In the early afternoon of Sunday March 9th, 2025, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.1 aftershock hit in the East China Sea 71 kilometer from Naze, Japan.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the East China Sea, 50 kilometers (31 mi) off the coast of Japan, 71 kilometer north-east of Naze in Kagoshima. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Mar 9, 2025 13:24 (Tokyo Time) - Mar 9, 2025 04:24 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 71 km NE of Naze, Kagoshima, Japan. Coordinates 28°43'18"N 130°5'12"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 230 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.038 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very 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 . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Naze in Kagoshima, Japan. Naze is located 71 kilometer (44 mi) north-east of the epicenter.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 71 km (44 mi) SW from epicenter |
Naze Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 240 km (149 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Nishinoomote Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 284 km (176 mi) N from epicenter |
Ibusuki Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 284 km (176 mi) N from epicenter |
Makurazaki Kagoshima, Japan. |
This is likely an aftershock
This earthquake is likely an aftershock of the MAG-5.7 earthquake that struck 10 hrs earlier. That main earthquake hit 10 km (6 mi) east-southeast of the epicenter of this MAG-5.1 aftershock.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.5 |
2 days earlier Mar 6, 2025 16:41 (Tokyo Time) | 86 km (54 mi) NNE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.5 |
3 hrs earlier Mar 9, 2025 00:37 (Tokyo Time) | 31 km (19 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock | M 5.7 |
Mar 9, 2025 03:54 (Tokyo Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.1 |
3 mins later Mar 9, 2025 03:57 (Tokyo Time) | 11 km (7 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 3.9 |
13 mins later Mar 9, 2025 04:07 (Tokyo Time) | 1.7 km (1.1 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.7 |
5 hrs later Mar 9, 2025 08:42 (Tokyo Time) | 12 km (7 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.1 |
5 hrs later Mar 9, 2025 09:04 (Tokyo Time) | 1.7 km (1.1 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.7 |
5 hrs later Mar 9, 2025 09:09 (Tokyo Time) | 12 km (7 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.9 |
9 hrs later Mar 9, 2025 13:20 (Tokyo Time) | 4 km (2.4 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
10 hrs later Mar 9, 2025 13:24 (Tokyo Time) | 10 km (6 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.2 |
11 hrs later Mar 9, 2025 14:57 (Tokyo Time) | 10 km (6 mi) WNW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.6 |
2 days later Mar 11, 2025 09:26 (Tokyo Time) | 8 km (5 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.3 |
2 days later Mar 11, 2025 11:10 (Tokyo Time) | 15 km (10 mi) ENE from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
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. In total, 60 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 2 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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 12/03/25 04:08 (). 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 us6000pxrf
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250309_0000061
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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