaki is located 31 km to the west-southwest. Fukuoka is located 209 km to the northwest. Kumamoto is located 125 km to the northwest.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 20 km (12 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Takanabe Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 22 km (14 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kawaminami Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 28 km (17 mi) W from epicenter |
Tsuma Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 31 km (19 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Miyazaki Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 45 km (28 mi) N from epicenter |
Kadogawa Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 58 km (36 mi) N from epicenter |
Nobeoka Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 60 km (37 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Nichinan Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 68 km (42 mi) W from epicenter |
Kobayashi Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 70 km (43 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Miyakonojō Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 77 km (48 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Kushima Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 79 km (49 mi) SW from epicenter |
Sueyoshichō-ninokata Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 86 km (53 mi) SW from epicenter |
Shibushi Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 91 km (57 mi) W from epicenter |
Hitoyoshi Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 95 km (59 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Kokubu-matsuki Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 99 km (62 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Hamanoichi Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 100 km (62 mi) N from epicenter |
Saiki Ōita, Japan. |
| 101 km (63 mi) W from epicenter |
Ōkuchi-shinohara Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 104 km (65 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Kajiki Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 110 km (68 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kanoya Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 113 km (70 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Aso Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 114 km (71 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Honmachi Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 118 km (73 mi) N from epicenter |
Usuki Ōita, Japan. |
| 119 km (74 mi) NW from epicenter |
Ōzu Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 119 km (74 mi) NW from epicenter |
Uto Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 122 km (76 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Kagoshima Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 125 km (78 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kumamoto Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 125 km (78 mi) W from epicenter |
Izumi Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 130 km (81 mi) N from epicenter |
Ōita Ōita, Japan. |
| 131 km (81 mi) N from epicenter |
Tsurusaki Ōita, Japan. |
| 135 km (84 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Satsumasendai Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 136 km (85 mi) N from epicenter |
Beppu Ōita, Japan. |
| 144 km (89 mi) NW from epicenter |
Tamana Kumamoto, Japan. |
| 152 km (94 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Uwajima Ehime, Japan. |
| 157 km (98 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Hita Ōita, Japan. |
| 159 km (99 mi) NW from epicenter |
Ōmuta Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 177 km (110 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Nakatsu Ōita, Japan. |
| 178 km (111 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kurume Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 178 km (111 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Isahaya Nagasaki, Japan. |
| 184 km (114 mi) NW from epicenter |
Saga Saga, Japan. |
| 187 km (116 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Nagasaki Nagasaki, Japan. |
| 189 km (117 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Ōmura Nagasaki, Japan. |
| 194 km (121 mi) NW from epicenter |
Chikushino-shi Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 199 km (124 mi) NW from epicenter |
Ōnojō Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 199 km (124 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Iizuka Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 209 km (130 mi) NW from epicenter |
Fukuoka Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 214 km (133 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Kitakyushu Fukuoka, Japan. |
| 221 km (137 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Matsuyama Ehime, Japan. |
| 221 km (137 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Shimonoseki Yamaguchi, Japan. |
| 222 km (138 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Sasebo Nagasaki, Japan. |
| 238 km (148 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kochi Kōchi, Japan. |
| 269 km (167 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Hiroshima Hirochima, Japan. |
| 290 km (180 mi) N from epicenter |
Masuda Shimane, Japan. |
| 293 km (182 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kan’onjichō Kagawa, Japan. |
| 294 km (183 mi) NE from epicenter |
Ikedachō Tokushima, 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:
- Saiki, Ōita, Japan: 1 person.
7 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 7 smaller aftershocks. Just 1 day after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-5.5 was detected 26 km (16 mi) east-southeast of this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock | M 6.8 |
Jan 13, 2025 21:19 (Tokyo Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.1 |
10 mins later Jan 13, 2025 21:29 (Tokyo Time) | 41 km (26 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.9 |
16 mins later Jan 13, 2025 21:35 (Tokyo Time) | 32 km (20 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.1 |
23 mins later Jan 13, 2025 21:42 (Tokyo Time) | 43 km (27 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
4 hrs later Jan 14, 2025 01:22 (Tokyo Time) | 34 km (21 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
14 hrs later Jan 14, 2025 10:56 (Tokyo Time) | 11 km (7 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.5 |
1 day later Jan 15, 2025 02:12 (Tokyo Time) | 26 km (16 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.9 |
1 day later Jan 15, 2025 02:55 (Tokyo Time) | 22 km (14 mi) E from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this 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 January 13th, 2025, when a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit 31 km (19 mi) further south-southwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck on August 8th, 2024.
In total, 46 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 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 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 35 km (22 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 15/01/25 07:28 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000pjqa
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250113_0000194
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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