In the Philippine Sea 148 kilometer from Naze, Japan, a significant Magnitude 5.4 earthquake occurred in the night of Tuesday February 4th, 2025. Around 100 thousand people have been exposed to shaking.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Philippine Sea, 140 kilometers (87 mi) off the coast of Japan, 148 kilometer east-northeast of Naze in Kagoshima. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 36 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Feb 4, 2025 04:15 (Tokyo Time) - Feb 3, 2025 19:15 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 148 km ENE of Naze, Kagoshima, Japan. Coordinates 28°42'5"N 130°56'49"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.4 Detected by 15 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.08 . |
| Depth: | 36 km (22 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | IV
Light On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Minimal impact predicted
Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.
The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.
Roughly 100 thousand people exposed to shaking
An estimated 100 thousand have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.
The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is III, which corresponds with weak shaking and probably no damage. Roughly 60,080 people are expected to be exposed to this level. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Japan .
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 36,340 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 60,080 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 0 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
| 0 | V |
Moderate | Very light |
| 0 | VI |
Strong | Light |
| 0 | VII |
Very Strong | Moderate |
| 0 | VIII |
Severe | Moderate to heavy |
| 0 | IX |
Violent | Heavy |
| 0 | X |
Extreme | Very heavy |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Japan . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Naze in Kagoshima, Japan. Naze is located 148 kilometer (92 mi) east-northeast of the epicenter. Naze experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly III. That level implies weak shaking and probably no damage.
A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 148 km (92 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Naze Kagoshima, Japan. |
III
Weak |
| 226 km (140 mi) N from epicenter |
Nishinoomote Kagoshima, Japan. |
|
| 283 km (176 mi) N from epicenter |
Ibusuki Kagoshima, Japan. |
|
| 292 km (181 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Makurazaki Kagoshima, Japan. |
|
| 298 km (185 mi) N from epicenter |
Kanoya Kagoshima, Japan. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is III. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.
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 December 17th, 2024, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 272 km (169 mi) further north-northwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck on June 13th, 2020.
In total, 41 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.4 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 5.4. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 36 km (22 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 05/02/25 05:08 (). 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 us7000pb2l
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250203_0000364
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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